If you think that the computer is an invention of the 20th century, you may be wrong. Yes, technically it was constructed in the 20th century, but conceptually it already was invented in the 17th century.
It is really amazing to learn that man has been thinking about mechanizing and automating thinking for centuries.
In 1666, the German polymath Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646 - 1716) published an enigmatic dissertation entitled On the Combinatorial Art.
Only 20 years old but already an ambitious thinker, Leibniz outlined a theory for automating knowledge production via the rule-based combination of symbols.
Leibniz’s central argument was that all human thoughts, no matter how complex, are combinations of basic and fundamental concepts, in much the same way that sentences are combinations of words, and words combinations of letters.
He believed that if he could find a way to symbolically represent these fundamental concepts and develop a method by which to combine them logically, then he would be able to generate new thoughts on demand.
He wanted to use his machine for philosophical reasoning. He proposed that such a system would require three things:
(1) an “alphabet of human thoughts”
(2) a list of logical rules for their valid combination and recombination
(3) a mechanism that could carry out the logical operations on the symbols quickly and accurately.
It seems undeniable, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz wanted a computer but unfortunately was born in the wrong century for such a wish. Therefore this aspect of his philosophy is often referred to as "Leibniz's Dream".
He imagined that this machine, which he called “the great instrument of reason,” would be able to answer all questions and resolve all intellectual debate.
“When there are disputes among persons,” he wrote, “we can simply say, ‘Let us calculate,’ and without further ado, see who is right.”
The notion of a mechanism that produced rational thought encapsulated the spirit of Leibniz’s times.
Other Enlightenment thinkers, such as René Descartes, believed that there was a “universal truth” that could be accessed through reason alone,
and that all phenomena were fully explainable if the underlying principles were understood. The same, Leibniz thought, was true of language and cognition itself.
It is really amazing. Aristotle already showed that we can mechanize reasoning by using syllogisms. Leibniz went a step further and believed in the possibility of converting all knowledge into symbols, like mathematics, and as Hobbes already pointed out: reasoning is calculating with thoughts.
In other words, all this Artificial Intelligence ado is just a continuation of what philosophers of the Enlightenment already envisioned. It is amazing to see how our mind works.
Thank you for your attention again....
Main Sources:
MacMillan The Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2nd edition
TABLE OF CONTENT -----------------------------------------------------------------
1 - 100 Philosophers 9 May 2009 Start of
2 - 25+ Women Philosophers 10 May 2009 this blog
3 - 25 Adventures in Thinking 10 May 2009
4 - Modern Theories of Ethics 29 Oct 2009
5 - The Ideal State 24 Febr 2010 / 234
6 - The Mystery of the Brain 3 Sept 2010 / 266
7 - The Utopia of the Free Market 16 Febr 2012 / 383
8. - The Aftermath of Neo-liberalism 5 Sept 2012 / 413
9. - The Art Not to Be an Egoist 6 Nov 2012 / 426
10 - Non-Western Philosophy 29 May 2013 / 477
11 - Why Science is Right 2 Sept 2014 / 534
12 - A Philosopher looks at Atheism 1 Jan 2015 / 557
13 - EVIL, a philosophical investigation 17 Apr 2015 / 580
14 - Existentialism and Free Will 2 Sept 2015 / 586
15 - Spinoza 2 Sept 2016 / 615
16 - The Meaning of Life 13 Febr 2017 / 637
17 - In Search of my Self 6 Sept 2017 / 670
18 - The 20th Century Revisited 3 Apr 2018 / 706
19 - The Pessimist 11 Jan 2020 / 819
20 - The Optimist 9 Febr 2020 / 824
21 - Awakening from a Neoliberal Dream 8 Oct 2020 / 872
22 - A World Full of Patterns 1 Apr 2021 / 912
23 - The Concept of Freedom 8 Jan 2022 / 965
24 - Materialism 7 Sept 2022 / 1011
25 - Historical Materialism 5 Oct 2023 / 1088
26 - The Bonobo and the Atheist 9 Jan 2024 / 1102
27 - Artificial Intelligence 9 Feb 2024 / 1108
The Discussion
[13:18] Max Chatnoir: I hope Leibniz is looking down and saying Haha, I told you!
