From Newspeak to Cyberspeak： A History of Soviet Cybernetics

by Slava Gerovtich

• Drawing parallels between the ideological and technical language of the Soviet Union with George Orwell’s concept of “NewSpeak” from the novel “1984.”

• Discussing a language similar to the Theory of Knowledge but related to technology.

• Acknowledgment:

  • The author conducted interviews with former Soviet scientists, serving as a primary source.

• Introduction:

  • Cybernetics believed in the potential of a universal problem-solving method if issues could be expressed in the language of cybernetics, which is seen as a language of objectivity and truth.
  • Cybernetics is a blend of a scientific discipline, philosophical doctrine, and engineering technique.
  • Comparison between:
    • NewSpeak: An irrational and ambiguous language based on ideology, used by the party (from “1984”).
    • vs
    • Cyberspeak: A logical language used in computer algorithms and calculations.
  • The book explores how NewSpeak and later Cyberspeak became essential to the lives of Soviet scientists.
    • NewSpeak during Stalin’s era and Cyberspeak during Khruschev’s era.
    • Examines the impact of Cyberspeak (cybernetics) on science in the USSR, beyond just Computer Science.
  • The author argues that Cyberspeak was both an ideological language and a language of science.
  • Discusses the complexity of the relationships between politicians and scientists, rejecting a simple structure.
  • Traces the history of Cybernetics in the Soviet Union, from political oppression in Stalin’s era to a post-Stalin era of rehabilitation.
  • Compares scientific development in the Soviet Union with that in the United States, questioning the role of democracy in scientific progress.

• Chapter 1:

  • Explores how NewSpeak (Marxism) influenced scientists in the Soviet era.
  • Discusses the process of ideological influence and de-ideologization, known as “Scientific NewSpeak.”
  • Describes how NewSpeak was used to bridge the gap between scientists and politicians.
  • Details the struggles to surpass Western science and the conflicts between different groups of scientists during the late Stalinist period.
  • Highlights the role of language in connecting ideology with various scientific fields.
  • Examines the impact of ideology on disciplines like mathematics, linguistics, and physiology.
  • Discusses the use of NewSpeak by ideologists, politicians, and scientists.
  • Explores the influence of authority figures in scientific debates and the challenges faced by those who opposed prevailing ideologies.
  • Addresses the role of Computer Mathematics in the ideological debates of the time.

• Chapter 2:

  • Explores the development of Cybernetics in both Western and Eastern contexts.
  • Discusses the emergence of Cybernetics during wartime and its subsequent interdisciplinary research.
  • Describes Cybernetics as a unique blend of scientific discipline, engineering approach, and philosophical doctrine.
  • Examines the connections between Cybernetics and society, highlighting the difficulty in associating it with a single political or social trend.
  • Details the collaborative efforts in military research that led to advancements in various fields like mathematics, physics, cryptography, neuroscience, and biology.
  • Mentions prominent figures like Wiener, Turing, Neumann, and Shannon in the development of Cybernetics.- On page 84, connections were rapidly being discovered, and during a meeting at Princeton, it was agreed upon by everyone that various connections were being made, as I also read in The Complete History of Cybernetics.
  • How these connections were made is written in detail on page 85.
  • A common language was established, but it faced heavy criticism on page 85.
  • On page 89, the cyberspeak as a “common language” was compared to newspeak.
    • Connections were being formed, creating a high level of enthusiasm, described as “overwhelmingly enthusiastic.”
    • Shannon was observed to be excessively generalizing information theory on page 91.

• Cybernetics involves each field making cybernetic discoveries, and cyberneticians acknowledging each other’s discoveries through mutual connections on page 94.

  • This is similar to the circular process of recognition between the Soviet Union (scientific socialism) and science mentioned in Chapter 1 (technological determinism?) (or is it different?)

• The universalization of cybernetics is depicted as rapidly spreading from page 96 onwards.

• Concern arises as cybernetics is generalized to unrelated areas, and it seems that control is slipping away on page 98.

  • Using Shannon and Communication as an example.

• On page 99, Wiener discusses the impact he believed cybernetics would have on society.

• Pages 100-101 discuss how Wiener’s intentions for cybernetics differed from the actual impact it had.

  • (Important to note the list of social forces of cybernetics here)

• In Chapter 3:

  • Cyberspeak prevailed over newspeak in the Soviet Union, leading to de-ideologized science.
  • The negative ideological perception of cybernetics during the late Stalinist period significantly limited the initial Soviet computer applications.
  • Soviet computing was influenced by the tension between developing modern weapons and the ideological urge to resist outside influences.
  • To avoid Western influence, computers were interpreted in a cybernetic or biological manner, rather than as “Computer Science” in the West.

• In Chapter 4:

  • The transition from newspeak to cyberspeak occurred with de-Stalinization.

• In Chapter 5:

  • Cybernetics, being broad and able to connect with many other sciences, became an “umbrella” for various scientific disciplines.
  • This led to the emergence of Biological Cybernetics (genetics) and Cybernetic linguistics (structural linguistics).
  • Scientists from different fields attempted to apply the concepts of cybernetics, creating a “trading zone.”

• In Chapter 6:

  • The evolution of cyberspeak into a more ideological form, resembling newspeak, is discussed as “CyberNewSpeak.”

• It seems more appropriate to directly incorporate the outline (from EE Text) and write notes below for directional purposes.

• If something seems similar, make a note of it.The book “From Newspeak to Cyberspeak” by Gerovitch has been recognized for its insightful account of cybernetics in the Soviet Union post-World War II era. It has been praised for its comparison of Soviet developments with those in the United States. The book raises thought-provoking questions about the uniqueness of Soviet cybernetics and suggests similarities in the discussions on cybernetics on both sides of the Iron Curtain.

Gerovitch’s work delves into the manipulation of knowledge and ideology boundaries in the Soviet Union and the redefinition of “basic” and “applied” science in the United States. While the Soviets aimed to surpass Western science, the Americans focused on catching up with Soviet advancements.

Reviews and analyses of the book can be found in various sources, including a review by the Wayne S. Vucinich Book Prize committee, ResearchGate, Google Books, and JSTOR. These sources provide further insights into Gerovitch’s exploration of Soviet computing, cybernetics, and human-machine interaction within the Soviet space program.