Systems, cybernetics, control, and automation (SCCA) are four interrelated and overlapping scientific and technological fields that have contributed substantially to the development, growth, and progress of human society. A large number of models, methods, and tools were developed that assure high efficiency of SCCA applied to practical situations. The real-life applications of SCCA encompass a wide range of man-made or biological systems, including transportations, power generation, chemical industry, robotics, manufacturing, cybernetics organisms (cyborgs), aviation, economic systems, enterprise, systems, medical/health systems, environmental applications, and so on. The SCCA fields exhibit strong influences on society and rise, during their use and application, many ethical concerns and dilemmas. This book provides a consolidated and concise overview of SCCA, in a single volume for the first time, focusing on ontological, epistemological, social impact, ethical, and general philosophical issues. It is appropriate for use in engineering courses as a convenient tutorial source providing fundamental conceptual and educational material on these issues, or for independent reading by students and scientists. Included in the book is: Background material on philosophy and systems theoryMajor ontological, epistemological, societal and ethical/philosophical aspects of the four fields that are considered in the bookOver 400 references and a list of 130 additional books in the relevant fields Over 100 colored photos and 70 line figures that illustrate the text

Only a few books stand as landmarks in social and scientific upheaval. Norbert Wiener's classic is one in that small company. Founder of the science of cybernetics—the study of the relationship between computers and the human nervous system—Wiener was widely misunderstood as one who advocated the automation of human life. As this book reveals, his vision was much more complex and interesting. He hoped that machines would release people from relentless and repetitive drudgery in order to achieve more creative pursuits. At the same time he realized the danger of dehumanizing and displacement. His book examines the implications of cybernetics for education, law, language, science, technology, as he anticipates the enormous impact—in effect, a third industrial revolution—that the computer has had on our lives.

Only a few books stand as landmarks in social and scientific upheaval. Norbert Wiener's classic is one in that small company. Founder of the science of cybernetics—the study of the relationship between computers and the human nervous system—Wiener was widely misunderstood as one who advocated the automation of human life. As this book reveals, his vision was much more complex and interesting. He hoped that machines would release people from relentless and repetitive drudgery in order to achieve more creative pursuits. At the same time he realized the danger of dehumanizing and displacement. His book examines the implications of cybernetics for education, law, language, science, technology, as he anticipates the enormous impact—in effect, a third industrial revolution—that the computer has had on our lives.

The Cybernetic Society brings together facts and ideas which help give perspective to man's role in a cybernetic society. Emphasizing the transforming power of technological innovation and the ties between technology and society, the book explores the impact of industrialization on the working man, systems design for social systems, the relevance of cybernetics, and machine translation and self-reproducing machines. The effects of technology on government, education, and science and the arts are also given consideration. This volume consists of 10 chapters and begins with an introduction to the transforming power of technology before turning to the nature and significance of important technological innovations (with some emphasis on the role of the computer) and their connection to a variety of human concerns, many of which are strongly rooted in the history of technology and science. Emphasis is placed on energy and its transformation, organization or synchronization, and information. Attention then shifts to the problems of industrial job displacement, unemployment (or underemployment), and poverty from the time of the first Industrial Revolution to the present cybernated era. Some of the economic and political solutions which have been proposed are highlighted. The chapters that follow focus on how technology contributes to patterns of social change, the potential of cybernetics to elucidate relationships between organic and inorganic systems, and the uniqueness of the human mind versus ""intelligent machines."" The book concludes with a look at the ""futurists"" and their forecasting activities. This book will be useful to students from all disciplines.