Overview
A groundbreaking critique of the philosophical foundations of computing.
Computational Reflections is a wholly original investigation into the philosophical foundations of computing. Brian Cantwell Smith distills a lifetime of work into this volume which explores what it means to compute.
The standard theoretical foundations of computer science address the fundamental concept of “mechanism,” but almost completely ignore the crucial role of “meaning” in any computational practice. Cantwell Smith takes the reader through these missing foundational gaps, including a historical analysis of why the field has reached its current state.
Despite its lack of treatment of semantics (“meaning”), computer science has borrowed and adopted semantic vocabulary to refer to mechanistic concepts, thus aggravating confusion within and without the field, especially so in philosophy, cognitive science, and contemporary artificial intelligence. This book’s arguments help to illustrate why computer science theory has almost nothing to say about “computation in the wild”—or the real-world practice of programmers and engineers who design the software and devices that we all use. The author argues that a true account of computation must do justice to the incredible complexity juggled by programmers in creating software that works, and he offers not only criticism, but also directions for a successor account of computing.
Computational Reflections is a wholly original investigation into the philosophical foundations of computing. Brian Cantwell Smith distills a lifetime of work into this volume which explores what it means to compute.
The standard theoretical foundations of computer science address the fundamental concept of “mechanism,” but almost completely ignore the crucial role of “meaning” in any computational practice. Cantwell Smith takes the reader through these missing foundational gaps, including a historical analysis of why the field has reached its current state.
Despite its lack of treatment of semantics (“meaning”), computer science has borrowed and adopted semantic vocabulary to refer to mechanistic concepts, thus aggravating confusion within and without the field, especially so in philosophy, cognitive science, and contemporary artificial intelligence. This book’s arguments help to illustrate why computer science theory has almost nothing to say about “computation in the wild”—or the real-world practice of programmers and engineers who design the software and devices that we all use. The author argues that a true account of computation must do justice to the incredible complexity juggled by programmers in creating software that works, and he offers not only criticism, but also directions for a successor account of computing.
While major retailers like Amazon may carry Computational Reflections, we specialize in bulk book sales and offer personalized service from our friendly, book-smart team based in Portland, Oregon. We’re proud to offer a Price Match Guarantee and a streamlined ordering experience from people who truly care.
We’re trusted by over 75,000 customers, many of whom return time and again. Want proof? Just check out our 25,000+ customer reviews—real feedback from people who love how we do business.
Prefer to talk to a real person? Our Book Specialists are here Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST and ready to help with your bulk order of Computational Reflections.