Philosophy Dictionary of ArgumentsHome
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| Understanding: the ability to give reasons for a distinction or to justify a selection of options. See also actions, meaning, knowledge._____________Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments. | |||
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Joseph Weizenbaum on Understanding - Dictionary of Arguments
I 96 Understanding/truth/Weizenbaum: it may be that what we understand is true, but cannot yet be formalized by us, e.g. about the future behaviour of animals. >Formalization, >Animals, >Animal language, >Knowledge, >Prediction. I 97 A computer program based on an incomplete derived formal system will undoubtedly show the wrong behavior. >Behavior. Problem: the theory represented by this program will not only contain certain individual errors, but it will obviously make false assertions about its own subject matter. However, it is usually assumed that the error in a program refers to a detail. The real question is: can we describe everything we want to do in terms of an effective procedure? The answer to that is no. (>Decidability). I 145 Understanding/Computer program/Weizenbaum: we can understand the input and output behavior of a subroutine without necessarily simultaneously understanding how it converts the input to what comes out of it. I 150 Clarity/Computer/Weizenbaum: the often repeated truism that a computer can only do what it has been told is at least problematic. There are many ways to "say something" to a computer. The idea that someone can write a program that embodies something he understands through and through is no less problematic. >Uniqueness, >Human-machine communication. I 151 But programming - like any form of writing - is experimental in the majority of cases. One does not program because one understands something, but in order to arrive at an understanding. I 154 Successful problem solving is no proof that the programmer has an understanding of the problem solving process. >Problem solving._____________Explanation of symbols: Roman numerals indicate the source, arabic numerals indicate the page number. The corresponding books are indicated on the right hand side. ((s)…): Comment by the sender of the contribution. Translations: Dictionary of Arguments The note [Concept/Author], [Author1]Vs[Author2] or [Author]Vs[term] resp. "problem:"/"solution:", "old:"/"new:" and "thesis:" is an addition from the Dictionary of Arguments. If a German edition is specified, the page numbers refer to this edition. |
Weizenbaum I Joseph Weizenbaum Computer Power and Human Reason. From Judgment to Calculation, W. H. Freeman & Comp. 1976 German Edition: Die Macht der Computer und die Ohnmacht der Vernunft Frankfurt/M. 1978 |
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> Counter arguments against Weizenbaum
> Counter arguments in relation to Understanding
Ed. Martin Schulz, access date 2024-04-16