The Development of Cybernetics

Profcssor Dcchert presents a broad sr~eep of a new field iron1 old concerns witli letting niacliines control tlieinselocs (within limits of hriiiian directioes). H o w cybernetics relates to political economy and Jiotv the “systetns npproadi ” to society is genercltecl arc liis ninior coiicerns. The term “cybernetics ” derives from the Greek word kybcrnctes which means steersman. Plato uses it to describe the prudential aspect of the art of government.’ Ampere in liis Essay on the Philosophy of Science used the term cybcrne‘tiqcic for tlie science of civil government.‘ The Latin term gubernator is derived from tlie Greek, and hence also our word governor. In English we use the term governor in at least two ways: first in the tradi-tional sense of a public steersman or political decision-maker; second to refer to the self-adjusting valve mecha