A philosophical approach to CETI: developing a conceptual framework based on Umwelt theory

Abstract

This thesis critiques the assumptions underlying the argument of Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CETI) research, which presumes that extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) would possess human-like features and technologies, and that communication with ETI would rely on the information-transmission model. These premises are refuted by exposing their reliance on anthropocentric and vague definitions of "intelligence" and "communication." Afterward, a conceptual framework based on Umwelt theory is proposed to address these issues, emphasizing the diversity of subjective worlds (Umwelten) of organisms, the concept of "commonage" as shared aspects of these subjective worlds, and communication as the exchange of signs based on the commonage among organisms. Lastly, intelligence is redefined as a relational feature of shared Umwelten emerging from communication. The thesis argues for dividing CETI into two distinct research areas with a more explicit scope for each: the search for extraterrestrial organisms (SEO) and the discovery of terrestrial types of intelligence (DTI). Broader implications within philosophy, semiotics, and interdisciplinary research are also explored, emphasizing the necessity of avoiding the widespread anthropocentric approach in studying intelligence and communication.