The dream of reality : Heinz von Foerster's constructivism

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The dream of reality : Heinz von Foerster's constructivism

Lynn Segal ; with forewords by Heinz von Foerster and Paul Watzlawick

Springer, c2001

2nd ed

  • pbk.

Available at  / 2 libraries

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Includes bibliographical references and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

What if there were no objective facts, no objective truth, only our belief in them? What if our consciousness itself is an unconscious invention, constructed out of logic and language? In this thought-provoking volume, Lynn Segal describes how the ideas of Heinz von Foerster compel us to explore the question "Do we discover the world or do we invent it?". He suggests that we must first know how we think before we can claim knowledge of the world. While Constructivism may seem relevant only to those in the cognitive sciences, it is, in fact, highly relevant to everyone. Paradoxically, grasping the limits of our own understanding can free us to live more creative and meaningful personal and professional lives.

Table of Contents

  • Foreword by Heinz von Foester
  • Foreword by Paul Watzlawick
  • Preface
  • Introduction
  • 1. The Myth of Objectivity
  • 2. The Difficulties of Language
  • 3. Maturana and the Observer
  • 4. The Nervous System
  • 5. Computation
  • 6. Biocomputation
  • 7. Closure
  • Appendix: An Interview with Heinz von Foerster
  • Notes
  • Index.

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