Publications of the Reverend Dr.
Joseph R. Laracy
Articles
The Seton Hall University Center for Catholic Studies’ summer faculty seminar, “Science & Religion: Histories, Myths, & Insights,” led by Dr. Lawrence Principe, Drew Professor of the Humanities in the Department of History of Science and Technology, Johns Hopkins University, engaged a pressing issue in contemporary culture, both popular and scholarly: the relationship of natural science and the Christian religion. Two of the significant contributors to the science and religion field in the twentieth century, Father Stanley L. Jaki, O.S.B. (1924–2009), and Ian G. Barbour (1923–2013), both agreed that the fields of philosophy and history were essential “mediating disciplines” for a future, beneficial interaction between theology and natural science. Principe’s splendid lectures addressed both fields, but given his expertise in the history of science, much of the seminar focused on significant historical figures, events, and issues, which greatly impact the contemporary relationship of theology and science. In this brief essay, we argue for the importance of historical studies in the science and religion field as well as partially describe the origins of the “conflict hypothesis,” i.e., the claim of an intrinsic intellectual conflict between religion and science that inevitably leads to hostility.
Since its origins in the early
twentieth
century as a transdisciplinary approach connecting the fields of
electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering, dynamical
systems theory, logic and discrete mathematical modeling, neuroscience,
and other disciplines, cybernetics has greatly expanded in scope,
addressing salient issues across the disciplinary spectrum, including
the social sciences and the humanities. One of its most significant
interactions has been with twentieth century philosophy. Contemporary
second-order cybernetics research engages issues in cognitive science,
epistemology, the philosophy of science, metaphysics, ethics, and other
fields. Working from the perspective of Thomistic realism, as
represented by Étienne H. Gilson and Stanley L. Jaki, this paper
presents both a metaphysical and epistemological critique of
cybernetics, as traditionally conceived, and attempts to recover some
of its key insights and practices in light of new first principles.
Joseph
R.
Laracy, “An Evaluation of Two Realist Philosophical Approaches for
Rigorous
Interdisciplinary Communication,” Journal of Systemics,
Cybernetics, and
Informatics 18, no. 1 (2021): 184-196.
A major concern for scholars in the fields of systemics and cybernetics
is
promoting rigorous interdisciplinary communication. The Canadian
philosopher
and theologian, Bernard Lonergan, SJ, and the American physicist and
theologian, Ian G. Barbour, have made significant contributions in this
space.
While their approaches are clearly distinct, both Lonergan and Barbour
are
philosophical realists. Each in their own way, they propose a shared
epistemology and an inclusive metaphysical system for diverse fields,
hence
facilitating interdisciplinary communication. In this article, we
concisely
explicate their unique approaches as well as critique particular
aspects. These
rigorous approaches to interdisciplinary communication show promise for
cybernetics and systems theory.
Justin
Anderson, Joseph R. Laracy, Thomas Marlowe, “A Multi-Disciplinary
Analysis of
Catholic Social Teaching with Implications for Engineering and
Technology,”
Journal of Systemics, Cybernetics, and Informatics 18, no. 6
(2020): 41-49.
In this article we view Catholic Social Teaching (CST) in the larger
context of
history, culture, philosophy and theology, and social services, and
consider
three perspectives on its modern instantiation: social science and
economics,
modal and non-monotonic logics, and second-order cybernetics. We then
apply
these perspectives to questions of interest in the field of software
engineering and issues of digital (or network) security as well as
intellectual
property. In each application scenario, there are potential conflicts
between
the rights and dignity of differing individuals and groups. We conclude
that
CST allows for ethical navigation of such conflicts and offers many
helpful insights.
Justin Anderson, Joseph R. Laracy, Thomas Marlowe, “Three Perspectives
on
Catholic Social Teaching and Implications for Technology,” Proceedings
of
the World Multi-Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics, and Informatics:
WMSCI
2020, vol. 3, September 13-16, 2020: 114-119.
