Product Description

Continuing his exploration of the organization of complexity and the science of design, this new edition of Herbert Simon's work on artificial intelligence adds a chapter that sorts out the themes and tools - chaos, adaptive systems, genetic algorithms - for analyzing complexity and complex systems. There are updates throughout the book as well. These take into account important advances in cognitive psychology and the science of design while confirming and extending the book's basic thesis: that a physical symbol system has the necessary and sufficient means for intelligent action. The chapter "Economic Reality" has also been revised to reflect a change in emphasis in Simon's thinking about the respective roles of organizations and markets in economic systems.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #163540 in Books
• Published on: 1996-10-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 215 pages

Customer Reviews

Are you altruistic and docile?
Simon sheds light on the positive aspect of our bounded rationality from a biological analogy, in which, because of our bounded rationality, and because we can therefore greatly enhance our limited knowledge and skill by accepting information and advice from the social groups to which we belong, individuals who are docile �Ewho tend to accept such information and advice �Ehave a great advantage in fitness. The altruistic individual will be fitter than non-docile individual, enabling the former to more increase its capabilities for specialisation and division of work, to finally adjust themselves to achieve the desired purpose. It may be true that the altruism is an important factor in the efficacy of organizations and institutions. However, how many trials and errors will it need for us to evolve or have mutations to be so docile or altruistic? This book gives us a great hint.

Philosophical, interdisciplinary perspectives of human being
Explores economics, management, computer science, psychology and phylosophy to understand human being and artifacts, the work of human being. Ideas presented are highly philosophical but widely applicable to the real world, especially when designing organization or large projects.