RULES, a conversation with Lorraine Daston on her book "Rules", published by PRINCETOn UNIVERSITY PRESS

Daston's inspiration for the book came from her work on Cold War rationality, emphasizing the necessity for clear, unambiguous rules in high-stakes situations like nuclear deterrence, where traditional forms of decision-making are impractical. This work sparked her interest in exploring rules more broadly, resulting in a book aimed at a general audience, covering a wide range of topics from cooking to the rules of monastic life.

The conversation also delves into the evolution of the concept of algorithms, tracing back to the Persian mathematician Al-Khwarizmi, whose work laid the foundation for the term "algorithm" and introduced the concept of algebra. Daston discusses the historical context of algorithms and their expansion beyond mathematics into general problem-solving tools.

A significant part of the discussion focuses on the educational aspects of learning mathematics, comparing procedural (learning how to do something) versus declarative (understanding why something is done) learning. Daston argues that both approaches serve different purposes and are valuable in their own right, comparing them to the difference between using one's native language fluently without thinking about grammar rules and the conscious effort required when using a second language.

Finally, Daston touches on the broader implications of reducing reasoning to mere algorithmic procedures. She expresses concern that such a reduction overlooks the complexity of reasoning and rationality, which cannot always be captured by strict rules or algorithms. This reductionist view of rationality, she argues, fails to account for the nuanced decision-making processes required in complex, real-world situations.

Lorraine Daston is an American historian of science. Director emerita of the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG) in Berlin, and visiting professor in the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago, she is an authority on Early Modern European scientific and intellectual history. In 1993, she was named a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is a permanent fellow at the Berlin Institute for Advanced Study.

свернуть