Joseph R. Laracy, “Towards an Ethical and Ecological Approach to
Electricity
Generation: A Comparative Analysis of Coal and Nuclear Power in the
USA,” Open
Journal of Ecology 10, no. 6 (June 2020): 370-379.
According to the US Energy Information Administration, about 4,118
billion
kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity was generated at large-scale
generation
facilities in 2019. About 63% of this was from fossil fuels, e.g.,
coal,
natural gas, petroleum, and other gases. Environmental exposure to
particulates, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, arsenic,
radioactive
fly ash, and other pollutants are extremely detrimental to the human
cardiovascular, respiratory, and nervous systems. Such exposure
increases the
risk of lung cancer, stroke, heart disease, chronic respiratory
diseases,
respiratory infections, and other illnesses. In light of the challenges
associated with renewables providing large quantities of base load
power, as
well as other factors, the benefits offered by nuclear power should be
reexamined by policy makers to move the country towards a more
ecological and
ethical method of electric power production. This paper offers a
concise analysis
of many of the salient issues, comparing electricity generation from
coal
plants and light water nuclear reactors.
Joseph
R.
Laracy, “An RSA Co-processor Architecture Suitable for a
User-Parameterized
FPGA Implementation,” Journal of Information Security Research
11, no. 2
(June 2020): 46-53.
This paper describes an original and straightforward architecture for a
logic
circuit implementation of the RSA algorithms. The architecture is ideal
for
teaching advanced undergraduate or graduate students topics associated
with
public-key cryptography and digital system design. The system is
designed with
VHDL for execution on a FPGA. Software implementations of RSA running
on
standard PCs are relatively slow as standard microprocessors are not
optimized
for the operations that RSA must carry out. A key aspect of this
approach is
the use of Montgomery Multiplication, a method for performing fast
modular
multiplication
Joseph
R. Laracy, “Creation, Revelation, and the Emergence of Empirical
Science,” Stanley
Jaki Foundation International Congress, ed. Paul Haffner and
Joseph R. Laracy
(Leominster, UK: Gracewing Publishing Ltd., 2020), 27-72.
This book chapter develops Father Stanley L. Jaki’s research on the
important
connection between the theology of creation and the emergence of
natural
science in medieval Europe. It shows that coming to a satisfactory
understanding of creation is not an easy task. As Jaki pointed out,
despite the
extraordinary brilliance of the ancient Egyptians, Indians, Chinese,
Mesopotamians, Greeks, and Pre-Colombian Americans, in areas such
as writing, mathematics, architecture, and engineering, these
sophisticated cultures never successfully developed an effective method
for the
study of nature. Their polytheistic religious beliefs and pantheistic
understanding of the universe prevented those civilizations from
believing that
the universe was guided by logos, rather than mythos.
By
appealing to the behavior of capricious gods and goddesses to explain
the
cosmos, the natural sciences could never be born in the pagan
world. It
was not until the revelation of God to the Jewish people and ultimately
the
incarnation of the eternal Logos, Jesus the Christ,
that mankind could
fully appreciate the great order of the universe. An answer to the
question of
why there is something rather than nothing is provided by the
revelation that
God is both ratio et caritas.
Joseph
R. Laracy, “Logos, Creation, and Science,” Ex Latere
Christi 1, no.
1 (Winter 2020): 133-158.
Joseph Ratzinger–Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is well known for his
Christocentric theology. In particular, his emphasis on the primacy of
the
Logos Himself, the source of all rationality, meaning, and purpose in
the
universe, is particularly evident. Benedict’s writings, especially on
the
theology of creation, offer a Biblically-rooted,
metaphysical cosmology completely compatible with our contemporary
understanding of cosmic origins from the point of view of physical
cosmology.
His call in the Regensburg Lecture for scientists to accept the full
breadth of
human reason, greatly facilitates a harmonious relationship between
Christian
faith and modern science.
Joseph
R.
