Skill, Technology and Enlightenment: On practical Philosophy explores the problems of developing a perspective on technology and society, on the limits of enlightment, the relationship between cultural criticism and the epistemology of practical knowledge, tacit knowledge and a non-elitist conception of expertise, the role of the arts as a basis for reflection, and many other relevant topics.
The 1993 international conference in Stockholm was - among other things - part of a process of building a curriculum for an international graduate programme in the area of culture, skill and technology, a process that has been under way since 1989.

The intention of this book is not to add another technical work to the series of publications already available on matters connected with the relations between natural and artificial intelligence, nor to repeat the positions already well expressed in, for example, the debate between John Searle, Daniel Dennet and Hubert Dreyfus. It is an attempt to encourage philosophical reflection on dimensions of the subject that have hitherto been somewhat neglected. This book, which explores a number of case studies, is the fifth in the series, the previous four books being: (i) Knowledge, Skill and Artificial Intelligence (Bo Goranzon and Ingela Josefson (Eds. ), Springer-Verlag, London, 1988) (ii) Artificial Intelligence, Culture and Language: On Education and Work (Bo Goranzon and Magnus Florin (Eds. ), Springer Verlag, London, 1990) (iii) Dialogue and Technology: Art and Knowledge (Bo Goranzon and Magnus Florin (Eds. ), Springer-Verlag, London, 1991) (iv) Skill and Education: Reflection and Experience (Bo Goranzon and Magnus Florin (Eds. ), Springer-Verlag, London, 1992) An important connection between these four books is the conference on Culture, Language and Artificial Intelligence held in Stockholm in May-June, 1988. The conference was attended by more than 300 researchers and practitioners, from over 15 countries, in the fields of technology, philosophy, the history of ideas, literature and linguistics. Contributions to the books were solicited from among those who attended the conference and from researchers involved in work related to its aim."

This book has an important starting point in the conference held in Stockholm in May-June 1988 on Culture, Language and Artifidal Intelligence. It assembled more than 300 researchers and practitioners in the fields of technology, philosophy, history of ideas, literature, linguistics, sodal science etc. The conference was an initiative from the Swedish Center for Working Life, based on the project AI-Based Systems and the Future of Language, Knowledge and Responsibility in Professions within the COST 13 programme of the European Commission. Partidpants in the conference and researchers related to its aims were chosen to contribute to this book. It is preceded by Knowledge, Skill and Artificial Intelligence (ed. B. Goeranzon and I. Josefson, Springer-Verlag, 1988), Artifidal Intelligence, Culture and Language (ed. B. Goeranzon and M. Florin, Springer-Verlag, 1990) and Dialogue and Technology: Art and Knowledge (ed. B. Goeranzon and M. Florin, Springer-Verlag, 1991). The two latter books have the same conference connection as this one, and their aim is to present the contours of a research field with a multitude of issues that demands thorough investigation. The contributors' thinking in this field varies greatly; so do their styles of writing. For example: contributors have varied in their choice of "he" or "helshe" for the third person. No distinc tion is intended, but chapters have been left with the original usage to avoid extensive changes. Similarly, individual contribu tor's preference as to notes or reference lists have been followed.

This book springs from a conference held in Stockholm in May June 1988 on Culture, Language and Artificial Intelligence. It assembled more than 300 researchers and practitioners in the fields of technology, philosophy, history of ideas, literature, linguistics, social. science, etc. The conference was an initiative from the Swedish Center for Working Life, based on the project AI-Based Systems mzd the Future of Language, Knowledge and Re sponsibility in Professions within the COST 13 programme of the European Commission. Participants in the conference, or in some cases researchers in areas related to its aims, were chosen to contribute to this book. It was preceded by Knowledge, Skill and Artificial Intelligence (ed. B. Gbranzon and I. Josefson, Springer-Verlag, London, 1988) and Artificial Intelligence, Culture and Language (ed. B. Gbranzon and M. Florin, Springer-Verlag, 1990). The latter book springs, as this one, from the 1988 conference, and one further book will follow: Skill and Education: Reflection and Experience (Springer Verlag, planned autumn 1991). The philosophical and aesthetic interest of the contributions in the present volume is in large part due to the framework of the Dialogue Seminar, held regularly at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, in which several of the contributors have participated."

This book springs from a conference held in Stockholm in May June 1988 on Culture, Language and Artificial Intelligence. It assembled more than 300 researchers and practitioners in the fields of technology, philosophy, history of ideas, literature, lin guistics, social science, etc. It was an initiative from the Swedish Center for Working Life, based on the project AI-Based Systems and the Future of Language, Knowledge and Responsibility in Professions within the COST 13 programme of the European Commission. Participants in the conference, or in some cases researchers related to its aims, were chosen to contribute to this book. It was preceded by Knowledge, Skill and Artificial Intelligence (ed. B. G6ranzon and 1. Josefson, Springer-Verlag, London, 1988) and will be followed by Dialogue and Technology (ed. M. Florin and B. Goranzon, Springer-Verlag, London, 1990). The contributors' thinking in this field varies greatly; so do their styles of writing. For example: contributors have varied in their choice of 'he' or 'he/she' for the third person. No distinction is intended but chapters have been left with the original usage to avoid extensive changes. Similarly, individual contributor's preferences as to notes or references lists have been followed. We want to thank our researcher Satinder P. Gill for excellent work with summaries and indexes, and Sandi Irvine of Springer Verlag for eminent editorial work."

Issues raised by the Theory of Knowledge, a central theme in the development of Artificial Intelligence, are the main topic of this book. The major questions are: How is the expert's knowledge to be elicited, what are the limits and possibilities? How can skill be developed and maintained in a more and more computerized and abstract working life? This last question is also closely related to the discussion on programs for education and training in society and working life. Long term effects on skill formation in working life in relation to new technology are a very important area of research. Case studies form the basis for philosophical reflections with the main concept of tacit knowledge as the central issue of skill and new technology. To a great extent the discussion is based on current case studies of professional groups with experience in advanced computer technology. The contributions of this book demonstrate the complicated nature of human knowledge. They introduce different theoretical perspectives on the issue of knowledge acquisition and elicitation.