News

The 7th AISB Symposium on Computing and Philosophy:
Is computation observer-relative?

AISB-50, Goldsmiths, London, 1-4 April 2014

As part of the AISB-50 Annual Convention 2014 to be held at Goldsmiths,
University of London
http://www.aisb.org.uk/events/aisb14

The convention is organised by the Society for the Study of Artificial
Intelligence and Simulation of Behaviour (AISB)
http://www.aisb.org.uk/

OVERVIEW:

One of the claims integral to John Searle?s critique of computational
cognitive science and ?Strong AI? was that computation is
?observer-relative? or ?observer-dependent? (Searle, The Rediscovery of
the Mind, 1992). This claim has already proven to be very controversial
in cognitive science and AI (Endicott 1996; Coulter & Sharrock, Rey, and
Haugeland in Preston & Bishop (eds.), Views into the Chinese Room, 2002).

Those who come to the subject of computation via physics, for example,
often argue that computational properties are physical properties, that
is, that computation is ?intrinsic to physics?. On such views,
computation is comparable to the flow of information, where information
is conceived of in statistical terms, and thus computation is both
observer-independent and (perhaps) ubiquitous. Connected with this are
related issues about causality and identity (including continuity of), as
well as the question of alternative formulations of information.

This symposium seeks to evaluate arguments, such as (but not limited to)
Searle?s, which bear directly on the question of what kind of processes
and properties computational processes and properties are. It thus seeks
to address the general question ?What is computation?? in a somewhat
indirect way. Questions that might be tackled include: Are computational
properties syntactic properties? Are syntactic properties discovered, or
assigned? If they must be assigned, as Searle argues, does this mean they
are or can be assigned arbitrarily? Might computational properties be
universally realized? Would such universal realizability be
objectionable, or trivialise computationalism? Is syntax
observer-relative? What kinds of properties (if any) are
observer-relative or observer-dependent? Is observer-relativity a matter
of degree? Might the question of whether computation is observer-relative
have different answers depending on what is carrying out the computation
in question? Might the answer to this question be affected by the advent
of new computing technologies, such as biologically- and
physically-inspired models of computation? Is it time to start
distinguishing between different meanings of ?computation?, or is there
still mileage in the idea that some single notion of computation is both
thin enough to cover all the kinds of activities we call computational,
and yet still informative (non-trivial)? Does Searle?s idea that syntax
is observer-relative serve to support, or instead to undermine, his
famous ?Chinese Room argument??

TOPICS OF INTEREST:

1. COMPUTATIONAL-PHILOSOPHICAL ISSUES

Questions of ontology and epistemology

i. COMPUTATION AS OBSERVER RELATIVE

Is computation an observer relative phenomenon? What
implications do answers to this question have for the
doctrine of computationalism?

ii. WHAT IS COMPUTATION?

Does computation (the unfolding process of a computational
system) define a natural kind? If so, how do we differentiate
the computational from the non-computational?

iii. IMPLICATIONS FOR COMPUTATIONAL ONTOLOGY, and
PAN-COMPUTATIONALISM

To what extent and in what ways can we say that computation
is taking place in natural systems? Are the laws of natural
processes computational? Does a rock implement every
input-less FSA (Putnam, Chalmers)? Is the evolution of the
universe computable as the output of an algorithm? I.e. is
the temporal evolution of a state of the universe a digital
informational process akin to what goes on in the circuitry
of a computer? Digital ontology’ (Zuse), “the nature of the
physical universe is ultimately discrete”; cf. Kant’s
distinction – from the antinomies of pure reason – of “simple
parts” and no simple parts; the discrete and the analogue.

2. SOME COMPUTATIONAL-PHILOSOPHICAL ISSUES

Computation in machines and computation in nature; Turing versus
non-Turing computation

i. COMPUTATION IN NATURE

Investigating the difference between formal models of
physical and biological systems and physical/biological
reality-in-itself and the implication(s) for theory of mind /
cognition.