Laracy, Thomas Marlowe, Edgar Valdez, Richard Liddy, “Cybernetics of
Observing
Systems and Lonergan’s Generalized Empirical Method,” Journal
of Systemics,
Cybernetics, and Informatics 17, no. 5 (2019): 65-70.
Cybernetics is inherently interdisciplinary and reflexive; second-order
cybernetics stresses reflective interaction of knowledge and action
with the
observer. The same themes are central to the work of the twentieth
century
philosopher and theologian, Bernard Lonergan, SJ, and his Generalized
Empirical
Method. In reading both, one is struck by the resonances and interplay
between
the two perspectives, especially as applies to the scientist/observer
interacting
with and reflecting on their disciplines. In this short overview, we
present
the case that the similarities and differences add value to the study
both of
the work of Lonergan and of second-order cybernetics, and that Lonergan
can be
seen in part as an early and illuminating figure for understanding and
reflecting upon second-order cybernetics itself.
Joseph
R.
Laracy, “Epistemology and Metaphysics in Interdisciplinary
Communication:
Insights from Ian Barbour and Bernard Lonergan, SJ,” Journal
of Systemics,
Cybernetics, and Informatics 17, no. 5 (2019): 49-54.
Interdisciplinary communication is a significant area of concern for
researchers who engage in scholarship across academic fields as well as
practitioners whose work is intrinsically interdisciplinary. Two
twentieth
century scholars, Ian Barbour
and Bernard Lonergan,
SJ, develop novel approaches to promoting interdisciplinary
communication (and
in some cases interdisciplinary “integration”) by specifying a common
metaphysical and epistemological framework for two very different
fields. In
this article, we concisely explicate their fundamental approaches and
also
critically engage particular aspects of their work. These philosophical
approaches to interdisciplinary communication may be beneficial for
both
first-order cybernetics, with its emphasis on communication &
control in
biological and engineering systems, as well as second-order
cybernetics, given
its emphasis on epistemology, ethics, self-referentiality, and
self-organization of socio-technical systems.
Joseph R. Laracy and Russell
Greenspan, “Towards a
Rigorous Software Architecture Documentation Process: A Demonstration
with the
Real-time Immersive Network Simulation Environment (RINSE),” International
Journal of Computer Science and Engineering 2, no. 12
(December 2019):
1-33.
Despite numerous empirical studies and wide-spread, practical
experience
demonstrating the importance of rigorous documentation in software
engineering,
many developers continue to treat it as an “after thought.”
Documentation,
particularly of software architecture, should be an integral process of
any
development group, whether entrepreneurial, academic, or corporate. In
this
article the authors develop and apply the software engineering
principles of
Len Bass, Paul Clements, and Rick Kazman for software architecture
documentation. The case study involves a relatively large-scale,
academic
development project aimed at supporting large-scale network security
preparedness and training exercises, involving hundreds of players and
a
modeled network composed of hundreds of networks.
Joseph
R. Laracy, “A Comparative Analysis of the Actus Fidei in Neo-Scholastic
and
Transcendental Thomism: An Investigation of the Theologies of Johann
Brunsmann,
SVD and Pierre Rousselot, SJ,” Journal of Religion and
Theology 3, no. 3
(September 2019): 32-40.
One of the most fascinating areas of fundamental theology is the actus
fidei—the
act of faith. It is here that grace, freedom, and reason come together
in a
very unique way. The Neo-Scholastics essentially approached this issue
by breaking
the process down into two steps: the act of credibility (reason)
followed by
the act of credentity (grace). The early twentieth century priest and
theologian, Pierre Rousselot, SJ, radically departs from this approach
in what
would contribute to the beginning of Transcendental Thomism—an
intellectual
movement that would drastically change the character of Catholic
theology. A
century after Rousselot, many contemporary students of Catholic
theology are
never introduced to the logical rigor and precise analysis of
Neo-Scholastic
thought. Consequently, we offer a comparative analysis of the two
approaches to
the act of faith to manifest the strengths and weaknesses of the two
systems.
