Suchergebnisse

"In this groundbreaking book, Manuel DeLanda analyzes different genres of simulation, from cellular automata and generic algorithms to neural nets and multi-agent systems, as a means to conceptualize the space of possibilities associated with casual and other capacities. This remarkably clear philosophical discussion of a rapidly growing field, from a thinker at the forefront of research at the interface of science and the humanities, is a must-read for anyone interested in the philosophies of technology, emergence and science at all levels."--Bloomsbury Publishing

"In A New Philosophy of Society Manuel DeLanda offers a fascinating look at how the contemporary world is characterized by an extraordinary social complexity. Since most social entities, from small communities to large nation-states would disappear altogether if our cognitive abilities ceased to exist, DeLanda proposes a novel approach to social ontology that asserts the autonomy of social entities from the conceptions we have of them. He argues that Gilles Deleuze's theory of assemblages provides a framework in which sociologists and geographers studying social networks and regions can properly locate their work and fully elucidate the connections between them. Indeed, assemblage theory, as DeLanda argues, can be used to model any community, from interpersonal networks and institutional organizations, to central governments, cities and nation states."--Bloomsbury Publishing

Examines historical critiques of capitalism, & the role of computer modeling in the analysis of the world market. It is suggested that history infiltrated the scientific realm through the fields of thermodynamics & Darwinism, which incorporated historical considerations. However, modern researchers have rejected the linear conceptions of history employed by scientists, & the historical influence on both science & economy is now regarded in more dynamic terms. Computers have contributed to these dynamics by facilitating bottom-up approaches to analysis that emphasize the diverse multitude of possibilities that can arise from a single factor. It is argued that capitalism can no longer be regarded as the linear process described by Karl Marx, & that computer modeling offers a more realistic approach to analysis of the capitalist economic system. Computer programs offer support for the productivity of the meshwork system through which large corporations are replaced by smaller, interconnected industries. Under these circumstances, a large & skilled labor force is created that can react quickly to market demands & avoid massive unemployment brought on by the collapse or relocation of a single business. 19 References. T. Sevier

Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- Flame Wars -- New Age Mutant Ninja Hackers: Reading Mondo 2000 -- Techgnosis, Magic, Memory, and the Angels of Information -- Agrippa, or, The Apocalyptic Book -- Gibson's Typewriter -- Virtual Surreality: Our New Romance with Plot Devices -- Chapter 14, Synners -- Feminism for the Incurably Informed -- Sex, Memories, and Angry Women -- Black to the Future: Interviews with Samuel R. Delany, Greg Tate, and Tricia Rose -- Compu-Sex: Erotica for Cybernauts -- A Rape in Cyberspace; or, How an Evil Clown, a Haitian Trickster Spirit, Two Wizards, and a Cast of Dozens Turned a Database into a Society -- Virtual Environments and the Emergence of Synthetic Reason -- Survival Research Laboratories Performs in Austria -- Taming the Computer -- Glossary -- Index -- Notes on Contributors