The Foundations of Information Systems

The Foundations of Information Systems PDF Author: Andrew Basden
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 131763330X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 404

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Book Description
Why does information technology disappoint or enslave us? Why do so many information systems projects collapse? How can we do better? There are many technical, social, economic and other aspects to consider. How do we ensure we take all these into account as we research ITC or employ them? ICT affects our lives and world more profoundly than ever before. How may we understand it? This book employs philosophy to lay foundations for understanding the complexity of ICT, in five areas: The nature of information and computers, and artificial intelligence; The use of ICT at work and home, for serious and less-serious use; The ICT features that annoy or delight us; Societal issues, such as surveillance, e-government, ICT in developing countries, climate change, what technological progress is and what is the role of ICT as a whole and of the information systems field; ICT development - including computer programming, knowledge engineering and project management. The ideas in this book emerge from five decades of experience of the author with ICT, across industry, the professions and academic life. Information systems researchers will enjoy this book because it offers them new ideas and fresh perspectives. On the 500th anniversary of the European Reformation, this book introduces and applies the Reformational Philosophy of mid-20th-century Dutch thinker, Herman Dooyeweerd, to contemporary challenges of the 21st century. Excitingly, this accessible philosophy is grounded in everyday experience and yields a rich seedbed of ideas, which researchers and practitioners can develop to their advantage.

The Foundations of Information Systems

The Foundations of Information Systems PDF Author: Andrew Basden
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 131763330X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 404

Get Book Here

Book Description
Why does information technology disappoint or enslave us? Why do so many information systems projects collapse? How can we do better? There are many technical, social, economic and other aspects to consider. How do we ensure we take all these into account as we research ITC or employ them? ICT affects our lives and world more profoundly than ever before. How may we understand it? This book employs philosophy to lay foundations for understanding the complexity of ICT, in five areas: The nature of information and computers, and artificial intelligence; The use of ICT at work and home, for serious and less-serious use; The ICT features that annoy or delight us; Societal issues, such as surveillance, e-government, ICT in developing countries, climate change, what technological progress is and what is the role of ICT as a whole and of the information systems field; ICT development - including computer programming, knowledge engineering and project management. The ideas in this book emerge from five decades of experience of the author with ICT, across industry, the professions and academic life. Information systems researchers will enjoy this book because it offers them new ideas and fresh perspectives. On the 500th anniversary of the European Reformation, this book introduces and applies the Reformational Philosophy of mid-20th-century Dutch thinker, Herman Dooyeweerd, to contemporary challenges of the 21st century. Excitingly, this accessible philosophy is grounded in everyday experience and yields a rich seedbed of ideas, which researchers and practitioners can develop to their advantage.

Role Playing Game

Role Playing Game PDF Author: J. Michael Straczynski
Publisher: Mongoose Publishing
ISBN: 1905471203
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 364

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Book Description
Featuring the space station that changed the destiny of an entire galaxy, the Babylon 5 RPG from Mongoose Publishing allows players to take on the role of characters from the award-winning TV series. This all new edition revisits one of the most successful sci-fi roleplaying games of recent years, bringing the game to an all new group of fans! Existing fans will not be disappointed, the rules have been tweaked so that the game is even better than before, and most importantly, is a stand-alone rulebook in its own right with no requirement for the use of another rulebook!

The Foundation Novels 7-Book Bundle

The Foundation Novels 7-Book Bundle PDF Author: Isaac Asimov
Publisher: Spectra
ISBN: 0804180571
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 2997

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Book Description
The story of our future begins with the Foundation. Named the best series of all time by the Hugo Awards, the Foundation novels of Isaac Asimov unquestionably comprise one of the great masterworks of science fiction, unsurpassed for its unique blend of nonstop action, daring ideas, and extensive world-building. Now, all seven volumes are together for the first time in this essential eBook bundle: FOUNDATION FOUNDATION AND EMPIRE SECOND FOUNDATION FOUNDATION’S EDGE FOUNDATION AND EARTH PRELUDE TO FOUNDATION FORWARD THE FOUNDATION For twelve thousand years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. Only Hari Seldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future—a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last thirty thousand years. To preserve knowledge and save humanity, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire—both scientists and scholars—and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for future generations. He calls this sanctuary the Foundation. But soon the fledgling Foundation finds itself at the mercy of corrupt warlords rising in the wake of the receding Empire. And mankind’s last best hope is faced with an agonizing choice: submit to the barbarians and live as slaves—or take a stand for freedom and risk total destruction. Praise for Isaac Asimov and his Foundation series “A true polymath, a superb rationalist, an exciting and accessible writer in both fiction and nonfiction, Isaac Asimov was simply a master of all he surveyed.”—Greg Bear “Asimov served wondrous meals-of-the-mind to a civilization that was starved for clear thinking about the future. To this day, his visions spice our ongoing dinner-table conversation about human destiny.”—David Brin “Isaac was still in his teens when I met him, a fan of mine before I was a fan of his. Writing for John W. Campbell back in the famous ‘golden age of science fiction,’ he became one of the founders of our field. With the Robot stories and the Foundation stories, he helped to shape science fiction as we know it.”—Jack Williamson “I grew up on the ABC’s of science fiction—Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke. There’s a reason Asimov’s name comes first, and not just because of the alphabet!”—Janis Ian “With his fertile imagination, his wit, and his prolific output, Isaac Asimov truly laid the foundation for all future generations of science fiction writers.”—Kevin J. Anderson “If anything can be said to have been the launch pad for space-age science fiction, it has to be the Foundation trilogy. It’s a classic. And it’s unforgettable.”—Jack McDevitt “The Foundation series is one of the masterpieces of science fiction. If you’ve never read these novels, then you’re in for a treat, and even if you’ve already read them, then you owe it to yourself to reread them, because they’re still great.”—Allen Steele “Quite simply, Asimov got me started.”—Liz Williams

