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Re:Software Needs Philosophers (2006) by bonoboTP on Monday December 14, 2020 @10:35AM (#25418698)
I think this is also kind of a tribalistic debate. Note how you are saying "philosophers gave us". How about not labeling people but activities? We definitely have to step back sometimes, look at the big picture, think about principles and connections to other things and pursue understanding instead of producing the next widget. But I'd argue many practical people do that. Many data structures and algorithms were invented by practical people who stepped back and did it instead or some learned mathematician deriving it from a quest for truth. But that also happens of course.

It's an entirely different question whether real-life, currently living professional philosophy graduates would be of great use in the software industry. Perhaps some would be but I'm not so sure. Are there for example lots of philosophers applied in hospitals for example to help doctors? Perhaps some ethicists. But I don't think they drive medical practice in a substantial way.

Re:Software Needs Philosophers (2006) by nathias on Monday December 14, 2020 @01:51PM (#25421517)
You don't need philosophy for data structures and algorithms, you need it to prevent you from being stuck in your local maximum, in all areas. That's why philosophy is useful in fields that aren't just practice but also in some way discovery (which software work is and medical work isn't, except for perhaps diagnostics etc.).