Joseph
R. Laracy and Thomas
Marlowe, “Towards
a Pattern-Based System Architecture for a Low Power, Low Cost
Ultra-Light
Aircraft Flight Controller,”
Software
Engineering 7, no. 3 (September 2019): 46-52.
The definition and application of software and hardware patterns have
been a
major and very positive development in the field of computer
engineering, in
tandem with the deployment of agile and process architecture
methodologies. In
this article, we show how five time-triggered, real time system
patterns
developed by Michael J. Pont can be effectively employed to architect a
low
power, low cost flight
controller. We adopt and apply
Pont’s powerful pattern language for our research. The target platform
is an
ultra-light aircraft with tight constraints on mass and volume of any
control
hardware. Ultra-light in this context means that the aircraft has only
one
seat; weighs less than 254 pounds (115 kg) empty weight; has a maximum
fuel
capacity of 5 U.S. gallons (19 L); and has a top speed of 55 knots (102
km/h;
63 mph) calibrated airspeed at full power in level flight. We utilize
the
reliable Infineon C515C microcontroller, a member of the classic 8051
family of
controllers for the hardware platform. This research makes a
contribution to
the engineering cybernetic issues of human-machine interface and
control of an
ultra-light aircraft.
Joseph
R. Laracy, “A Logotherapeutic Approach to Pastoral Counseling
Education
for Catholic Seminarians,” American Journal of Psychiatry and
Neuroscience
7, no.2 (June 2019): 43-51.
Viktor Frankl, MD, PhD is one of the most widely known and highly
respected
professors of psychiatry and neurology of the twentieth century. In
this
article, we adapt and apply some of his profound insights for Catholic
pastoral
counseling education. Pastoral counseling is a very important aspect of
the
general pastoral formation of Catholic seminarians. The goal of any
pastoral
counseling course should be twofold. First, it should give seminarians
a basic
knowledge of mental illnesses to understand their parishioners better.
Second,
it should offer them concrete techniques to be used in the context of
pastoral
counseling. Seminary classes in pastoral psychology and counseling
sometimes
lack a consistent, coherent theoretical foundation, or may attempt to
teach
techniques inappropriate for use by future parish priests. This paper
presents
a logotherapeutic approach for the formation of seminarians in pastoral
counseling. This approach is congruent with the pastoral sphere as the
focus is
on meaning and the life of the spirit.
Joseph R. Laracy, Thomas Marlowe, Edgar Valdez, Richard Liddy, “Was
Bernard
Lonergan a Second Order Cyberneticist?” Proceedings of the
World
Multi-Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics, and Informatics: WMSCI 2019,
July 6-9, 2019: 71-75.
In reading the early 20th century works that defined second-order
cybernetics
together with the works of their contemporary, the philosopher and
theologian
Bernard Lonergan, SJ, one is struck by the resonances and interplay
between the
two perspectives, especially in terms of the scientist/observer
interacting
with and reflecting upon the subject, as well as the differences and
contrasts
between the two views. In this short overview, we present the case that
Lonergan can be understood in part as an early and illuminating figure
for
understanding and reflecting upon second-order cybernetics itself.
Joseph
R. Laracy and Thomas Marlowe, “A Real Options Analysis of Spacecraft
Software
Product Line Architectures,” American Journal of Engineering
and Technology
Management 4, no. 2 (April 2019): 47-56.
Software and systems engineering for aerospace platforms presents many
unique
challenges. The decision if, and how, to employ software product line
architectures is one recurring question. Real options analysis—applying
option
valuation techniques to budgeting decisions—can be a powerful tool for
engineering managers, project leaders, and mission directors. In this
paper, we
demonstrate a real options valuation approach to explore this question.
Joseph
R.
Laracy and Thomas Marlowe, “Systems Theory and Information
Security:
Foundations for a New Educational Approach,” Information
Security Education
Journal 5, no. 2:35-48.
