1 04-19-24 (Friday)
Lord, you rule the world with a good and rightful code.
We ask for your wisdom to see things correctly and represent them faithfully.
Fill us with your justice so that we may know how to reflect it in the way we code,
Give us humility so that we may know the limits of our knowledge and its application in society,
Give us the courage to stand firmly when we feel pressured to go beyond these limits,
And give us responsibility as rulers we may be in the areas of society where you put us.
Lord, we want to reflect your good rule, so that people of all nations may fear your name.
Make known to us the path of life;
For in your presence there is fullness of joy;
and at your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16).
Amen.
2 Multi-Aspectual Analysis of Software Applications
- Calvin University is committed to a liberal arts education
- This implies a commitment to interdisciplinarity and diversity that is present in God’s creation
- Christian philosopher Herman Dooyeweerd (1894-1977) has developed a way to contemplate this diversity.
2.1 Dooyeweerd’s philosophy and aspects of reality
For Dooyeweerd, things are meaningful in many different senses. These are called “modes” or “aspects” of meaningfulness, and are discerned in our everyday experience.
No aspectual meaning can be completely reduced to one another (yet, they surely relate between themselves).
| Mode/Aspect | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Logical | distinction | You can distinguish things on this page. |
| Numerical | numbers | This is in a table with 15 rows and 3 columns. |
| Spatial | continuous space | This table is laid out in rectangular areas. |
| Kinematic | movement | The page invites your gaze to move across it. |
| Physical | materials, energy | This page emits light. |
| Biotic | life functions + organisms | Certain of your nerve cells are activated by this page. |
| Sensitive | senses, feeling | This page can be seen. |
| Semiotic | meaning carried by symbols | You understand (or not!) some of what this page tells you. |
| Formative | achievement, construction, technology | You construct an impression of this page. |
| Social | relationships, roles, convention | You have role as reader or student while reading this page. |
| Economic | frugal management of resources | I tried to get all that is needed into this page. |
| Juridical | due: responsibilities+rights | Does this page do justice to the topic, and to you as reader? |
| Aesthetic | leisure, play, enjoyment | Is this page interesting? Is it fun? |
| Caritative | self-giving love, generosity | Does this page show care and love for you or someone else? |
| Pistic | vision, aspiration, commitment, belief | I believe in what is on this page, and believe it’s important. |
For more details, see this.
Let’s try another exercise with anything you want: try to highlight aspects in which it is meaningful.
2.1.1 Multiaspectual Laws and Norms
- According to Dooyeweerd, every aspect has an intrinsic normativity: there are “rules” to which they are binded in order for them to convey meaning.
- Anterior aspects are ruled by laws: the universe simply follows them in order to make sense.
- Posterior aspects are rules by norms: we can follow them or not, but if we don’t follow, things will not work properly.
- This idea (also called the “cosmonomic idea”) posits that, in order for the world to present meaning and shalom, laws and norms need to be followed in every aspect.
2.1.2 Analysing software
- Andrew Basden (Foundations of Information Systems, p. 182-183) has lots of tables helping us to figure out how software works on the various aspects.
- We adapted some of the considerations in the following table:
| Aspect | Engaging with software | Normative isues |
|---|---|---|
| Logical | Concepts, terms, ideas | Logical consistency |
| Numerical | Number of things on screen, of pixels; Mathematical calculations | Mathematical consistency |
| Spatial | Screen layout, game scenario | Spatial consistency |
| Kinematic | Animation | Speed (too fast? too slow?) |
| Physical | Hardware, energy | Appropriate energy, hardware, monitors, interaction devices |
| Biotic | Engagement of user’s organs and bodily functions | Demand of body and mind (too tiresome? too stressful?) |
| Sensitive | Colors, sounds, mouse movement | Visible, hearable, tactile, detectable |
| Semiotic | Signification of icons, menus, pictures | Ease of understanding |
| Formative | Control parameters and panels, workflows | Ease of achievement |
| Social | Standards, conventions, institutions involved | Cultural appropriateness |
| Economic | Arrangement of software resources | Sustainability, avoiding clutter |
| Juridical | Accessibility, appropriateness, patents | Due to user, design and content |
| Aesthetic | Look and feel, smoothness, microinteractions | Beauty and fun |
| Caritative | Hospitality of the code and interface | Generosity |
| Pistic | Vision that drives the project and the good life | Faith and hope around the project |
2.2 Multi-aspectual research
- There are many methods for technology development and analysis avaiable.
2.2.1 Multi-aspectual Knowledge Elicitation (MAKE)
- Developed by Mike Winfield, “MAKE is a method for analysing someone’s knowledge to obtain a rich picture in which all relevant aspects are made explicit. That is, to explicate all that is meaningful to the person. MAKE is particularly useful for explicating tacit knowledge, or rather knowledge that is taken for granted.”. See more details here.
2.2.2 Multimodal Qualitative Research
- Whereas we can use methods like MAKE to get information, we can also use software to organize, categorize and get insight from this data.
- J. D. R. de Raadt has developed a solution like this; a software called SmCube, which is used to point relationships between factors and their meaningful aspects.
- After that, prof. Christian de Britto has developed SocioAtlas; a qualitative research software used for socio-environmental impact analysis.
2.2.3 Triple-I Method
Professor Maarten J. Verkerk has also developed a toolbox for applying Dooyeweerd’s philosophy to technology projects.
Triple-I means:
- Identity and intrinsic value: the nature or character of user practice (use the aspects to find that).
- Inclusion of stakeholders: the justified interests of the different stakeholders are identified and included in the design process.
- Ideals, dreams and values: basic beliefs about the good life.
2.3 Our approach here
We can ask lots of questions about the software we are developing and try to answer (or do some research) them.
You can thus follow this structure for our perspectival reflection on project:
2.3.1 Domain identity
- What is the domain of application?
- What are the most important (i.e., qualifying) aspects of this software?
2.3.2 Multiaspectual table
- How would users engage the software in each aspect?
- What are the features of my software according to each aspect?
- What are some possible repercussions of my software in each aspect?
- What are the norms and responsibilities we have in each aspect, considering the domain of application?
- What in each aspect may show a limitation in the use of the software? (Or: “when is it not useful?”)
| Mode/Aspect | Engagement | Features | Repercussions | Responsibilities | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logical | |||||
| Numerical | |||||
| Spatial | |||||
| Kinematic | |||||
| Physical | |||||
| Biotic | |||||
| Sensitive | |||||
| Semiotic | |||||
| Formative | |||||
| Social | |||||
| Economic | |||||
| Juridical | |||||
| Aesthetic | |||||
| Caritative | |||||
| Pistic |
(Download the model file with this table)
2.3.3 Conclusion
- How would the aspects relate and interact between themselves?
- What are, then, the main benefits, challenges and limitations?
- In the end, how can this enrich our world?