Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 37, No. 427.
Department of Digital Humanities, University of Cologne
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Submit to: humanist@dhhumanist.org
[1] From: Tim Smithers <tim.smithers@cantab.net>
Subject: Re: [Humanist] 37.426: on the concept of 'tool'? (77)
[2] From: Willard McCarty <willard.mccarty@mccarty.org.uk>
Subject: tools (34)
--[1]------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2024-02-06 16:46:51+00:00
From: Tim Smithers <tim.smithers@cantab.net>
Subject: Re: [Humanist] 37.426: on the concept of 'tool'?
Dear Michael,
In case it helps any.
I still like, and have used, in what sounds like similar
circumstances -- conversation starting in a class of
mixed-discipline PhDers -- this, from 2011.
Bret Victor (2011) A Brief Rant on the Future of
Interaction Design, 8 November, 2011
<http://worrydream.com/ABriefRantOnTheFutureOfInteractionDesign/>
"A tool addresses human needs by amplifying human
capabilities."
And pointed people to these two books for what I think is some
useful (more extensive) background reading.
W Brian Authur, 2009. The Nature of Technology: What it
is and how it evolves, London: Allen Lane
<https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Nature-of-Technology/W-Brian-
Arthur/9781416544067>
and
Walter G Vincenti, 1990. What Engineers Know and How
They Know It, Analytical Studies from Aeronautical
History, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press
<https://press.jhu.edu/books/title/3022/what-engineers-know-and-how-they-
know-it>
Also
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Engineers_Know_and_How_They_Know_It>
I like the way you plan to begin your tools & methods course.
Some talk about tools to put in place some understanding that
tool use needs to be disciplined, and that such discipline may
be provided by a well chosen method, is, in my experience,
often missing in our teachings these days.
Best regards,
Tim
> On 6 Feb 2024, at 08:56, Humanist <humanist@dhhumanist.org> wrote:
>
>
> Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 37, No. 426.
> Department of Digital Humanities, University of Cologne
> Hosted by DH-Cologne
> www.dhhumanist.org
> Submit to: humanist@dhhumanist.org
>
>
>
>
> Date: 2024-02-06 04:12:19+00:00
> From: Michael Falk <michaelgfalk@gmail.com>
> Subject: Good reading on the concept 'tool'?
>
> Does anyone have a good suggestion for a short reading for undergraduates on
the
> concept of ‘tool’? I want something to give the students in the first week of
a
> ‘tools and methods’ course, to get them thinking about the nature and value of
> ‘tools’ as opposed to other things we might study – methodologies, systems,
> conceptual frameworks, approaches etc.
>
> My mind says ‘Heidegger’, but that would be a sledgehammer. I’d like a
> conservation-starter rather than a head-scratcher!
>
> Thanks all,
>
> Michael Falk
> University of Melbourne
--[2]------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2024-02-07 10:09:37+00:00
From: Willard McCarty <willard.mccarty@mccarty.org.uk>
Subject: tools
Dear Michael,
On the philosophical side I can strongly recommend The Tacit Dimension
(1966) by the polymath (scientist and philosopher) Michael Polanyi, well
written and deep. Also Maurice Merleau-Ponty, The Phenomenology of
Perception (1962) [Phénomènologie de la perception, 1945] for those who
take to phenomenology--you did mention Heidegger :-).
From engineering: Walter Vincenti, What Engineers Know and How They
Know It: Analytical Studies from Aeronautical History (1990), esp. for
introductory purposes, Chapter 1.
From computer science: Terry Winograd and Fernando Flores,
Understanding Computers and Cognition: A new foundation for design
(1987)--in which Heidegger appears; Richard Hamming, "On man's view of
computer science" (1968), his Turing Award lecture.
There's a huge amount of good stuff from writings on the arts and
crafts. I'm away from my physical library at the moment so cannot find
items I know are on the shelves. But note: in his interview by Lex
Fridman, chip designer Jim Keller refers over and over again to building
computers as "craftwork".
A very useful annotated bibliography on this topic could be compiled.
Yours,
WM
--
Willard McCarty,
Professor emeritus, King's College London;
Editor, Interdisciplinary Science Reviews; Humanist
www.mccarty.org.uk
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