[lbo-talk] Philip Mirowski - Social Physicist

[Vincent Clarke]

> Just the term "Social physicist" makes me cringe. There is no such thing.
> It is an area that simply isn't quantifiable and/or qualifiable. I remember
> an older organizing saying he wished he could finder a computer program in
> which he could plug in the exact elements that would produce for him the
> proper formul for revolution in the USA. Even then it seemed eird. now it
> seems laughable.
>
>
>
Yeah I've heard this one before. Any time it comes up I always give the same
example (which I'm using in my present essay in order to try and show that
technological innovation effects even the most deranged thinking - but which
I also think is rather funny).

This is the MONIAC computer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MONIAC_Computer

Here's a video of it doing... eh... well... doing something cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqPtW40w1no

The MONIAC works by using "fluid logic" - that's right folks, you heard it
here first: "fluid logic". This "fluid logic" then displays the workings of
an economy with cool flashy colours and bulbs and the like. Note that this
wasn't cooked up by a crackpot with a sieve on his head in a tinfoil lined
shed - this was commissioned by the LSE!!!

Now take a look at this "air loom":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Airloom.gif

The "air loom" is the invention of one James Tilly Matthews who, after
making a not insignificant contribution to the French Revolution, returned
to England where he was confined to Bedlam Mental Hospital. Tilly Matthews
(an interesting figure: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Tilly_Matthews)
was the first ever documented case of paranoid schizophrenia (what didn't
this guy do?).

His "air loom" was run on principles of "pneumatic chemistry" - apparently
they didn't have access to "fluid logic" in those days. It was used to probe
Tilly Matthews and other government officials' "magnetic fluids" which
resulted in various symptoms such as "lobster cracking". Tilly Matthews
amazing creation was run off a variety of ingredients such as "effluvia of
dog" and "gaz from the anus of the horse" - gases, mainly (as I said they
didn't have access to "fluid logic" technology in those days).

(Tilly Matthews Air Loom was recently constructed, I'd love to see the real
thing, I'd definitely bring my effluvia of dog! http://www.theairloom.org/)

So what's my point? Well, I'm not accusing the economists of being paranoid
schizophrenic, but the logic operating here (be it "fluid" or not) is
remarkably similar. These "influencing machines" are a common theme in
paranoid schizophrenia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influencing_machine)
and as all the shrinks among you will know: that which exists manifestly in
psychosis can be assumed to be latently/unconsciously present among the
sort-of-sane.

The reasoning is almost identical. We've all heard the term "reification" -
but this is ridiculous!

***NB. Just to get it straight; when I wrote "Philip Mirowski - Social
Physicist" I was being ironic... really ironic...