Résumé
L'image de l'écriture est singuliè rement fréquente dans des explications cognitivistes du fonctionnement de l'esprit, non seulement comme métaphore mais é galement comme paradigme conceptuel: la machine de Turing, en particulier, montre un isomorphisme structural complet avec l'utilisation de l'écriture alphabétique. La machine de Turing effectue exactement les mêmes opérations effectué es par un homme écrivant avec le stylo et le papier et cela dépend de deux raisons: 1. il a été conçu dans l'image et la similarité de la pratique concrète humaine de l'écriture: 2. c' est le produit typique de la rationalité occidentale, dont le développement n'a été rendu possible que par les caractères spécifiques du traitement alphabétique de l'information. Ces aspects sont utiles pour comprendre la raison pour laquelle l'esprit a commencé à être dépeint comme machine d'écriture au moment même où l'alphabet a commencé à se diffuser: une recherche généalogique montrera comment, dans des traités de mnémotechniques et dans la métaphysique de Platon et d'Aristote, nous pouvons trouver la toute première base de chaque modèle logicosymbolique de l'esprit.
Abstract
The image of writing is singularly frequent in cognitivistic explanations of the functioning of mind, not only as a metaphor but also as a conceptual paradigm: the Turing machine, particularly, displays a complete structural isomorphism with the use of alphabetical writing. The Turing machine performs exactly the same operations carried out by a man writing with pen and paper and this depends on two reasons: 1. it has been conceived in image and likeness of the human concrete practice of writing; 2. it is the typical product of the western rationality, whose development has been made possible only by the specific features of the alphabetical treatment of information. This is useful to understand why the mind started being depicted as a writing machine just when the alphabet began spreading: a genealogical investigation will show how in mnemotechnics treatises and in Plato's and Aristotle's metaphysics we can find the very first foundation of every logico-symbolical model of mind.
Zusammenfassung
Das Bild der Schrift erscheint häufig bei erkenntnistheoretischen Erklärungen der Funktionsweise des menschlichen Geistes, und zwar nicht nur als Metapher, sondern auch als begriffliches Paradigma. Insbesondere besitzt die Turing-Maschine einen vollständigen strukturellen Isomorphismus mit dem Gebrauch der Buchstabenschrift. Die Turing-Maschine führt genau dieselben Operationen durch wie ein Mensch, der mit Stift und Papier schreibt, und zwar aus zwei Gründen: 1. sie wurde nach dem Vorbild des menschlichen Schreibens entwickelt und 2. sie ist ein typisches Erzeugnis des westlichen rationalen Denkens, dessen Entwicklung nur durch die Alphabetisierung der Information möglich geworden ist. Diese Gesichtspunkte sind hilfreich, und zu verstehen, warum man angefangen hat, den menschlichen Geist als eine Maschine zum Schreiben darzustellen, als die Verbreitung des Alphabets einsetzte. Eine genealogische Untersuchung wird zeigen, daß wir bereits in den mnemotechnischen Abhandlungen und in der Metaphysik von Plato und Aristoteles die ersten Grundlagen eines jeden logisch-symbolischen Modells des menschlichen Geistes finden können.
Riassunto
L'immagine della scrittura è singolarmente frequente all'interno dei modelli cognitivisti del funzionamento della mente, non solo come metafora ma anche come paradigma concettuale: la macchina di Turing, in particolare, esibisce un completo isomorfismo strutturale con la pratica dell'uso della scrittura alfabetica. La macchina di Turing esegue esattamente le stesse operazioni effettuate da un uomo che scrive con carta e penna e questo dipende da due motivi: 1. essa è stata concepita ad immagine e somiglianza della concreta pratica di scrittura umana; 2. è il prodotto tipico della razionalità occidentale, il cui sviluppo è stato reso possibile specificamente dalle caratteristiche del trattamento alfabetico dell'informazione. Ciò risulta utile per comprendere perché la mente abbia iniziato ad essere raffigurata come un dispositivo di scrittura proprio quando l'alfabeto ha iniziato a diffondersi: una ricerca genealogica mostrerà come già all'interno degli antichi trattati di mnemotecnica e nella metafisica platonico-aristotelica sia possibile rinvenire la prima fondazione di ogni successivo modello logico-simbolico della mente.
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Massimiliano LorenzoCappuccio, born in 1977, is a student of philosophy at the Università degli Studi di Milano. As exchange student he studied for one year philosophy and cognitive sciences at the Universiteit Van Amsterdam; now he is going to graduate with the thesis «Genealogy of mind as writing device» with professor Carlo Sini. He is also the founder and director of the Italian philosophy magazineChora and author of a few articles about philosophical issues connected with the history of contemporary philosophy, philosophy of mind and neurosciences.
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Cappuccio, M.L. Traces of a computational mind. Rev synth 124, 43–59 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02963400
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02963400