Philosophy through computation: two examples

Daniel Lim, Jiaxin Wu

Research output: Journal PublicationArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We explore the possibility of teaching philosophy through the teaching of computer programming. It is pedagogically useful to use programming because it is extremely popular (especially due to the recent breakthroughs in machine learning), and it can provide a novel, interesting, and clear introduction to a variety of classic philosophical issues. We discuss two examples. The first is using programming to solve digital image manipulation tasks as a way of introducing and clarifying debates over external world skepticism. The second is programming a simulation of a simple 2-D cellular automaton as a way of introducing and clarifying debates over determinism and free will.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)43-62
JournalPrecollege Philosophy and Public Practice
Volume6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024
Externally publishedYes

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Philosophy through computation: two examples'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this