TY - JOUR

T1 - Analog, Digital, and the Cybernetic Illusion

AU - Pias, Claus

PY - 2005

Y1 - 2005

N2 - Purpose - To reconstruct the way in which the difference of analog vs digital was introduced in the 1940s and to investigate why this difference was so fundamental to the whole cybernetic epistemology. Design/methodology/ approach - A close reading of the discussions about the terms "analog" and "digital" at the Macy-Conferences (held during 1946-1953) reveals how cybernetic discourse is founded on a suppression of the "real" (i.e. the physical, continuous, material, analog) by the "symbolic" (i.e. the artificial, discrete, logical, digital). Findings - First, the difference between "analog" and "digital" resembles the Kantian difference of "senses" and "reason". Together they form the "illusionary" function, which a digital-oriented cybernetics tries to abandon. Second, the attempt to get rid of this illusion produces itself a "cybernetic illusion", that replaces the anthropological illusion established (according to Michel Foucault) in late 18th century. Originality/value - Showing that Heinz von Foerster's work could be seen as an attempt to establish a balance of power between analog and digital, and to respect the illusionary function of cybernetic knowledge.

AB - Purpose - To reconstruct the way in which the difference of analog vs digital was introduced in the 1940s and to investigate why this difference was so fundamental to the whole cybernetic epistemology. Design/methodology/ approach - A close reading of the discussions about the terms "analog" and "digital" at the Macy-Conferences (held during 1946-1953) reveals how cybernetic discourse is founded on a suppression of the "real" (i.e. the physical, continuous, material, analog) by the "symbolic" (i.e. the artificial, discrete, logical, digital). Findings - First, the difference between "analog" and "digital" resembles the Kantian difference of "senses" and "reason". Together they form the "illusionary" function, which a digital-oriented cybernetics tries to abandon. Second, the attempt to get rid of this illusion produces itself a "cybernetic illusion", that replaces the anthropological illusion established (according to Michel Foucault) in late 18th century. Originality/value - Showing that Heinz von Foerster's work could be seen as an attempt to establish a balance of power between analog and digital, and to respect the illusionary function of cybernetic knowledge.

KW - Cultural Informatics

KW - Cultural studies

KW - Media and communication studies

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=20444503877&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/3b891aab-f6ec-3965-8950-cf2a21f7dfea/

U2 - 10.1108/03684920510581710

DO - 10.1108/03684920510581710

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 34

SP - 543

EP - 550

JO - Kybernetes

JF - Kybernetes

SN - 1758-7883

IS - 3/4

ER -