“If controversies were to arise, there would be no more need for disputation between two philosophers than between two accountants. For it would suffice for them to take there pencils in their hands and to sit down at the abacus and say to each other: Let us calculate!”
“If controversies were to arise, there would be no more need for disputation between two philosophers than between two accountants. For it would suffice for them to take there pencils in their hands and to sit down at the abacus and say to each other: Let us calculate!”
These were the words of the great Leibniz in the 18th century. Leibniz had the expectation that, if we will be able to calculate everything, peace will settle on Earth. So he built a calculation machine and invented the binary number system.
Frank Fabel will lead you through two milleniums of accounting tools. We will explore the astonishing Antikythera mechanism, Ramon Lull’s “Zairja” and the Leibniz gear. We will trace binary thinking from the binary figures to the Boolean mathematics and to the Shannon discovery that electric circuits are in fact materlized Boolean structures.
There are frequent interrelations between things and thoughts. It can be shown how certain techniques entail certain styles of thought, and how certain styles of thought lead to other technical solutions.
P.S. The author is eager to give an account on Husserl´s “Origins of Geometry” – but, I am not sure whether I will be able to present a good summary until the due date. Support is very much welcome!