The Sciences of the Artificial - Brossura

Simon, Herbert A.

Brossura

ISBN 10: 0262690233 ISBN 13: 9780262690232

Casa editrice: Mit Pr, 1970

Riassunto

The Sciences of the Artificial reveals the design of an intellectual structure aimed at accommodating those empirical phenomena that are "artificial" rather than "natural." The goal is to show how empirical sciences of artificial systems are possible, even in the face of the contingent and teleological character of the phenomena, their attributes of choice and purpose. Developing in some detail two specific examples—human psychology and engineering design—Professor Simon describes the shape of these sciences as they are emerging from developments of the past 25 years.

"Artificial" is used here in a very specific sense: to denote systems that have a given form and behavior only because they adapt (or are adapted), in reference to goals or purposes, to their environment. Thus, both man-made artifacts and man himself, in terms of his behavior, are artificial. Simon characterizes an artificial system as an interface between two environments—inner and outer. These environments lie in the province of "natural science," but the interface, linking them, is the realm of "artificial science." When an artificial system adapts successfully, its behavior shows mostly the shape of the outer environment and reveals little of the structure or mechanisms of the inner. The inner environment becomes significant for behavior only when a system reaches the limits of its rationality and adaptability, and contingency degenerates into necessity.

Su questo libro

Product Description:

Book by Simon Herbert A

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Mit Pr
• Data di pubblicazione: 1970
• ISBN 10: 0262690233
• ISBN 13: 9780262690232
• Rilegatura: Copertina flessibile
• Numero di pagine: 123