Towards a hermeneutic definition of software

This paper aims to provide a comprehensive definition of software from a post-phenomenological and hermeneutic perspective, showcasing the contributions of continental philosophy to the study of new technologies. It argues that defining software solely as an algorithm is insufficient, highlighting its multifaceted and paradoxical nature. The paper proposes five criteria for defining software, emphasizing its written form and its execution by a physical machine. Using Ricoeur's hermeneutic model, it analyzes software as a type of text, a writing and rewriting process involving epistemological and ontological interpretation. The effectiveness of software is explained through the analogy between electrical circuits and Boolean logic, suggesting that software is not merely an object or a language, but a complex hermeneutic process.

Luca M. Possati