(a) The study of ‘computation’ using natural processes /
entities (i.e. machines not exclusively based on [man-made] silicon-based architectures).
(b) What is the underlying nature of such natural
[physical/biological] computational processes? I.e. are the
laws of natural processes computational at their very core OR
merely contingently computational because the mathematical
language we use to express them is biased towards being
computational?

SUBMISSION AND PUBLICATION DETAILS:

Submissions must be full papers and should be sent via EasyChair:
https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=aisb14cp

Text editor templates from a previous convention can be found at:

We request that submitted papers are limited to eight pages. Each paper
will receive at least two reviews. Selected papers will be published in
the general proceedings of the AISB Convention, with the proviso that at
least ONE author attends the symposium in order to present the paper and
participate in general symposium activities.

IMPORTANT DATES:

i. Full paper submission deadline: 3 January 2014

ii. Notification of acceptance/rejection decisions: 3
February 2014

iii. Final versions of accepted papers (Camera ready
copy): 24 February 2014

iv. Convention: 1st – 4th April 2014, Goldsmiths,
University of London, UK [symposium date to be confirmed]

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

There will be separate proceedings for each symposium, produced before
the Congress, and available to conference delegates. In previous years
there have been awards for the best student paper, and limited student
bursaries. These details will be circulated as and when they become
available. Authors of a selection of the best papers will be invited to
submit an extended version of the work to a journal special issue.

SYMPOSIUM ORGANISERS:

Symposium Chair: Dr. John Preston, Department of Philosophy,
The University of Reading, Reading, UK.

email:
j.m.preston@reading.ac.uk

tel. +44 (0) 118 378 7327

web page: http://www.reading.ac.uk/philosophy/about/staff/j-m-preston.aspx>

Symposium Executive-Officer and OC member: Dr. Yasemin J.
Erden, CBET, St Mary’s University College, Twickenham, UK.

email:
yj.erden@smuc.ac.uk

tel: +44 (0) 208 224 4250

web page:

Symposium OC Member: Prof. Mark Bishop, Department of
Computing, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK.

email:
m.bishop@gold.ac.uk

tel: +44 (0) 207 078 5048

web page:

Symposium OC member: Prof. Slawomir J Nasuto, School of
Systems Engineering, University of Reading, Reading, UK.

email:
s.j.nasuto@reading.ac.uk

tel: +44 (0) 118 378 6701

web page:

SYMPOSIUM WEBSITE:http://extranet.smuc.ac.uk/events-conferences/aisb-symposium-2014/Pages/default.
aspx

POSTER ADVERTISING THE CFP: [To follow]

PROGRAMME COMMITTEE:

Dr Mark Coeckelbergh (University of Twente, NL)

Prof. S. Barry Cooper (University of Leeds, UK)

Dr. Anthony Galton (University of Exeter, UK)

Dr Bob Kentridge (Durham University, UK)

Dr Stephen Rainey (St Mary’s University College, UK)

Dr Mark Sprevak (University of Edinburgh, UK)

Prof. Michael Wheeler (University of Stirling, UK)

—–
Second Call for Papers
Second Symposium on History and Philosophy of Programming

www.computing-conference.ugent.be/hapop2

Organised by the Commission for the History and Philosophy of Computing
www.hapoc.org

At AISB-50, Goldsmiths, London
1-4, April 2014

As part of the AISB-50 Annual Convention 2014 to be held at Goldsmiths, University of London, on April 1st–4th 2014

www.aisb.org.uk/events/aisb14

The convention is organised by the Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and Simulation of Behaviour (AISB)

http://www.aisb.org.uk/

Overview
The history and philosophy of computing only started to develop as real disciplines in the ’80s and ’90s of the previous century, with the foundation of journals (e.g. the IEEE Annals on the History of Computing, Minds and Machines and the like) and associations (SIGCIS, IACAP, . . . ), and the organization of conferences and workshops on a regular basis. A historical awareness of the evolution of computing not only helps to clarify the complex structure of the computing sciences, but it also provides an insight in what computing was, is and maybe could be in the future. Philosophy, on the other hand, helps to tackle some of the fundamental problems of computing. The aim of this symposium is to zoom into one fundamental aspect of computing, that is the foundational and the historical problems and developments related to the science of programming.
This is the Second Symposium on History and Philosophy of Programming, following the first edition organized in 2012 at the AISB/IACAP Joint Convention in Birmingham, UK.

