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1、ABriefHistoryoftheBCL.HeinzvonFoersterandtheBiologicalComputer12LaboratoryAlbertMüller1Prehistories2TheFoundingoftheBCL3EarlyYears4Self-OrganizingSystemsandBionics5DeviationasInnovation6DeviationandInnovation:TheSocialTurn7Publications8Prototypes9Conflicts10AnExcellent
2、GroupCulture11TheEndoftheFinancialBasis12ANewBeginning,andtheTranspositionoftheBCLResearch���������������������������“Heinz,wherewouldahistorianhavetobeginifhewantedtotellthestoryoftheBCL?”“He’dhavetostartwiththeMacyConference”.1Beforefollowingthisthoroughlysoundpieceo
3、fadvice,IwouldliketobrieflydescribethegoalIhavesetformyselfhere.Iamattemptingapreliminaryinterpretationofasmalland,asIbelieve,unusualchapterofthehistoryofsciencefromthelate1950stothemid-1970s,onethathasreceivedlittleattentionuptonow.AndIamequallymotivatedbythefactthatt
4、heBCLhasveryseldombeenmentioned2intheliteratureonthehistoryofcybernetics,systemstheory,bionics(nowthesubjectofreneweddebate),parallelcomputing,neurophysiology,bio-logic,artificialintelligence,symboliccomputing,orconstructivismasanintellectualtradition–anditwouldbepossi
5、bletolistevenmoreareasofsciencethatarerenownedtoday–despitethefactthatworkersatthisinstitution,theBCL,figureimportantlyintheliteratureoneachofthesedomains.Isthisanoversightspecificallyonthepartofthehistoryofscience(theforgetfulnessofscienceitselfbeingwellknown)?3Iamnot
6、sure.Letmetrytogiveanexamplefromaspecificfield:anyonewhotakesevenapassinginterestinthehistoryofcyberneticswillimmediatelyencounterthenameofitsfounder,NorbertWiener.4Atthesametime,itwillbelearnedatoncethatWienerwasactiveattheMassachusettsInstituteofTechnology(MIT).Soona
7、fterwards,theinterestedpartywillencounterthenameofW.RossAshby,theauthorofwhatisstilloneofthemostimportant1FromaninterviewwithHeinzvonFoerster.Thepresentessaywouldnothavebeenpossiblewithouttheenergeticsupport,overseveralyears,ofHeinzvonFoerster,whoagainandagainpatiently
8、answeredmyquestions(citedhereinafteras“interviewwithHeinzvonFoerster”),andwhomadehisarchive(hereinafter“HeinzvonFoers