Systems, Machines, and Problem-Solving
Nov 2025 · Epistemic Studies Book 55 · Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Ebook
386
Pages
Tools
info
About this ebook
The notion of problem solving has become central to science education and the cognitive sciences, but it is still peripheral to many philosophies of knowledge and science. In fact, the term only became popular in the course of the twentieth century, as humanity’s ability to solve theoretical and practical problems grew at a seemingly exponential rate. This book questions both the nature of problem solving and its effectiveness in transforming our human practices. We argue that this is linked to the idea that some of our enquiries can be summarized in systematic procedures. Examples are the proof of a theorem within an axiomatic theory, a production line within an industrial factory, or an administrative procedure within a bureaucratic system. Although such a form has been common in mathematics since antiquity, it was only in modern times that the possibility of being systematic in the natural sciences and technical disciplines was discovered. The emergence of the modern concepts of system and machine was key to this expansion and to the scientific, industrial and digital revolutions. Problem solving thus appears as the fundamental form of the modern concept of knowledge.
The notion of problem solving has become central to science education and the cognitive sciences, but it is still peripheral to many philosophies of knowledge and science. In fact, the term only became popular in the course of the twentieth century, as humanity’s ability to solve theoretical and ...
Discover more
About the author
Henri Stephanou, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, Paris, France.
Henri Stephanou, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, Paris, France.
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
