Valentin Turchin and Cliff Joslyn
A discussion document on the development of the philosophy of cybernetics, particularly in relation to human values and moral philosophy.
Abstract
A discussion document on the development of the philosophy of cybernetics, particularly in relation to human values and moral philosophy.
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Valentin Turchin and Cliff Joslyn
The development of the philosophy of cybernetics, particularly in relation to human values and moral philosophy, is discussed.
Abstract
The development of the philosophy of cybernetics, particularly in relation to human values and moral philosophy, is discussed.
Details
Keywords
An essential feature article “Introduction: The Nature of Living Systems”, published by James Grier Miller and Jessie L. Miller in Behavioral Science, Vol. 35 No. 3, 1990, pp…
Abstract
An essential feature article “Introduction: The Nature of Living Systems”, published by James Grier Miller and Jessie L. Miller in Behavioral Science, Vol. 35 No. 3, 1990, pp. 157–63, was the first joint publication of the authors in 1990, the 60th year of their writing collaboration. In it they introduce living systems theory (LST) and say that it is concerned with eight levels of living systems, each of which is composed of 20 critical subsystems that carry out essential life processes. They believe that, as a result of a continuous biosocial evolution involving progressive fray‐out of components, the more recently developed levels in this hierarchy have become very complex. They provide a brief summary of LST in their article, and follow it with a detailed analysis of current knowledge about the timer, which they have recently included in their list of subsystems. Jessie L. Miller describes “The Timer” in a separate following article (pp. 164–96) in which she reviews:
Abstract
A recommendation system for an extended process of information retrieval in distributed information systems is proposed. This system is both a model of dynamic cognitive…
Abstract
A recommendation system for an extended process of information retrieval in distributed information systems is proposed. This system is both a model of dynamic cognitive categorization processes and powerful real application useful for knowledge management. It utilizes an extension of fuzzy sets named evidence sets as the mathematical mechanisms to implement the categorization processes. It is a development of some aspects of Pask’s conversation theory. It is also an instance of the notion of linguistic‐based selected self‐organization here described, and as such it instantiates an open‐ended semiosis between distributed information systems and the communities of users they interact with. This means that the knowledge stored in distributed information resources adapts to the evolving semantic expectations of their users as these select the information they desire in conversation with the information resources. This way, this recommendation system establishes a mechanism for user‐driven knowledge self‐organization.
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The symbol‐based epistemology used in artificial intelligence is contrasted with the constructivist, coherence epistemology promoted by cybernetics. The latter leads to…
Abstract
The symbol‐based epistemology used in artificial intelligence is contrasted with the constructivist, coherence epistemology promoted by cybernetics. The latter leads to bootstrapping knowledge representations, in which different parts of the system mutually support each other. Gordon Pask’s entailment meshes are reviewed as a basic application of this approach, and then extended to entailment nets: directed graphs governed by the “bootstrapping axiom”, determining which concepts are to be distinguished or merged. This allows a constant restructuring of the conceptual network. Semantic networks and frame‐like representations can be expressed in this scheme by introducing a basic ontology of node and link types. Entailment nets are then generalized to associative networks with weighted links. Learning algorithms are presented which can adapt the link strengths, based on the frequency with which links are selected by hypertext users. It is argued that such bootstrapping methods can be applied to make the World Wide Web more intelligent, allowing it to self‐organize and support inferences.
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Popularly, metaphysics is considered to be the antonym for physics. Argues that this attitude is a hangover from outdated forms of empiricism and positivism. In the light of…
Abstract
Popularly, metaphysics is considered to be the antonym for physics. Argues that this attitude is a hangover from outdated forms of empiricism and positivism. In the light of cybernetic epistemology, scientific theories are linguistic structures which help to produce predictions of events. These structures are not directly deduced from experience, but guessed and then justified a posteriori. Metaphysics provides a basis for such structures. Proposes the principle that the ultimate reality we find in the physical world is that of action. Modifies Schopenhauer's formula as the world is action and representation, with action taking ontological precedence, and not to the space‐time picture of the world. For a picture is only a picture, a representation which changes from one subject to another, from one theory to another; while action is an irrefutable reality. Thus the concept of action in abstracto is taken and on this basis an attempt is made to interpret the fundamental concepts of knowledge: what are objects, what is objective description of the world, what is space and time?
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Karl Halvor Teigen, Bjørn Andersen, Sigurd Lerkerød Alnes and Jan-Ole Hesselberg
The purpose of this paper is to examine people’s understanding and evaluation of uncertainty intervals produced by experts as part of a quality assurance procedure of large public…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine people’s understanding and evaluation of uncertainty intervals produced by experts as part of a quality assurance procedure of large public projects.
Design/methodology/approach
Three samples of educated participants (employees in a large construction company, students attending courses in project management and judgment and decision making, and judges of district and appeal courts) answered questionnaires about cost estimates of a highway construction project, presented as a probability distribution.
Findings
The studies demonstrated additivity neglect of probabilities that are graphically displayed. People’s evaluations of the accuracy of interval estimates revealed a boundary (a “cliff”) effect, with a sharp drop in accuracy ratings for outcomes above an arbitrary maximum. Several common verbal phrases (what “can” happen, is “entirely possible” and “not surprising”) which might seem to indicate expected outcomes were regularly used to describe unlikely values near or at the top of the distribution (an extremity effect).
Research limitations/implications
All judgments concerned a single case and were made by participants who were not stakeholders in this specific project. Further studies should compare judgments aided by a graph with conditions where the graph is changed or absent.
Practical implications
Experts and project managers cannot assume that readers of cost estimates understand a well-defined uncertainty interval as intended. They should also be aware of effects created by describing uncertain estimates in words.
Originality/value
The studies show how inconsistencies in judgment affect the understanding and evaluation of uncertainty intervals by well-informed and educated samples tested in a maximally transparent situation. Readers of cost estimates seem to believe that precise estimates are feasible and yet that costs are usually underestimated.