Norbert Wiener and John von Neumann: a comparision (see Heims 1984)

Norbert Wiener
John von Neumann
New england, Wiener's father Jewish, "Tolystoian anarchist," mother anti-semetic Jew. Late to discover his heritage.
Aristocratic (banker) family in Budapest. 1914: Hungary enters WWI on German side, loses. 1919: Hungary falls to communist governement; family flees to US.
Age 11 starts college, age 14 grad at Harvard, age 18 doctorate, age 24 teaching at MIT. Awkward, embarrassed, sensitive.
From high school on fits comfortably into his role of elite genius.
First scientific breakthrough: non-differentiable function (fractal) as model of brownian motion: shows that "chaos" has intelligible pattern.
First scientific breakthrough: formal abstract model for particle physics: imposing order on physical world. Also develops game theory, based on assumption of zero-sum game.

Develops mathematical models for feedback; shows application to many information systems, both analog and digital.

Develops mathematical model for top-down architecture of digital computer.

 
1946: Wiener and Von Neumann collaborate in creating the first Macy Conference. Origially titled "Feedback Mechanisms and Circular Causal Systems in Biological and Social Systems," Wiener coins the term "Cybernetics" from the Greek word "Steersman" (kubernetes).
Wiener attempts to collaborate with labor unions to prevent displacement of workers from automation; announces he will cease collaboration with military. FBI opens file on him as suspected communist.
Von Neuman becomes advisor for AEC; pushes for more nuclear weapons development, suggests radiation not as bad as is assumed. Pushes for first strike against USSR. Develops Cellular Automata in context of machines that survive nuclear strike.

 

Jewish Epistemology in Cybernetic Representation Categories

ANALOG
DIGITAL

Links between Wiener's analog devices and Wiener's discovery of his Jewish heritage:

“When I became aware of my Jewish origin, I was shocked.... I looked in the mirror and there was no mistake: the bulging myopic eyes, the slightly averted nostrils, the dark, wavy hair, the thick lips. They were all there.” (Heims pg 15).

1) Action determined according to a set of explicit rules

2) Knowledge encoded in systems of physically arbitrary symbols

3) An ultimate order controlling apparently chaotic phenomena

Jewish culture: women's association with gashmuit (physicality) and men's association with ruhniut (spirituality).

Waskow (1983) on male Jewish feminists: “We can enrich the Jewish sense that the spirit is the body, that the spiritual and the physical fuse, by encouraging dance, mime, body movement, breathing, the arts and artisanship, and the theatrical "acting" as a part of prayer, Torah study, and midrashic storytelling.

"His brother observed that John von Neumann's preoccupation with the models seemed to lead him to experience feelings akin to awe, if not religious feeling"