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Ethics, science, and the mechanisation of the world picture

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Abstract

A nascent science in the sixteenth century rejected explanations in terms of purpose in favour of causality, and this bias has persisted and grown stronger. It has unfortunate consequences in areas where social and ethical considerations should prevail, and the paper describes a search extending over 20 years for a way in which these consequences could be avoided.

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Notes

  1. Sometimes a maximum, but let us not split hairs. We actually look for something (a “stationary value” where small changes in speed or direction make no change to the cost) that includes maxima and minima, and some results that are neither. Then each result can be examined to see which category it belongs to.

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Rosenbrock, H. Ethics, science, and the mechanisation of the world picture. AI & Soc 18, 7–20 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-003-0293-7

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