Abstract
The word “cybernetics” was coined in the year 1948 by Wiener:
“I first looked for a Greek word signifying ‘messenger’, but the only one I knew was angelos. This has in English the specific meaning ‘angel’, a messenger for God. The word was thus pre-empted and would not give me the right context. Then I looked for an appropriate word from the field of control. The only word I could think of was the Greek word for steersman, Icubemetes. (…) What recommended the term cybernetics to me was that it was the best word I could find to express the art and science of control over the whole range of fields in which this notion is applicable” (Wiener, 1964).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Adolph, E. P.: Early concepts of physiological regulations. Rev. Physiol. 41, 737–770 (1961).
Bell, C.: Animal mechanics, or, proofs of desing in the animal frame. London: Baldwin, Cradock and Joy 1827.
Bernard, C.: Leçons sur le phénomènes de la vie communs aux animaux et aux végétaux. Paris: Baillière 1878.
Boulton, M.: letter to J. Watt, 1788. In: James Watt and the steam engine. (Dickinson, H. W., Jenkins, R., Eds.) Oxford: Clarendon Press 1927.
Butler, S.: Erewhon. London 1827.
Cherry, E. C.: A history of the theory of information. Proc. Inst. Elec. Engrs. 98, 383–393 (1951).
Diels, H.: Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker. 2. Ed., Berlin: Weidmannsche Buchhandlung 1906/07.
Henn, V.: Materialien zur Vorgeschichte der Kybernetik. Studium Generale 22, 164–190 (1969).
Hooper, S.: Regulation for wind and other mills; grinding, dressing etc. Patent No. 1706, London 1789.
Hurwitz, A.: Über die Bedingung, unter welcher eine Gleichung nur Wurzeln mit negativen reellen Teilen besitzt. Math. Ann. 46, 273–284 (1895).
Lincke, F.: Das mechanische Relais. VDI-Zeitschrift 23, 509–524, 577–616 (1879); and Berlin: Gaertner 1880.
Maxwell, J. C.: On governors. Proc. roy. Soc. 16, 270–283 (1867/68).
Mayr, O.: Frühgeschichte technischer Regelungen. München: Oldenbourg 1969.
Mead, T.: Regulator for wind and other mills. Patent No. 1628, London 1787.
Mittelstaedt, H.: The analysis of behavior in terms of control systems. Group Processes, Transactions of the 5th conference, Oct. 1958, Princeton. (Schaffer, B., Ed.) New York: Josiah Macy Foundation 1960.
Pflüger, E.: Die teleologische Mechanik der lebendigen Natur. Pflügers Arch. ges. Physiol. 15, 57–103 (1877).
Rosenblueth, A., Wiener, N., Bigelow, J.: Behavior, purpose and teleology. Phil. Sci. 10, 18–24 (1943).
Schmidt, H.: Denkschrift zur Gründung eines Instituts für Regelungstechnik. Berlin 1941. Reprint: Quickborn: Schnelle 1961.
Schmidt, H.: Regelungstechnik. VDI-Zeitschrift 85, 81–88. (1941).Reprint in: Schmidt, H.: Die anthropologische Bedeutung der Kybernetik. Quickborn: Schnelle 1965.
Schmidt, H.: Kybernetik als anthropologisches Problem. Pädagogische Arbeitsbl. 19, 121–133 (1967).
Wiener, N.: Cybernetics. Paris-New York: Freymann 1948.
Wiener, N.: I am a mathematician. Garden City, N.J.: Doubleday 1956
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1971 Springer-Verlag Berlin · Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Henn, V. (1971). The History of Cybernetics in the 19th Century. In: Grüsser, OJ., Klinke, R. (eds) Zeichenerkennung durch biologische und technische Systeme / Pattern Recognition in Biological and Technical Systems. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-65175-5_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-65175-5_1
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-65176-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-65175-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive