Norbert Wiener in the 21st Century

Benjamin Peters argued that understanding technology requires engagement with diverse fields far beyond engineering, invoking the insight that "the essence of technology is anything but technological." He traced Wiener's intellectual roots in American pragmatism through the influence of philosophers William James and Josiah Royce, showing how this philosophical tradition shaped Wiener's distinctive approach to science and communication.

Peters identified what he called "thought laboratories," such as the famous Macy Conferences, as essential vehicles for the kind of collaborative, cross-disciplinary inquiry that Wiener championed. These gatherings brought together mathematicians, engineers, biologists, psychologists, and anthropologists in a shared intellectual space that proved remarkably generative. Peters suggested that recovering this model of collaborative inquiry is essential for addressing the complex technological and social challenges of the 21st century.