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Philosophy and Computers APA NEWSLETTER ON Philosophy and Computers Jon Dorbolo, Editor Fall 2003 Volume 03, Number 1 committee members for their great work and to welcome Marvin FROM THE CHAIR, SUMMER 2003 Croy to the group as our new Committee Chair. Robert Cavalier Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA FROM THE CHAIR, FALL 2003 During 2002-2003, PAC sponsored or co-sponsored three special sessions at the Division Meetings of the APA. In December, Helen Nissenbaum organized a session on “Ethics and Information Marvin Croy Technology.” At the APA Pacific meeting Noam Cook organized a University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC session on “Computers and the Mediation of Human Experience” (co-sponsored by PAC and Society for Philosophy and My first act as chair of the PAC Committee is an easy and obvious Technology). At that meeting, PAC also co-sponsored an Author one. Congratulations are in order to the committee for its recent Meets Critics session for Pat Suppes’s new book, Representation accomplishments and in particular to Robert Cavalier for his able and Invariance of Scientific Structures. (Pat Suppes was the leadership on many fronts during the past three years. Robert recipient of the 2002 Barwise Prize). has engineered the national and international expansion of The following is a list of presentations made at these conferences and activities related to issues intersecting sessions: Session Title: Ethics and Information Technology, Chair: philosophy and computers. He has skillfully interwoven the Helen Nissenbaum (New York University), Part I: Machines and momentum of 15+ years of CAP conference initiatives with Ethics, Moderator: James H. Moor (Dartmouth University), issues that concern the profession in general. Speaker: Deborah G. Johnson (University of Virginia), “Ethics We owe Robert special gratitude for his efforts, and I know and Machine Intelligence”; Speaker: Lucas D. Introna (Lancaster I will consult with him frequently during my tenure. University), “Ethics, Levinas, and the face-less Robot”; Part II: Other departing members of the committee include Tony Moral Philosophy and Computer Ethics, Moderator: Robert Beavers, Helen Nissenbaum, and Peter Suber. Helen has worked Cavalier (Carnegie Mellon), Speaker: Jeroen van den Hoven to direct our attention to numerous ethical issues concerning (Erasmus University), “New Directions in Computer Ethics”; computers, and Peter has labored to facilitate on-line access to Speaker: Herman Tavani (Rivier College) “Do We Need a New philosophical and scientific literature. Tony’s ground breaking Ethical Framework for the Internet Age?”; Speaker: Helen work in support of IACAP (International Association for Computing Nissenbaum (New York University) “Commons-based Peer and Philosophy) deserves special recognition. (http://iacap.org/ Productions and the Virtues”; Speaker: Tom Powers (University ). Efforts such as these increase sensitivity to, and intelligent of Virginia), “The Computer Layer in Pedagogy: Complements treatment of, topics relevant to our discipline and its professional to Traditional Classroom Interaction”; Speaker: David Kolb (Bates pursuit. Thanks are also in order to Jon Dorbolo for making this College), “Philosophy Gone Hyper: New Voices and Forms of Newsletter a source of both information and stimulating Scholarly Communication”; Speaker: Branden Fitelson (San Jose discussion. Continuing committee members include Noam State University) “Some Recent Applications of Computing to Cook, Jim Fetzer, Luciano Floridi, and Patrick N. Grim. In addition Problem-Solving in Philosophy of Science, Logic, and to myself, new committee members include Mark Manion, David Metaphysics”. The Critics at the session for Pat Suppes were: Stern, and Bruce Umbaugh. I am very fortunate to be guiding a Jeff Bartlett (University of California, Irvine), Arthur Fine committee whose enterprises derive impetus from such able (University of Washington, Seattle), and Brian Skyrms (University members. of California, Irvine). In the past, each committee chair has put something of a PAC continues to sponsor North American Computing and personal touch on the committee’s activities. I suspect that will Philosophy Conferences. Through conference presentations and be the same in my case. I see our profession as engaged in program committee work, PAC members also participate in the numerous practical activities, and I am an advocate of gathering activities of the International Association of Philosophy and and using feedback to guide such activities intelligently. One Computers. project I would like to see the committee attend to is a gathering The 2003 APA Barwise Prize goes to Daniel Dennett for his of information about how, and to what extent, computers are life long