Intangiline

Intangiline is a hypothetical construct used in philosophy of mind, cognitive science, and information theory to denote a quantifiable measure of intangible content or subjective value associated with a phenomenon or dataset. It is not a physical substance.

The term blends intangible and the suffix -line, a nomenclatural pattern found in theoretical discourse. In discussions where intangiline is invoked, it is typically treated as a scalar quantity, though some writers describe it as a vector field depending on context, and it may be defined operationally through mappings from subjective reports to numerical values.

In debates about conscious experience and information, intangiline is used to explore how subjective value or meaning contributes to decision making, memory salience, or perceived significance beyond measurable physical properties. Some proposals envision intangiline as a complement to conventional information measures, aiming to capture qualitative aspects of information and experience that are not reflected in standard metrics.

Criticism and ongoing status: the concept remains speculative and is not widely adopted in empirical research. Critics point to difficulties in verifiability, potential circularity, and the risk of reifying subjective phenomena. Proponents argue that intangiline can serve as a useful heuristic for organizing discussions of non-physical aspects of information, value, and experience.

See also: information theory, phenomenology, qualia, value theory.