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Cybernetics historical evolution

and Impact on Informatik

Waleed abrar
Course Code: 8867 FB

Abstract
This paper throws light on the historical development in the field of
cybernetics, how cybernetics came into being, how the cybernetic
concepts evolved over the period of time. The effects of cybernetics on
modern Informatik and throw light on some of the conflict of Norbert
Weiner concepts with modern Informatik and discuss the modern
Informatik concept of Virtual Reality according to cybernetics Mostly
the focus of this paper would be on the reading THE HUMAN USE OF
HUMAN BEINGS by NORBERT WIENER.

Cybernetics historical evolution and


Impact on Informatik | Waleed abrar

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Birth of Cybernetics
Long time ago the things that a person had to understand and go
through are relatively uncomplicated because the frame of reference is
not quite complicated, every process that the system refers are also
very simple .In fact it is possible for one person to acquire all the
human Knowledge, the example for such a scenario is Da Vinci he was
a leader in painting, arts, anatomy, architecture, engineering and
many more professions (Brockwell, 2004).So with the passage of time
the system that human uses becoming more and more complex so as
Wiener pointed this phenomena out in chapter 8, Pg. 131 of his book
The integrity of the channels of internal communication is essential to
the welfare of society. This internal communication is subject at the
present time not only to the threats which it has faced at all times, but
to certain new and especially serious problems which belong peculiarly
to our age. One among these is the growing complexity and cost of
communication1 as he clearly fancies the growing complexity from
time to time is the major hurdle that the society faced at that time
shifted the focus from what things are to what thing do or Figurational
sociology (Morrow, 2009).

1 Human Use of Human Being ,Weiner Chapter 8 : Role of the Intellectual and the
Scientist ,Pg. 131

Cybernetics historical evolution and


Impact on Informatik | Waleed abrar

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That idea was basically


the opposite of what Immanuel Kant suggested that the reality about
the thing cant be observed because beings can only observe the Thing
with their senses and they mostly cant break through that bond and
the reality about that thing remain vanquished, So if we have not yet
understand the thing properly how can we understand the process
related to that object or the Thing.
So the system became more and more
complex and it is not possible for one person to acquire the whole
knowledge like Da Vinci. Then the focus is shifted toward the specialization
and its become a vital part of modern society. But Weiner was well aware of
the implication of such change which he explained later in page no 51 In the
ant community, each worker performs its proper functions. There may be a
separate caste of soldiers. Certain highly specialized individuals perform the
functions of king and queen. If man were to adopt this community as a
pattern, he would live in a fascist state, in which ideally each individual is
conditioned from birth for his proper occupation: in which rulers are
perpetually rulers, soldiers perpetually soldiers, the peasant is never more
than a peasant, and the worker is doomed to be a worker.2

2 Human Use of Human Being ,Weiner Chapter 8 : Role of the Intellectual and
the Scientist ,Pg. 51
Cybernetics historical evolution and
Impact on Informatik | Waleed abrar

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Cybernetics historical evolution and


Impact on Informatik | Waleed abrar

Page 4 of 4

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