Information security education has traditionally been approached with a
variety
of tools. Models such as BellLaPadula and Clark-Wilson, cryptography,
and
formal methods seek to design systems without certain classes of
vulnerabilities. Red teaming seeks to find vulnerabilities that were missed and security software
often removes the
vulnerabilities. To a lesser extent, probabilistic risk assessment and
game
theory have also been applied to assess threats. However, on their own,
in
isolation, these approaches have not “solved” the information security
crisis.
Internet security in particular is an area of great concern given the
plethora
of vulnerabilities that enable threats to confidentiality, integrity,
availability, non-repudiation, authorization, authentication, and
auditability.
A new approach to information security engineering education is
necessary that
views the Internet as a complex, socio-technical system. A systems
perspective
acknowledges that security can only be achieved through a holistic
model that
addresses technological architecture and software processes,
organizational
behavior, and human factors. This paper suggests a novel method for
information
security education to identify and characterize current deficiencies in
a
network security control structure, elucidate the relationship between
software/systems engineering and security risks, and inform an
architectural
description of a secure information system architecture.
Joseph
R. Laracy and
Michael D. Kelly, “Toward a Renewal of Patient Care: Insights from
Viktor
Frankl, MD, PhD,” The Journal of the American Osteopathic
Association
118, no. 5: 293-295.
We suggest that the writings of the distinguished Austrian professor of neurology and psychiatry, Viktor Frankl, MD, PhD, might provide an approach toward a renewal of patient care, viewing humans in a more holistic way: body, mind, and spirit. This is consistent with the innovations in the theory and practice of medicine led by Andrew T. Still, MD, DO.
The
“silo effect” is a major problem today in academia, i.e.
the growing tendency of disciplinary isolation both in research and
teaching.
“Siloing” is noted particularly in the formal, natural, and applied
sciences.
Yet, many areas of human inquiry require by their very nature, an
interdisciplinary approach. At Seton Hall University, in the context of
the
Core Curriculum for undergraduate studies, serious efforts are underway
to
bring the sciences into dialogue with the wider Catholic intellectual
tradition. By fostering a healthy exchange between philosophy,
theology,
mathematics, computing, and the natural sciences, upperclassmen have
been able
to explore topics of great personal interest and draw significant
connections
from content learned in diverse fields of their education.
Opportunities exist
to extend and adapt this approach to other university settings
internationally.
We
describe the creation and development of a course on mathematical logic
and its
extensions and limitations, in which coverage of technical material is
interleaved with and related to discussion of relevant historical,
linguistic,
philosophical, and theological issues and of individuals of note. The
new
course, Logic, Limitations to Knowledge, and Christianity, presents an
overview
of topics in and related to logic, including development of formal
logic and an
axiomatic first-order logic. It explores the history of mathematics and
logic
in the Catholic Intellectual and wider Western Traditions, as well as
the
mutual interactions of mathematics, philosophy, language, and religion.
It then
considers extensions of firstorder logic, and provable limits to
knowledge: the
three unsolvable problems of Euclidean geometry, and examples from
Gödel,
Turing, Arrow, quantum physics, and others. Epistemological issues will
be
emphasized throughout the course. The translation between natural
language and
expression in logical and reasoning formalisms is emphasized
throughout.
Marlowe, Thomas and Joseph R. Laracy, “An Integrated Course in Logic, Philosophy, History, and Theology: Extensions of Logic and the Limits to Knowledge,” Proceedings of the 21st World Multi-Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics, and Informatics: WMSCI 2017, July 8-11, 2017: 349-352.
Classical risk-based or
game-theoretic security models
rely on assumptions from reliability theory and rational expectations
economics
that are not applicable to security threats. Additionally, these models
suffer
from serious deficiencies when they are applied to software-intensive,
socio-technical systems. A new approach is proposed in this paper that
applies
principles from control theory to enforce constraints on security
threats
thereby extending techniques used in system safety engineering. It is
applied
to identify and mitigate the threats that could emerge in critical
infrastructures such as the air transportation system. Insights are
provided to
assist systems engineers and policy makers in securely transitioning to
the
Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS)
(Master of Science thesis extract)
This thesis presents the compatibility of the Catholic theology of creation and the natural sciences particularly in the thought of Pope Benedict XVI.
