Computer Linguistics and Philosophical Interpretation :: Technology Philosophy Essays

Computer Linguistics and Philosophical InterpretationABSTRACT This news topic reports a procedure which I employed with two computational explore instruments, the Index Thomisticus and its companion St. Thomas CD-ROM, in order to inquiry the Thomistic aphorism, any(prenominal) is received is received according to the mode of the receiver. My procedure extends to the lexicological methods developed by the pioneering creator of the Index, Roberto Busa, from single terms to a proposition. More importantly, the paper shows how the appear results of the lexicological searches guided my formation of a philosophic thesis about the truisms import for doubting Thomass existential metaphysics. One solar daytime in 1949, when the electronic computing machine was soothe in its infancy, a young Jesuiticalical knocked at the door of an executive of I.B.M., and explained that he wanted to put the head t from distributively oneer of Thomas doubting Thomass publications on computer. He wanted, moreover, to scrap each word, as well as to identify and tag each as the form of its proper lemma. He wanted, in short, a commit graphico-syntatical systemization of wholly the words Aquinas ever wrote. As data was calm be entered into computers by means of the long since forgotten punch-card, this I.B.M. executive was respectfully but decidedly sceptical about the tenability, if not the use, of such a project. Roberto Busa respectfully but decidedly reassured him that if I.B.M. would but supply the technology, Busa himself would fulfill to the rest. And so he did. Over two decades and millions of punch-cards later, there began to emerge into the sporty of day the Index Thomisticus, the second largest publication of this century. The next step was to foreshadow out what to do with it.Busas pioneering Index has kept pace with the computers hypertrophic evolution even to the present day, its latest reincarnation macrocosm in the form of the St. Thomas CD-ROM. (1) In t his talk, I want to dim upon how I went about utilizing the Index Thomisticus and its companion St. Thomas CD-ROM to expect a systematic and comprehensive search of Thomass publications for a certain Scholastic axiom. I hope in this substance to offer a model for a philosophical use of computational linguistics, and to show how the rising results of my lexicological research guided my formation of a philosophical thesis about the axioms import. Following Busa, I c every(prenominal) the procedures I use lexicological in that they delineate and clarify one part of the active lexicon of Aquinas through use of the Index Thomisticus as the muster out graphico-syntactic systematization of all the words in his writings.Computer Linguistics and Philosophical Interpretation engine room Philosophy EssaysComputer Linguistics and Philosophical InterpretationABSTRACT This paper reports a procedure which I employed with two computational research instruments, the Index Thomisticus and its companion St. Thomas CD-ROM, in order to research the Thomistic axiom, some(prenominal) is received is received according to the mode of the receiver. My procedure extends to the lexicological methods developed by the pioneering creator of the Index, Roberto Busa, from single terms to a proposition. More importantly, the paper shows how the emerging results of the lexicological searches guided my formation of a philosophical thesis about the axioms import for Aquinass existential metaphysics. One day in 1949, when the computer was still in its infancy, a young Jesuit knocked at the door of an executive of I.B.M., and explained that he wanted to put the head teacher of Thomas Aquinass writings on computer. He wanted, moreover, to trope each word, as well as to identify and tag each as the form of its proper lemma. He wanted, in short, a complete graphico-syntatical systemization of all the words Aquinas ever wrote. As data was still being entered into computers by means of the long since forgotten punch-card, this I.B.M. executive was respectfully but decidedly sceptical about the tenability, if not the use, of such a project. Roberto Busa respectfully but decidedly reassured him that if I.B.M. would but supply the technology, Busa himself would absorb to the rest. And so he did. Over two decades and millions of punch-cards later, there began to emerge into the light of day the Index Thomisticus, the second largest publication of this century. The next step was to paradigm out what to do with it.Busas pioneering Index has kept pace with the computers hypertrophic evolution even to the present day, its latest reincarnation being in the form of the St. Thomas CD-ROM. (1) In this talk, I want to imbibe how I went about utilizing the Index Thomisticus and its companion St. Thomas CD-ROM to engineer a systematic and comprehensive search of Thomass writings for a certain Scholastic axiom. I hope in this expressive style to offer a model for a philosophical use of computational linguistics, and to show how the emerging results of my lexicological research guided my formation of a philosophical thesis about the axioms import. Following Busa, I call the procedures I apply lexicological in that they delineate and clarify one part of the active lexicon of Aquinas through use of the Index Thomisticus as the complete graphico-syntactic systematization of all the words in his writings.