Hierarchical Informational Immunity (HII): Definition, Typology, and a System of Measurable Parameters

This paper introduces and operationalizes the concept of Hierarchical Informational Immunity (HII) — an emergent property of complex hierarchical systems manifested in the formation of mechanisms that restrict the spread of meta-knowledge (holistic information about the system) from higher to lower levels of the hierarchy. HII is not reducible to censorship or propaganda; its basic mechanisms can operate automatically. A three-part typology is proposed: · Natural (emergent) — arises from complexity and cognitive limitations (a cell does not know about the organism, an engineer does not know the whole device architecture); · Formalized (institutional) — embedded in regulations (state secrets, "need-to-know"); · Manipulative (ideological) — based on implanting simplified worldviews (propaganda, advertising, post-truth). For quantitative description, a system of measurable parameters is developed, including state parameters (volume of meta-knowledge V_i in Semantic Quanta SQ, information asymmetry coefficient K_IA, meta-understanding index M_i, formal filter density p_F, transmission latency τ_lat, narrative stability index I_N) and process parameters (speeds of suppression, formalization, diffusion, immunity erosion, and response time). An integrated HII tension index (S_HII = K_IA · (M_top/M_bottom) · I_N / (τ_lat/t₀)) is proposed for cross-system comparisons. HII appears not as a random side effect of hierarchical organization, but as its systemic, reproducible, and necessary attribute. The paper lays the foundations for a quantitative theory of informational barriers in sociotechnical, biological, and organizational systems.