Abstract
I offer an explication of the notion of computer, grounded in
the practices of computability theorists and computer scientists. I begin by
explaining what distinguishes computers from calculators. Then, I offer a
systematic taxonomy of kinds of computer, including hard-wired versus
programmable, general-purpose versus special-purpose, analog versus
digital, and serial versus parallel, giving explicit criteria for each kind.
My account is mechanistic: which class a system belongs in, and which
functions are computable by which system, depends on the system’s
mechanistic properties. Finally, I briefly illustrate how my account sheds
light on some issues in the history and philosophy of computing as well
as the philosophy of mind.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Pacific Philosophical Quarterly |
| Volume | 89 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 28 2008 |
Keywords
- analog
- calculator
- computer
- digital
Disciplines
- Metaphysics
- Philosophy of Mind
- Philosophy of Science