[13:19] herman Bergson smiles
[13:19] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): indeed this sounds like Chat GPT /DALL-E indeed
[13:19] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): amazing
[13:19] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): the idea is that old
[13:19] herman Bergson: Funny idea that he is somewhere UP THERE.....where? :-))
[13:20] herman Bergson: Yes Bejiita...it really is amazing....
[13:20] Max Chatnoir: Just a fantasy! Would you want him looking up?
[13:21] herman Bergson: But in fact iin the 17th century they already thought of computers, although they didn't know
[13:21] Max Chatnoir: Yes -- they certainly had the principle.
[13:22] herman Bergson: Leibniz has closed his eyes in 1716... :-)
[13:22] Max Chatnoir: But his ideas still rattle around.
[13:22] Max Chatnoir: So some of him is alive
[13:23] herman Bergson: Yes...that is the amazing thing here...
[13:23] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah
[13:23] herman Bergson: We now have created the machines those people in the 17th century dreamt of
[13:23] Max Chatnoir: Can I tell you a computer story?
[13:23] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): yep
[13:24] herman Bergson: Sure
[13:24] Max Chatnoir: My husband was a programmer and made software for artists. After he died of a cerebral embolism in 1918, I kept wanting to talk to him, so I just kept sending him Email for about a year.
[13:25] Max Chatnoir: Some part of him was still in that Email address!
[13:26] Max Chatnoir: I know, Weird!
[13:26] herman Bergson: No..not weird...
[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): I guess you mean 2018, not 1918?
[13:27] Max Chatnoir: Sorry, 2018!
[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah
[13:27] Max Chatnoir: Yes, I did. Good catch!
[13:27] herman Bergson: My wife is still around here though she isn't....that is how it works
[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): well unless someone esp delete things they are out there forever
[13:28] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): stored on servers all over the internet
[13:28] herman Bergson: yes....to die digitally is quite some thing
[13:28] Max Chatnoir: I think that our social interactions sort of spread us around.
[13:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): yes
[13:29] herman Bergson: I have taken precautions so that , when I die in RL I also die here....
[13:30] Max Chatnoir: Oh, Herman, don't delete the blog!
[13:30] herman Bergson: My relatives will delete my account
[13:30] herman Bergson: the blog will remain, Max
[13:31] Max Chatnoir: Thanks!
[13:31] Max Chatnoir: Otherwise we'd have to put it all in a giant book!
[13:31] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah
[13:31] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): a bestseller:)
[13:31] herman Bergson: 1100 pages at least :-))
[13:32] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): a lot indeed
[13:32] Max Chatnoir: I hope you have a copy on a flash drive somewhere.
[13:33] herman Bergson: Well..the idea of creating a thinking machine isn't new at all....came from the 17th century :-)
[13:33] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:33] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): who developed that idea?
[13:34] Max Chatnoir: Now we need to figure out if human thought can be fully replicated that way.
[13:34] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): its as old as the steam engine, well we have built machines in general for very long and the idea/dream of automated machines doing all boring work
[13:34] herman Bergson: Hobbes was the first one...Descartes then and Leibniz gave it the final touch Beertje
[13:35] herman Bergson: It can not Max....
[13:35] Max Chatnoir: I think that since science is only partly deductive, probably not.
[13:36] herman Bergson: yes...the rational part of us can
[13:36] Max Chatnoir: But we need to keep that part working.
[13:36] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): then Babbage continued on with the dream, and Jaquard was the pioneer making it happen building the words first programmable machine although it was a loom and not a true computer but it ran on punched cards
[13:37] Max Chatnoir: A loom. A nice image.
[13:37] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): a man called Hollerith spawned onto the concept for the census and Voilà IMB was born!
[13:37] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): IBM
[13:37] herman Bergson: but the emotional part of a thought...how do you make a computer deal with that
[13:38] Max Chatnoir: knitting up the raveled sleeve of care...
[13:38] herman Bergson: I mean...as a computer I can say...I HATE YOU....
