Ștefan Odobleja
Romanian scientist (1902–1978)
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Ștefan Odobleja (Romanian pronunciation: [ʃteˈfan odoˈbleʒa]; 13 October 1902 – 4 September 1978) was a Romanian physician, scientist, and philosopher. He was known for his contributions to the study of cybernetics and artificial intelligence.[1]
Ștefan Odobleja | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | October 13, 1902 |
| Died | September 4, 1978 (aged 75) |
Resting place | Orthodox Cemetery, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Romania |
| Citizenship | Romania |
| Alma mater | Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy |
| Occupations | Physician, military doctor, scientist |
| Known for | Psychologie consonantiste |
His major work, Psychologie Consonantiste, first published in 1938-39 in Paris, introduced the concept of feedback in psychology.
Biography
Odobleja was born into a family of peasants in 1902, in Valea Izvorului (now Ștefan Odobleja), Mehedinți County, Romania. He attended the Faculty of Medicine in Bucharest and became a physician. He practiced medicine as a military doctor in cities including Bucharest, Dej, Drobeta Turnu-Severin, Lugoj, and Târgoviște.
In 1936, Odobleja published "Phonoscopy and the clinical semiotics". In 1937, he participated in the IXth International Congress of Military Medicine with a paper entitled "Demonstration de phonoscopie", where he disseminated a prospectus in French, announcing the appearance of his future work, "The Consonantist Psychology".[2]
The most important of his writings is Psychologie consonantiste, in which Odobleja lays the theoretical foundations of the generalized cybernetics. The book, published in Paris by Librairie Maloine (vol. I in 1938 and vol. II in 1939), is nearly 900 pages long, including 300 figures.[3]
The first Romanian edition of this work did not appear until 1982 (the first edition was published in French). The work was reprinted in 1983 as Cybernétique générale: psychologie consonantiste, science des sciences.[4]
Odobleja retired from the army in 1946 and died of cancer on September 4, 1978. He was buried at the Orthodox Cemetery in Drobeta-Turnu Severin.[5]
Legacy
His paper, "Diversity and Unit in Cybernetics" was presented at the Fourth Congress of Cybernetics and Systems in Amsterdam, August in 1978, being reportedly received "with great acclaim".[6] His completed works run to over 50,000 pages.
To reward his work of mapping the then little-known of field consonantist psychology, cybernetics, and general cybernetics, Odobleja was elected posthumously an honorary member of the Romanian Academy in 1990.[7]
In 1982 a group of scientists established in Lugoj the Cybernetics Academy "Ștefan Odobleja", an organization dedicated to promoting a better knowledge of general cybernetics;[5] the organization is registered in Lugano, Switzerland, and is financed by the controversial Romanian billionaire Iosif Constantin Drăgan. High schools in Bucharest,[8] Craiova,[9] and Drobeta-Turnu Severin[10] are named after Ștefan Odobleja. Streets in Bucharest, Craiova, Dej, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Oradea, and Pitești are also named after him.