Reasoning with Machines

The effectiveness of computers has fascinated many philosophers, sometimes leading them to bold hypotheses such as the computational theory of mind or even pan-computationalism. Stephanou takes a different approach, starting with the observation that computers are so versatile precisely because they are incomplete machines that need to be programmed in order to perform the tasks assigned to them. He examines programming from the perspective of the human sciences and shows how difficult it is to define. Understanding programming requires analyzing it as a very particular way of solving problems, in which machines are inserted into situations that have been systematically described. The investigation therefore seeks to shed light on the nature of systematic problem solving and its close relationship with the concept of machine. The books offers an entirely new account of computation and of machines in general, one that discards the usual concepts of information and computation in its explanation and grounds it in a novel theory of human inquiry.