Ernst von Glasersfeld. Biografia

Ernst von Glasersfeld è Professore Emerito di Psicologia all’Università della Georgia, Associato di Ricerca presso lo Scientific Reasoning Research Insitute e Adjunct Professor nel Dipartimento di Psicologia dell’Università del Massachusetts, Amherst. E’membro del Board of Trustees, Americans Society of Cybernetics, dalla quale ha ricevuto il Mc Culloch Memorial Award nel 1991; fa parte del Comitato Scientifico dell’Istituto Piaget di Lisbona. Filosofo e Cibernetico ha vissuto gran parte della sua vita in Irlanda (anni 40) in Italia (anni 50) e attualmente vive negli Stati Uniti. Si è soffermato sull’elaborazione del pensiero di G.B. Vico, dell’epistemologia genetica di Piaget, della teoria della percezione di Berkeley, del Finnegans Wake di Joyce e di altri importanti testi. Von Glasersfeld ha sviluppato il suo modello di Costruttivismo Radicale, un ethos condiviso a livelli diversi dagli scrittori nominati. Talvolta è difficile capire dove comincia e dove finisce il loro accordo epistemologico, ma questo fa parte del divertimento. 

Ernst von Glasersfeld, München 1917, epistemologo, ricercatore di psicologia nell’Università della Georgia, si è dedicato soprattutto all’analisi concettuale, partecipando a numerosi progetti sperimentali riguardanti in particolare la traduzione meccanica, la comunicazione uomo-animale e la didattica della matematica. Tra i suoi lavori tradotti in italiano: Linguaggio e comunicazione nel costruttivismo radicale, Milano, Clup, 1989; Il costruttivismo radicale, Roma, Società stampa Sportiva, 1998

Biographical Sketch

Ernst von Glasersfeld was born in 1917 with Austrian citizenship in Munich, where his father was attached to the Austrian Embassy at the Court of Bavaria. One year later, when Czechoslovakia was created, his family automatically received Czech citizenship because his father's official domicile was Prague where the family property was situated.
In 1935 he graduated from Zuoz College, Switzerland, with Swiss Scientific "Matura". For the next two years he studied mathematics, first at Zürich University, then at the University of Vienna. Shortly before Hitler's invasion of Austria, he moved to Paris, in the hope of finishing his academic studies there. Before he received a permit of residence, however, the family property was confiscated by the Nazis, which left him without funds to continue university studies. In 1939 he went to Ireland, where he became a farmer and was granted citizenship in 1945. Privately he continued studying philosophy, logic, and psychology.
In 1947 he moved to Italy and began working for Prof. Silvio Ceccato and the Italian Operational School, whose translator and consultant on language he became in 1949. As this work was only partly remunerated he earned his living during the next decade as accredited foreign correspondent of Swiss and German newspapers. Since 1959 he has worked continuously in research and university related positions.

Academic Positions
Consultant and official translator of the Italian Operational School, prior to its incorporation in the University of Milan as Center for Cybernetics (1949-1959).
Research Associate, Center for Cybernetics, University of Milan, Italy, (1959-1960).
Head of Foreign Language Section, Center for Cybernetics, University of Milan, Italy, (1960-1962).
Principal Investigator, Language Research Project sponsored by U.S.Air Force Office of Scientific Research, administered by the Italian Institute of Engineering Information (IDAMI), Milan, Italy, (1963-1966).
Director of Research and Principal Investigator, Georgia Institute for Research, Athens, GA. (1966-1969).
Research Associate, Computer Center, University of Georgia, (1968-1969).
Assistant Professor, Dept.of Psychology, University of Georgia, (1970-1975).
Research Associate, Dept. of Primate Behavior, Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA. (1971-1976).
Member, Interdepartmental Faculty of Linguistics (1971-1987).
Consultant on Language Development and Cognition, Mathemagenic Activities Program, Georgia Follow Through, University of Georgia, (1972-1977).
Associate Professor, Dept.of Psychology, University of Georgia, (1975-1979).
Professor of Psychology, Dept. of Psychology, University of Georgia (1979-1987).
Professor Emeritus, University of Georgia, 1987.
Visiting Adjunct Prof., Dept of Psychology, U. of Massachusetts, Amherst (1987-present).
Research Associate, Scientific Reasoning Research Institute, U. of Massachusetts, Amherst (1987-present).

Honors

Professor Emeritus, University of Georgia, USA, 1987.
Warren McCulloch Memorial Award (American Society for Cybernetics), 1991.

Dr.Phil.H.C., University of Klagenfurt, 1997.