DeBrasi, Richard and Joseph Laracy, “An Empirical Critique of Empiricism,” Logos 16, no. 4: 124-163.
In this article, the authors attempt an overarching exposition of two overlapping but divergent paradigms of empiricism: (a) strict empiricism, representing most of the British empiricists and ancient skeptics and (b) mitigated, or metaphysical, empiricism represented by Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas. They show how some of the advances in mathematics and the physical sciences over the last 250 years suggest that the complexity involved in the study of the natural world raises serious questions about any version of strict empiricism.
The instantiation of postmodern preferences has had varying effects on ecclesial communities, and has even given rise to new religious groups. Experience has shown however that Divine revelation and Christian faith cannot chain themselves to any philosopher whose thought is essentially non-foundationalist.
This paper offers a succinct overview of the development of post-Reformation philosophy, which through modernism and post-modernism affirms presuppositions which, a priori, make the harmony of science and religion impossible. It also suggests a fruitful relationship between an Aristotelian-Thomistic Philosophy of Nature and Empirical Science.
The role of Catholic priests was pivotal in the development of modern empirical science. An overview of their contributions over the last millenium is presented along with the specific contributions of Monsignor Georges Lemaître.
This paper presents the life and witness of the Catholic Priest who formulated the Big Bang hypothesis of the universe. It elicits his contributions to a Catholic understanding of science and religion.
As the use of computer simulation grows in a variety of science and engineering fields, the quality of random variate generators becomes increasingly important. Unfortunately, a number of standard implementations are grossly inadequate and exhibit poor statistical properties. This paper presents a software pattern for efficiently implementing an extensible, high quality random variate generator.
This article is a republication of the CSER 2007 paper listed below. The Systems Research Forum is an annual scholarly journal dedicated to providing a platform for peer-reviewed graduate and post-graduate research papers and case studies in systems engineering.
As the U.S. and other nations continue to develop the space situational awareness mission area, questions arise as to how stakeholders should act to mitigate the effects of resident space objects and how our understanding of the physics of LEO inform the evolution of ground- and space-based sensors. To characterize interactions among international stakeholders, space situational awareness is modeled as a system of systems with technical and social elements. Through the use of game-theoretic cooperation archetypes and System Dynamics modeling, possible futures are explored.
This paper proposes a rational technical strategy to refocus Solar Power Satellite (SPS) research. It suggests a 30 year timeline for program milestones and analyzes potential technical performance. Real options analysis is used to manage uncertainty and permits the exploration of possible futures that are dependent on launch costs and electricity market prices.
A new security model for infrastructure systems is presented that enables the inclusion of security requirements into the development process. The paper also addresses some of the limitations associated with the application of quantitative risk assessment and classical game theory to security problems. Examples from studying the US air transportation system are included.
A taxonomy is introduced to assist spacecraft and launch vehicle managers, designers, and operators in identifying risk management approaches that are robust against the perturbations to their systems that could violate their models of risk. This taxonomy applies control theory concepts to the analysis of common risk management practices in spaceflight. Each measure is classified for its tendency to provide open-loop or closed-loop control of risk over some proposed archetypal cycles of system operation.
A risk analysis of the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA for Project Constellation. The report address organizational and technical risks associated with implementing the Vision for Space Exploration's goal of developing new vehicles for missions to the Moon and Mars.
Drawing on cybernetics, general systems theory, and other ancestral systems science disciplines, this paper addresses the problem of drawing the line between a system and its environment. With a new accident model for system safety engineering, it shows how innovative theories of socio-technical systems can be developed.
A structured methodology based on systems theory to develop a strategy to defend against biological weapon attacks. An example of a smallpox attack against the US with a just-in-time vaccination policy is provided.
Other Publications