The Fourth Guiding Principle for Humans in the Digital Age: An Initial Exploration and Framework Construction of Cybersophy

The deepening development of digital technology is placing human cognitive frameworks, ethical systems, and value coordinates under comprehensive strain. This paper proposes Cybersophy as a fourth guiding principle for humans after the traditional three guiding principles/views - worldview, life outlook, and values - with the aim of providing a systematic cognitive-value framework for the digital age. The paper first defines Cybersophy through the etymological conjunction of cyberspace and Sophia, or wisdom, and clarifies its dialectical relationship with the traditional three guiding principles/views. It then develops four core dimensions of Cybersophy: the cognitive dimension, centered on human-machine collaborative cognition; the ethical dimension, including algorithmic ethics and data justice; the existential dimension, focused on the integration of virtual and physical reality; and the value dimension, which identifies the value anchors of human life in the digital age. Finally, the paper explores pathways through which Cybersophy can be integrated with engineering science. The paper is intended to provide a theoretical foundation for technology governance and human development in the age of digital civilization.