Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
formalism that was problematic to other philosophers of the time,
reacting as they were to the formal logic of Aristotelianism. Though
after his death his work in logic and language was largely neglected
in favour of other aspects of his work, he is now seen as having
anticipated many of the developments surrounding computing. His
intention to formalize thought in a logical system clearly anticipates
both the development of programming languages and of Artificial
Intelligence. This, along with his interest in calculating machines, has
led to his being regarded as a kind of grandfather of the computer
age. His interest in the formal structure of thought can also be seen
as anticipating contemporary projects such as Structuralism that
themselves are concerned with structure. Though Leibniz's ideas
clearly prefigured many current developments, he did not, in fact,
make any direct contribution to the history of the computer. Apart
from other factors, his considerations on logic and language were
mostly in private papers, which were not widely known to the late
nineteenth century, by which time many of the ideas he discussed
had been developed further independently.
abstraction, communication and representation
The necessity of enabling the circulation of signs of various sorts led
to the development of increasingly sophisticated information and
communication technologies. Some of these developed out of the
demands of contemporary warfare. In the late eighteenth century,
field armies had grown larger, weapons had become more elaborate
and administrative needs increased accordingly. 'Napoleonic warfare
required an apparatus of command, control and communications
more advanced than anything previously attempted.'
16
One result
was the development of more complex and flexible systems of
communication than had previously been possible or necessary,
leading, eventually, to the first electric digital technology. The elec-
tric telegraph (illus.
6
) was developed more or less simultaneously in
