Cybernetics
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers interested in the history of science and intellectual history who want to understand how cybernetics became an interdisciplinary paradigm
- Undergraduates in automation and information fields who need to understand the intellectual origins of their discipline
- Readers in communication studies and sociology concerned with the migration of information and feedback concepts into the social sciences
- Researchers in philosophy or technology ethics examining early accounts of the human–machine relationship
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking only practical algorithms of modern control engineering; this is not an operational textbook
- Readers with weak mathematical backgrounds hoping for light reading; the exposition has considerable technical density
- Readers expecting the latest advances in artificial intelligence; this is a foundational text from 1948
Reading tips
- Read the introductory chapters first, grasping the three core concepts of feedback, information, and regulation before turning to specific discussions
- Skip mathematical derivations on a first pass and focus on the problem context and interdisciplinary intent behind the concepts
- Take notes as you read on which disciplines later borrowed cybernetic concepts, building a record of conceptual migration
- Read alongside an introduction to the history of science or philosophy of technology to help situate the book historically
About the publisher
Peking University Press is a comprehensive university press whose publishing areas cover classical literature, popular science, social culture, world history, Western philosophy, and culture. Its catalogue contains 6,031 titles, with representative books including A Dream of Red Mansions, Relativity: The Special and General Theory (15th Edition) (with Einstein's classic papers on unified field theory and other topics), Elements, Conics, The Aristocratic Families of the Eastern Jin, The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume I), The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume II), and The Origin of Continents and Oceans. Representative authors include Cao Xueqin, Zhou Ruchang, Albert Einstein, Euclid, Apollonius, Tian Yuqing, Schelling, and Xian Gang. The press has developed distinctive strengths in classical Chinese literature and in the translation of Western philosophical classics, while also covering scientific classics and social and cultural studies. As public information is limited, this description is based only on the books in the catalogue and offers no further extrapolation.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 弁言
- 《控制论》中译本和它的译者“郝季仁”
- 中译本第二版前言
- 原著第二版序言
- 译者序
- 《控制论》导读
- 第一部分 初版（1948）
- 导言
- 第一章 牛顿时间和柏格森时间
- 第二章 群和统计力学
- 第三章 时间序列，信息和通信
- 第四章 反馈和振荡
- 第五章 计算机和神经系统
- 第六章 完形和普遍观念
- 第七章 控制论和精神病理学
- 第八章 信息、语言和社会
- 附注
- 第二部分 补充的几章（1961）
- 第九章 关于学习和自生殖机
- 第十章 脑电波与自行组织系统
FAQ
Does this book require a strong mathematical background?
How does Cybernetics relate to today's automatic control and artificial intelligence?
What does the full title mean?
Comments
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About the author
Wiener's English name, nationality, and dates of birth and death are not well documented in publicly available sources. Two works are listed under this name on this site, with Cybernetics as the representative title. According to the existing categories, the related works touch on two areas—social culture and examinations—suggesting that Wiener's writing or editorial work spans both academic thought and practical study materials. The title Cybernetics generally points to discussions of systems, information, and feedback, a field of knowledge with broad influence. However, information about Wiener's specific identity, academic background, and the editions of these works is insufficient, making it difficult to establish the background of the two works or their relationship to each other. Readers may approach Cybernetics as an entry point for understanding the intellectual context, and consider the social-culture works alongside it to observe Wiener's manner of expression; the examination-related work suggests that the writing may combine knowledge organization with practical functions. Overall, Wiener's output is small in number and relatively concentrated in subject matter, and is suitable for readers interested in cybernetics and related social and cultural issues.