contributions to Computing and Philosophy. Professor used in philosophical research and teaching. In particular, the Dennett will receive his award at the December 2004 APA meeting issue of how computers ought to be used, and how existing in Boston. usage affects issues concerning professional preparation of As of this year I will retire from my tenure as Committee graduate students, is of much consequence. Some years ago, Chair and I want to take this opportunity to thank all the during Terry Bynum’s term as Chair, a survey was conducted concerning computer use within the profession, with the results — APA Newsletter, Fall 2003, Volume 03, Number 1 — being published in The Digital Phoenix. I’d like to see that work built upon in ways that invite cooperation with the Committee ROM THE DITOR on the Teaching of Philosophy and the Committee on F E , Philosophy in Two-Year Colleges. Those committees should JON DORBOLO take the lead in making pedagogical recommendations based on data describing current practice. By using the APA website as a means of collecting and distributing data and reports, this effort could be linked with the on-going work to make this Visual Language website a more valuable resource for its members. Thanks mainly to Michael Kelly (APA Executive Director) and Chris Robert E. Horn is a pioneer in visual language and visual Caputo (APA webmaster) the APA website has been steadily argumentation technique. His Mapping Hypertext: Analysis, developing in recent times, and if you haven’t visited it lately, Linkage, and Display of Knowledge for the Next Generation of you should (www.apa.udel.edu/apa/). Suggestions for On-Line Text and Graphics (The Lexington Institute, 1989) is a improving this site are always welcome. classic work for information architects, instructional designers, and web designers. Visual Language: Global Communication By the time these words are published, the committee will for the 21st Century (Bainbridge Island, WA: MacroVU, Inc. 1998) have met at the August CAP conference at Oregon State is a detailed plan for producing a vocabulary and grammar of University. The primary aim of this meeting was to establish an word/picture hybrids. The methods of argumentation mapping agenda for the committee. I suspect that the committee will are plainly demonstrated by his seven part work “Can Computers have several projects underway. More on this in the next issue Think?” which depicts the history and arguments of artificial of the Newsletter. Please direct any proposals or concerns about intelligence issues from Turing on. committee activities to me or to other members of the committee. Dr. Horn has attended and presented to the 2001 and 2002 CAP.OSU meetings. He is working on a project for NASA during PAC sessions at APA meetings continue to draw attention the 2003 meeting. He made a generous donation of one “Can to important issues. At the March 2003 Pacific division meeting, Computers Think?” seven-map set to each CAP.OSU attendee. Noam Cook chaired a special session jointly coordinated by the We are grateful to Dr. Horn for that gift and look forward to PAC committee and the Society for Philosophy and Technology. working with him at future meetings. The general topic was “Computers and the Mediation of Human Experience” and the speakers included Tom Powers (“The In this issue is a reprint and slight revision of Dr. Horn’s Computer Layer in Pedagogy: Complements to Traditional article “Teaching Philosophy with Argumentation Maps,” which Classroom Interaction”), David Kolb (“Philosophy Gone Hyper: originally appeared in the APA Newsletter on Teaching Philosophy New Voices and Forms of Scholarly Communication”), and Fall 2000. We have added some sections from the maps to the Branden Fitelson (“Some Recent Applications of Computing to article and feel that this is a good time to reacquaint Philosophy Problem-Solving in Philosophy of Science, Logic, and and Computers readers to this work, as many may have the Metaphysics”). In addition, an “Author Meets Critics” session, map set now in hand. See more about Robert Horn’s prolific chaired by David Malament, featured Patrick Suppes and remarkable work at http://www.stanford.edu/~rhorn/. (“Representation and Invariance of Scientific Structures”) and Educational Communication included Jeff Barrett, Jean-Claude Falmagne, and Brian Skyrms Istvan S. N. Berkeley (University of Louisiana at Lafayette) as critics. provides a much needed discussion with his article “Computer International CAP conferences, whose numbers are growing Communication with Students: The Bad, The Ugly, and The steadily, provide a great opportunity to meet colleagues from Good.” He lays out some very practical options and concerns in other nations and for hearing firsthand about distant projects using online
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