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APA Committee on Philosophy and Computers

2000 Report

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Committee on Philosophy and Computers

James Moor, Chair

Our committee continues to sponsor sessions at all divisional meetings. With the rapid changes in computer technology we believe an important function of our committee is to inform and update philosophers about valuable opportunities at the intersection of computing and philosophy. This includes not only the presentation of teaching and research tools but also the use of computing as a model and subject matter for philosophical research.

At the Eastern Meetings the topic was Mechanism and Information with a presentation by Carol Cleland ("Recipes, Algorithms, and Programs") with commentary by Eric Steinhart and a presentation by Luciano Floridi ("Should There Be a Philosophy of Information") with commentary by James Fetzer. At the Pacific Meetings our session was chaired by William Uzgalis and the topic was Teaching and Research Applications of Computing with presentations by John Barker ("Computer Modeling and the Fate of Folk Psychology") and Anthony Beavers ("Noesis and the Electronic Dissemination of Professional Philosophy: Problems and Prospects"). And at the Central Meetings the topic was Academic Integrity and the World Wide Web with presentations by Lawrence Hinman ("Virtual Virtues") and John Snapper ("Saving Faces: Issues in the Web Publication of Portraits").

Last year our committee proposed The Leibniz Award in Philosophy and Computing to be given to a philosopher who has made a truly significant contribution to teaching or research in philosophy that involves computing in a creative way. We are continuing to search for funding for this award and hope that it can become a reality in the not too distant future.

I wish to thank all of the members of the committee and especially John Barker, Selmer Bringsjord, and Cynthia Freeland, who are leaving the committee this year, for their service to our committee and profession. I also wish to extend a special thanks to Jon Dorbolo, the editor of the Philosophy and Computers Newsletter, and his associate editors for their continuing outstanding job in producing a dynamic, informative, and highly relevant newsletter.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome Anthony Beavers, Helen Nissenbaum, Peter Suber as new committee members and to welcome Robert Cavalier as the new chair of the committee. Robert Cavalier has worked effectively and tirelessly in the area of computing and philosophy over many years and will provide excellent leadership for the future.