"Thinking" as Applied Philosophy and Applied Ethics: Ludwig Wittgenstein's and Hannah Arendt's New Approaches to Thinking and Their Relevance to Questions of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25180/lj.v28i1.408Keywords:
Ludwig Wittgenstein, Hannah Arendt, Alan Turing, thinking, artificial intelligence, philosophy of language, political philosophy, applied ethics, applied philosophyAbstract
As seminal intellectuals of the 20th century, Ludwig Wittgenstein and Hannah Arendt—despite their differing focuses on the philosophy of language and political philosophy—opened entirely new realms of thought. Both are highly relevant to today's approach to artificial intelligence (AI). While Wittgenstein is often regarded as a pioneer of the technological foundations of AI, Arendt, though not concerned with technology itself, is essential for analyzing its political and existential consequences. Wittgenstein's later philosophy, particularly his thoughts on language games and language use, has had a significant influence on the understanding of semantic contexts in AI systems. He questions whether machines grasp true meaning or merely imitate patterns. Arendt serves today as a central point of reference for understanding the threat algorithms pose to human judgment. Arendt's concepts of "The Human Condition" and "Thinking Without Banister" caution against relinquishing human judgment to AI. She emphasizes the danger that we will create machines whose functioning we no longer understand. Both thinkers shape the discourse on AI ethics, human judgment, and the scope of technical systems.
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