Algorithmic governance renders transparent the succession of speech forms hypothesized in The Origin of Language: ostensive>imperative>interrogative>declarative. The algorithm turns the sequence of speech forms into a stack. The basic algorithmic form is “if… then.” You start with a sentence representing a state of affairs, which is taken to be a merely possible state of affairs, which in turn implies a field of declaratives with varying probabilities of being the case instead of the one we start with. So, an algorithm designed for airport security, to determine when an alert should be sent to security personnel, might begin with “if an article capable of hiding explosive materials is left unattended then…” So, we start with a sentence: An article capable of hiding explosive materials is left unattended: this is the description of a state of affairs understood to be possible—it’s what we are looking for. If it’s what we’re looking for, then we need to be able to distinguish it from other states of affairs, especially those closest to it. We need, then, to specify the terms involved more precisely: which articles—bags, packages, etc.—are capable of containing explosive materials? Is it a question of size? Shape? Other features? What do we mean by “unattended”—how far away do people need to be to be leaving the item “unattended”? Do we need to see someone with the article and then leave it? For how long? Etc.
The Algorithm as Originary Stack
The Algorithm as Originary Stack
The Algorithm as Originary Stack
Algorithmic governance renders transparent the succession of speech forms hypothesized in The Origin of Language: ostensive>imperative>interrogative>declarative. The algorithm turns the sequence of speech forms into a stack. The basic algorithmic form is “if… then.” You start with a sentence representing a state of affairs, which is taken to be a merely possible state of affairs, which in turn implies a field of declaratives with varying probabilities of being the case instead of the one we start with. So, an algorithm designed for airport security, to determine when an alert should be sent to security personnel, might begin with “if an article capable of hiding explosive materials is left unattended then…” So, we start with a sentence: An article capable of hiding explosive materials is left unattended: this is the description of a state of affairs understood to be possible—it’s what we are looking for. If it’s what we’re looking for, then we need to be able to distinguish it from other states of affairs, especially those closest to it. We need, then, to specify the terms involved more precisely: which articles—bags, packages, etc.—are capable of containing explosive materials? Is it a question of size? Shape? Other features? What do we mean by “unattended”—how far away do people need to be to be leaving the item “unattended”? Do we need to see someone with the article and then leave it? For how long? Etc.