Springer Reflections on Programming Systems: Historical and Philosophical Aspects: 133 (Philosophical Studies Series, 133)

From the Back Cover This book presents a systematic philosophical and historical analysis of operating systems (0S). The discussion starts with the evolution of OSs since before their birth. It continues with a comprehensive philosophical analysis grounded in technical aspects. Coverage looks at software and (where appropriate) hardware as well as their historical developments. The authors not only offer historical and philosophical reflections on operating systems. They also explore the programs they coordinate and trace the epsitemic and ontological consequences of their designs. Each chapter investigates one or more overlapping fragments of this fascinating history. These include: the birth of the UNIX system and the development of early systems and prototypes; a conceptual analysis of the plurality of systems; an investigation into business, ethical, and aesthetics aspects related to operating systems; and logical principles of formal languages. This book will interest researchers from a diversity of backgrounds. It will appeal to historians, philosophers, as well as logicians and computer scientists who want to engage with topics relevant to the history and philosophy of programming and more specifically that of operating systems. Product Description This book presents a historical and philosophical analysis of programming systems, intended as large computational systems like, for instance, operating systems, programmed to control processes. The introduction to the volume emphasizes the contemporary need of providing a foundational analysis of such systems, rooted in a broader historical and philosophical discussion.The different chapters are grouped around three major themes. The first concerns the early history of large systems developed against the background of issues related to the growing semantic gap between hardware and code. The second revisits the fundamental issue of complexity of large systems, dealt with by the use of formal methods and the development of `grand designs’ like Unix. Finally, a third part considers several issues related to programming systems in the real world, including chapters on aesthetical, ethical and political issues.This book will interest researchers from a diversity of backgrounds. It will appeal to historians, philosophers, as well as logicians and computer scientists who want to engage with topics relevant to the history and philosophy of programming and more specifically the role of programming systems in the foundations of computing. Review “This very interesting book clearly demonstrates, with quite a few examples, that essential computing concepts have been around for quite some time. I highly recommend it.” (H. I. Kilov, Computing Reviews, January 21, 2021) About the Author Dr. Giuseppe Primiero is Associate Professor of Logic at the Department of Philosophy, University of Milan (Italy). He is President of the DHST-DLMPST Commission on the History and Philosophy of Computing, Member at Large of the Leadership Committee of the International Association for Computing and Philosophy and since 2016 Secretary General for the Association Computability in Europe. His research areas include logic, philosophy of information and computation.Liesbeth De Mol is a CNRS researcher based in France. She is the founding president of the DHST/DLMPST Commission for the History and Philosophy of Computing, coundil and steering committee member of the Association for Computability in Europe and principal investigator of the ANR research project PROGRAMme on the history and philosophy of computer programs (2018-2022). Her research focuses on the histoircal and epistemological connections between logic, programming and computing.