Herbert A. Simon：The Bounds of Reason in Modern America

RarelydoestheworldseeasversatileafigureasHerbertSimon.ANobellaureateineconomics,hewasanaccomplishedpoliticalscientist,winnerofalifetimeachievementawardfromtheAmericanPsychologicalAssociation,andfounderoftheDepartmentofComputerScienceatCarnegieMellonUniversity.Inallhisworkinallthesefields,hepursuedasinglegoal:tocreateasciencethatcouldmaptheboundsofhumanreasonandsoenlargeitsroleinhumanaffairs.HunterCrowther-HeyckusesthecareerofthisuniqueindividualtoexaminetheevolutionofthesocialsciencesafterWorldWarII,particularlySimon'screationofanewfield,systemsscience,whichjoinedtogethertwodistinct,powerfulapproachestohumanbehavior,thesciencesofchoiceandcontrol.Simonsoughttodevelopmethodsbywhichhumanbehavior,specificallyhumanproblem-solving,couldbemodeledandsimulated.Regardingmindandmachineassynonymous,Simonappliedhismodelsofhumanbehaviortomanyotherareas,frompublicadministrationandbusinessmanagementtoartificialintelligenceandthedesignofcomplexsocialandtechnicalsystems.Inthisinformedanddiscerningstudy,Crowther-HeyckexploresSimon'scontributionstoscienceandtheirinfluencesonmodernlifeandthought.Forhistoriansofscience,socialscience,andtechnology,andforscholarsoftwentieth-centuryAmericanintellectualandculturalhistory,thisaccountofHerbertSimon'slifeandworkprovidesarichandvaluableperspective.