[13:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): not sure its possible, as said computers wikr in the digital domain, feelings are analog, you need a DAC between you and the computer to be able to interpret its output
[13:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): images sound ect
[13:39] herman Bergson: but if I say this as a human being it contains a lot more of information than the computer gave you
[13:39] Max Chatnoir: Also the world keeps changing. even the stars evolve
[13:40] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): we are stil in the beginning of developing computers
[13:40] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): there is much more to come
[13:40] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): its a rather young industry still indeed
[13:40] herman Bergson: We are indeed Beertje...
[13:41] Max Chatnoir: Yes. Think of how much Email changed the world.
[13:41] herman Bergson: But it still doesn't come close to the human mind
[13:41] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): it will, it's just a matter of time
[13:42] Max Chatnoir: and human interaction. We interact with other minds.
[13:42] herman Bergson: Computers have no feelings....and that you can not program either
[13:42] Max Chatnoir: I suppose computers can do that, too.
[13:42] Max Chatnoir: interact with other computers.
[13:42] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): indeed
[13:42] herman Bergson: No...computers can't have feelings....
[13:42] Max Chatnoir: But I think biological interaction has an element of randomness, too.
[13:42] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): that they can do but they have no idea what they are actually doing, its just a strict set of code and 11101010101010
[13:43] herman Bergson: what they "feel" is just how they are programmmed
[13:43] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): that make the cpu flip transistors a certain way
[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): exactly herman
[13:44] Max Chatnoir: If humans could mentally be more cooperative, it might be pretty awesome.
[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): they can only do what we program them do even they can "learn" sort of
[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): true Max
[13:45] Max Chatnoir: And the computer technology can help with that if we can survive long enough to figure it out.
[13:45] herman Bergson: Well, here we are in the 17th century and already those philosophers thought of a world we no live in
[13:45] Max Chatnoir: Yes! Amazing!
[13:46] herman Bergson: Yes, Max...
[13:46] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): a computer can be trained to recognize patterns but again what makes it hard is the computer only see 1101101010101001010. It cant see and understand for ex "dont drive over that kid on the walkway". so if it misinterprets the analog input the result can be fatal
[13:46] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): what a culture shock it must be if they could see our world
[13:46] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): its actually amazing self driving cars work as well as they do regarding this fact
[13:46] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): cause they have no concept of danger, traffic rues ect
[13:46] herman Bergson: So..let's see what this will lead to in the next lectures :-)
[13:47] Max Chatnoir: Cool!!
[13:47] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): in contrast when u program a CNC machine /3D printer you communicate in the machines own language, in this case G Code
[13:47] herman Bergson: Thank yo allagain for your participation...:-)
[13:47] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): Thank you Herman
[13:47] herman Bergson: Class dismissed...
[13:48] Max Chatnoir: Thanks for a great presentation and discussion! And Beertje, thanks again for catching me up!
[13:48] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): Graag gedaan Max
[13:48] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): :)))
[13:48] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:48] herman Bergson: Teaching here some Dutch Beertje :-) ???
[13:48] Max Chatnoir: I can almost understand that, Beertje! LOL
[13:48] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): yes
[13:48] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:48] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): smiles
[13:49] herman Bergson: Translation is: My pleasure... Max
[13:49] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): the easiest language I know
[13:49] Max Chatnoir: Ah!
[13:50] Max Chatnoir: Ooh, some time we have to talk about how different languages frame experience.
[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): one thing that came to mind is Netherlands is extremley important regarding the entire computer industry
[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): You might have heard of the company ASML
[13:50] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): yes of course
[13:50] herman Bergson: Oh yes....
[13:50] Max Chatnoir: I have not. What is it?
[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): without them no advanced chips would be possible
[13:50] Max Chatnoir: ASML
[13:50] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): yes
[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): the mask machines
[13:50] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): the smartest compagny in the world
[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): lithography
[13:50] herman Bergson: Builds chip making machines....
[13:51] herman Bergson: which should not be exported to China for instance
[13:51] Max Chatnoir: That's kind of like genetic engineering!
[13:51] Max Chatnoir: Making chips.
[13:51] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): it's unique in the world
[13:51] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): was 100% involved in both my smartphone and the AMD cpu / NVidia chip in this laptop and maybe even the control chip inside my 3D printer
[13:51] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): might have been made on an ASML machine
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