Spirituality For Cybernetics

This talk introduces the kubernetes, his ancient tasks, and their relation to Plato’s Divided Line and Ship Of State metaphors. Norbert Weiner provides the following etymology of “…‘Cybernetics,’ which I derived from the Greek word kubernetes, or “steersman,” the Greek word from which we eventually derive our word “governor.” Incidentally, I found later that the word had already been used by Ampere with reference to political science…”; Cybernetique. Weiner “ hoped that machines would release people from relentless and repetitive drudgery in order to achieve more creative pursuits. At the same time he realized the danger of dehumanizing and displacement.” Meanwhile, spirituality has long since been removed from philosophy and science. My work acknowledges and re-infuses the spiritual underpinnings of Plato’s Republic into Political Science, and the etymology of Cybernetics.

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