A Companion to James of Viterbo

A Companion to James of Viterbo PDF Author: Antoine Côté
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 900436188X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 442

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Book Description
Ten leading scholars team up to produce the first book-length treatment of the philosophical thought of James of Viterbo, one of the key thinkers at Paris in the late thirteenth century. The book examines all major areas of James’s philosophical thought, exploring his connections with other important masters of the time and highlighting his originality in the context of late medieval philosophy. Contributors are: Antoine Côté, Stephen D. Dumont, R. W. Dyson, Mark D. Gossiaux, Mark Henninger, Thomas Osborne Jr., Martin Pickavé, Eric L. Saak, Jean-Luc Solère, and Gianpiero Tavolaro.

Critical Conditions

Critical Conditions PDF Author: Horace L. Fairlamb
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521456654
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
The postmodern debate has been heavily influenced by often contradictory conclusions about the foundations of knowledge: hermeneutics challenges epistemology, politics challenges science, identity theory challenges critical theory, pragmatism challenges formalism, and so on. Horace Fairlamb contends that philosophy's foundationist quest has usually been misconceived as a choice between a 'super-science' and theoretical anarchy. Through an examination of the history of foundationism, and detailed analysis of the work of leading theorists including Fish, Foucault, Derrida, Gadamer and Habermas, Dr Fairlamb argues for a less reductive and less arbitrary conception of knowledge and meaning. The result in this 1994 book is a sophisticated critique of contemporary theory with implications for philosophers as well as literary theorists, and an important contribution to the re-evaluation of theoretical discourse.

Mathematics Across Cultures

Mathematics Across Cultures PDF Author: Helaine Selin
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9401143013
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 489

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Book Description
Mathematics Across Cultures: A History of Non-Western Mathematics consists of essays dealing with the mathematical knowledge and beliefs of cultures outside the United States and Europe. In addition to articles surveying Islamic, Chinese, Native American, Aboriginal Australian, Inca, Egyptian, and African mathematics, among others, the book includes essays on Rationality, Logic and Mathematics, and the transfer of knowledge from East to West. The essays address the connections between science and culture and relate the mathematical practices to the cultures which produced them. Each essay is well illustrated and contains an extensive bibliography. Because the geographic range is global, the book fills a gap in both the history of science and in cultural studies. It should find a place on the bookshelves of advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and scholars, as well as in libraries serving those groups.

Epistemology

Epistemology PDF Author: Ernest Sosa
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1405169664
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 950

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Book Description
New and thoroughly updated, Epistemology: An Anthology continues to represent the most comprehensive and authoritative collection of canonical readings in the theory of knowledge. Concentrates on the central topics of the field, such as skepticism and the Pyrrhonian problematic, the definition of knowledge, and the structure of epistemic justification Offers coverage of more specific topics, such as foundationalism vs coherentism, and virtue epistemology Presents wholly new sections on 'Testimony, Memory, and Perception' and 'The Value of Knowledge' Features modified sections on 'The Structure of Knowledge and Justification', 'The Non-Epistemic in Epistemology', and 'The Nature of the Epistemic' Includes many of the most important contributions made in recent decades by several outstanding authors

Questions and Questioning

Questions and Questioning PDF Author: Michel Meyer
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
ISBN: 3110864207
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 401

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Book Description


Knowledge and Inquiry

Knowledge and Inquiry PDF Author: K. Brad Wray
Publisher: Broadview Press
ISBN: 9781551114132
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 484

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Book Description
This anthology focuses on three areas in the theory of knowledge: epistemic justification; analyses of knowledge and scepticism; and recent developments in epistemology. Each of the three sections includes a brief introduction to the readings, a series of study questions, and a list of suggested readings. Section 1 deals with coherentism, foundationalism, reliabilism, and includes articles by Chisholm, BonJour, Audi, Goldman, and Fumerton. Section 2 deals with the analysis of knowledge and Gettier problems, and a variety of forms and responses to scepticism; it includes articles by Gettier, Conee, Feldman, Putnam, Nagel, and Stroud. Section 3 introduces the reader to recent developments in naturalized, feminist, and social epistemology, and includes articles by Quine, Almeder, Putnam, Anderson, Harding, Longino, Hardwig, Rorty, and Kitcher.

Beyond Kuhn

Beyond Kuhn PDF Author: Edwin H.-C. Hung
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351955632
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 149

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Book Description
Thomas Kuhn's celebrated work, 'The Structure of Scientific Revolutions' revolutionized thinking in the philosophy of science and to a large extent his 'paradigm shift' view has replaced logical positivism and the philosophy of Karl Popper. This book goes beyond Kuhn by explicating the non-deductive notion of 'paradigm shift' in terms of the new concept of representational space. In doing so, Edwin H.-C. Hung is able to produce the first-ever unitary theory that solves the five central problems in the philosophy of science: scientific explanation, the structure of scientific theories, incommensurability, scientific change and physical necessity. The book identifies the main task of science as representing reality. This involves the construction of a representational space and the subsequent modeling of reality with configurations of 'objects' in that space. Newton's mechanics, Einstein's relativity and quantum mechanics, then, all serve as representational spaces. 'Beyond Kuhn' is a significant progression in scientific methodology. Other than serving as a sequel to Kuhn's 'Scientific Revolutions', it will be of great use in the fields of artificial intelligence, cognitive psychology and education.