Martin Kusch puts forth two controversial ideas: that knowledge is a social status (like money or marriage) and that knowledge is primarily the possession of groups rather than individuals. He defends the radical implications of his views: that knowledge is political, and that it varies with communities. This bold approach to epistemology is a challenge to philosophy and the wider academic world.

Knowledge by Agreement

Politics & Social Sciences

Kusch, Martin

Philosophy

Oxford University Press

Martin Kusch puts forth two controversial ideas: that knowledge is a social status (like money or marriage) and that knowledge is primarily the possession of groups rather than individuals. He defends the radical implications of his views: that knowledge is political, and that it varies with communities. This bold approach to epistemology is a challenge to philosophy and the wider academic world.

Knowledge by Agreement: The Programme of Communitarian Epistemology

What can humans do? What can machines do? How do humans delegate actions to machines? In this book, Harry Collins and Martin Kusch combine insights from sociology and philosophy to provide a novel answer to these increasingly important questions.The authors begin by distinguishing between two basic types of intentional behavior, which they call polimorphic actions and mimeomorphic actions. Polimorphic actions (such as writing a love letter) are ones that community members expect to vary with social context. Mimeomorphic actions (such a swinging a golf club) do not vary. Although machines cannot act, they can mimic mimeomorphic actions. Mimeomorphic actions are thus the crucial link between what humans can do and what machines can do.
Following a presentation of their detailed categorization of actions, the authors apply their approach to a broad range of human-machine interactions and to learning. Key examples include bicycle riding and the many varieties of writing machines. They also show how their theory can be used to explain the operation of organizations such as restaurants and armies. Finally, they look at a historical case -- the technological development of the air pump -- applying their categorization of actions to the processes of mechanization and automation. Automation, they argue, can occur only where what we want to bring about can be brought about through mimeomorphic action.

The Shape of Actions: What Humans and Machines Can Do

Computers & Technology

Collins, Harry M.

Computer Science

Mit Pr

What can humans do? What can machines do? How do humans delegate actions to machines? In this book, Harry Collins and Martin Kusch combine insights from sociology and philosophy to provide a novel answer to these increasingly important questions.The authors begin by distinguishing between two basic types of intentional behavior, which they call polimorphic actions and mimeomorphic actions. Polimorphic actions (such as writing a love letter) are ones that community members expect to vary with social context. Mimeomorphic actions (such a swinging a golf club) do not vary. Although machines cannot act, they can mimic mimeomorphic actions. Mimeomorphic actions are thus the crucial link between what humans can do and what machines can do.Following a presentation of their detailed categorization of actions, the authors apply their approach to a broad range of human-machine interactions and to learning. Key examples include bicycle riding and the many varieties of writing machines. They also show how their theory can be used to explain the operation of organizations such as restaurants and armies. Finally, they look at a historical case -- the technological development of the air pump -- applying their categorization of actions to the processes of mechanization and automation. Automation, they argue, can occur only where what we want to bring about can be brought about through mimeomorphic action.

The Shape of Actions: What Humans and Machines Can Do (Mit Press)

Collins, Harry

Programming

The MIT Press

Psychologism: The Sociology of Philosophical Knowledge (Philosophical Issues in Science)

First published in 1995. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor &amp; Francis, an informa company.

Routledge

When did psychology become a distinct discipline? What links the continental and analytical traditions in philosophy? Both questions are answered by this extraordinary account of psychologism in Germany at the turn of the century

Psychological Knowledge (Philosophical Issues in Science)

Psychologists and philosophers have assumed that psychological knowledge is knowledge about, and held by, the individual mind. Psychological Knowledge challenges these views. It argues that bodies of psychological knowledge are social institutions like money or the monarchy, and that mental states are social artefacts like coins or crowns.Martin Kusch takes on arguments of alternative proposals, shows what is wrong with them, and demonstrates how his own social-philosophical approach constitutes an advance. We see that exists a substantial natural amount of philosophical theorising, a body of work that tries to determine the nature and structure of folk psychology.An introduction to the workings of constuctivism, Psychological Knowledge is an insightful introduction to the history of psychology and the recent philosophy of mind.

Psychological Knowledge: A Social History and Philosophy (Philosophical Issues in Science)

Psychologists and philosophers have assumed that psychological knowledge is knowledge about, and held by, the individual mind. Psychological Knowledge challenges these views. It argues that bodies of psychological knowledge are social institutions like money or the monarchy, and that mental states are social artefacts like coins or crowns.Martin Kusch takes on arguments of alternative proposals, shows what is wrong with them, and demonstrates how his own social-philosophical approach constitutes an advance. We see that exists a substantial natural amount of philosophical theorising, a body of work that tries to determine the nature and structure of folk psychology.Examining the workings of constuctivism, Psychological Knowledge is an invaluable introduction to the history of psychology and the recent philosophy of mind.

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Mental Health

Saul Kripke's Wittgenstein on Rules and Private Language has attracted much criticism and few friends. Yet it is one of the books that most students of philosophy have to read at some point in their education. Enormously influential, it has given rise to debates that strike at the very heart of contemporary philosophy of mind and language.

A Sceptical Guide to Meaning and Rules: Defending Kripke's Wittgenstein

McGill-Queen's University Press

Martin Kusch defends Saul Kripke's account against the numerous weighty objections that have been put forward over the years and argues that none of them is decisive. He shows that many critiques are based on misunderstandings of Kripke's reasoning and that many attacks can be blocked by refining and developing Kripke's position.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Kusch, Martin. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Kusch, Martin

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Kusch, Martin. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Knowledge by Agreement

Knowledge by Agreement: The Programme of Communitarian Epistemology

The Shape of Actions: What Humans and Machines Can Do

The Shape of Actions: What Humans and Machines Can Do (Mit Press)

Psychologism: The Sociology of Philosophical Knowledge (Philosophical Issues in Science)

Psychologism: The Sociology of Philosophical Knowledge (Philosophical Issues in Science)

Psychological Knowledge: A Social History and Philosophy (Philosophical Issues in Science)

Psychological Knowledge (Philosophical Issues in Science)

A Sceptical Guide to Meaning and Rules: Defending Kripke's Wittgenstein

A Sceptical Guide to Meaning and Rules: Defending Kripke's Wittgenstein