ABSTRACT. This essay explores the profound philosophical, ethical, epistemological, and societal implications of data and datafication, a process transforming vast aspects of human life into quantifiable data. The paper raises foundational questions about the nature of data, its representation of reality, the biases inherent in data-driven methods, and the broader impacts of datafication on society, governance, and individual identity.
JEL codes: D53; E22; E32; E44; G01; G41

Keywords: philosophy of data; ontology and epistemology of data; data and knowledge; datafication

How to cite: Peters, M. A. (2024). “Data Ontology, Data Science and the Datafication of the World,” Journal of Self-Governance and Management Economics 12(1): 9–24. doi: 10.22381/jsme12120241.

Received 12 January 2024 • Received in revised form 4 April 2024
Accepted 8 April 2024 • Available online 25 April 2024