‘This book is so rich with insights, sparkling dialogue, and wisdom that one would love to distribute it like a leaflet around town.’
Südwestrundfunk (German radio station)
‘The intellectual dance that the two dare to dance is intelligent, light, humorous, and enchanting.’
Süddeutsche Zeitung (German daily)
‘I recommend this book not only to the cybernetics and systems community, but to anyone.’
Ranulph Glanville, Cybernetics and Human Knowing
‘Easy and enjoyable to read, without loss of scientific and philosophical depth and rigor. … The reader will find the book difficult to put down.’
Bernd R. Hornung, Journal of Sociocybernetics
Conversations for skeptics
How real is reality? Are our images of the world mere inventions or do they correspond to an external reality? Is it possible to know the truth?
These are some of the questions that are discussed in this book by physicist and philosopher Heinz von Foerster and media studies scholar Bernhard Poerksen. Together they explore the limits of our cognitive capacities; they debate the apparent objectivity of our sensual perception and the consequences of ‘truth terrorism’; and they talk about the relationship between knowledge and ethics, sight and insight.
The authors:
Heinz von Foerster (1911–2002) completed his studies of physics in Vienna and worked at different research labs before emigrating to the United States in 1949. In 1957, at the University of Illinois, he established the Biological Computer Lab (BCL) – the cradle of the epistemology that would later cause a stir under the label of ‘constructivism.’ The focus was on analyzing the logical and methodological problems that in evitably arise when one seeks to know knowledge. He is the author of numerous books, including Understanding Understanding: Essays on Cybernetics and Cognition.
Bernhard Poerksen is professor of media studies at the University of Tübingen with a particular research interest in the new media age. His books about systemic thinking have been translated into many languages. In 2008 he was voted ‘Professor of the Year’ in honor of his teaching. His most recent book publications in English include From Being to Doing: The Origins of the Biology of Cognition (with Humberto Maturana), The Unleashed Scandal: The End of Control in the Digital Age (with Hanne Detel), and Digital Fever: Taming the Big Business of Disinformation.
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Heinz von Foerster (1911–2002) completed his studies of physics in Vienna and worked at different research labs before emigrating to the United States in 1949. In 1957, at the University of Illinois, he established the Biological Computer Lab (BCL) – the cradle of the epistemology that would later cause a stir under the label of ‘constructivism.’ The focus was on analyzing the logical and methodological problems that in evitably arise when one seeks to know knowledge. He is the author of numerous books, including Understanding Understanding: Essays on Cybernetics and Cognition.
Bernhard Poerksen is professor of media studies at the University of Tübingen with a particular research interest in the new media age. His books about systemic thinking have been translated into many languages. In 2008 he was voted ‘Professor of the Year’ in honor of his teaching. His most recent book publications in English include From Being to Doing: The Origins of the Biology of Cognition (with Humberto Maturana), The Unleashed Scandal: The End of Control in the Digital Age (with Hanne Detel), and Digital Fever: Taming the Big Business of Disinformation.
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