A historical awareness of the evolution of computing not only helps to clarify the complex structure of the computing sciences, but it also provides an insight in what computing was, is and maybe could be in the future. Philosophy, on the other hand, helps to tackle some of the fundamental problems of computing. The aim of this symposium is to zoom into one fundamental aspect of computing, that is the foundational and the historical problems and developments related to programming.

Topics of Interest
That a logico-mathematical-physical object called program is so controversial, even though its very nature is mostly hidden away, is rooted in the range of problems, processes and objects that can be solved, simulated, approximated and generated by way of its execution. Given its widespread impact on our lives, it becomes a responsibility of the philosopher and the historian to study the science of programming. The historical and philosophical reflection on the science of programming is the main topic at the core of this workshop and we expect contributions (talks) in the following aspects (and their connections):

1. The history of computational systems, machines and programs
2. Foundational issues and paradigms of programming
3. Methodology of designing, teaching and learning programming

We believe the scientific community needs a deep understanding and critical view of the problems related to the scientific paradigm represented by the science of programming. Possible and in no way exclusive questions that might be of relevance to this Symposium are:

• What was and is the relation between hardware and software developments?
• How did the notion of ‘program’ changed since the 40s?
• How important has been the hands-off vs. the hands-on approach for the development of programming?
• How did models of computability like Church’s lambda-calculus influence the development of programming languages?
• Is programming a science or a technology?
• What are the novel and most interesting approaches to the design of programs?
• What is correctness for a program? Issues in Type-checking, Model-checking, etc.
• How do we understand programs as syntactical-semantical objects?
• What is the nature of the relation between algorithms and programs? What is a program?
• How can epistemology profit from the understanding of programs’ behavior and structure?
• What legal and socio-economical issues are involved in the creation, patenting or free-distribution of programs?
• How is programming to be taught?

Submission and Publication Details
Submissions must be full (short) papers and should be sent via EasyChair:

https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=hapop2

Text editor templates from a previous convention can be found at:

http://www.aisb.org.uk/convention/aisb08/download.html

We request that submitted papers are limited to eight pages. Each paper will receive at least two reviews. Selected papers will be published in the general proceedings of the AISB Convention, with the proviso that at least ONE author attends the symposium in order to present the paper and participate in general symposium activities.

Important Dates

Full paper submission deadline: 3 January 2014
Notification of acceptance/rejections: 6 February 2014
Final version of accepted papers: 24 february 2014
Symposium Date: 4 April 2014

Additional Information
Please note that there will be separate proceedings for each symposium, produced before the convention. Each delegate will receive a memory stick containing the proceedings of all the symposia. In previous years there have been awards for the best student paper, and limited student bursaries. These details will be circulated as and when they become available. Authors of a selection of the best papers will be invited to submit an extended version of the work to a journal special issue.

Symposium organisers

dr. Liesbeth De Mol
elizabeth.demol@ugent.be
UMR 8163 – Savoir, Textes, Languages
Université de Lille 3 Bt.B4
Rue du Barreau BP 60149
59653 Villeneuve d’Ascq Cedex, France

dr. Giuseppe Primiero
G.Primiero@mdx.ac.uk
website: http://www.cs.mdx.ac.uk/people/giuseppe-primiero/
Department of Computer Science
Middlesex University
the Borroughs
NW4 4BT, London, UK

Symposium Website:
www.computing-conference.ugent.be/hapop2

Programme Committee
G. Alberts (Amsterdam)
M. Campbell-Kelly (Warwick)
L. Corry (Tel Aviv)
L. de Mol (Lille)
H. Durnova (Brno)
R. Kahle (Lisbon)
B. Loewe (Amsterdam)
G. Primiero (Middlesex London)
M. Tedre (Helsinki)
R. Turner (Essex)