...On the question whether machines can think, Descartes and Turing are in strong disagreement. Evaluate the arguments on either side. Does Searle’s ‘Chinese room’ argument help resolve the debate? This essay will examine the arguments for and against whether machines can think raised by Descartes, Turing and Searle. I will not consider the practical and current impossibilities in technology and engineering in this question, rather I will focus upon what constitutes thinking and what is needed to attribute thought to a thing. Descartes’ Position Descartes states that there are two methods of recognizing that machines. I will label these methods 1 and 2 respectively as follows; that a machine would not be able to ‘produce different arrangements of words so as to give an appropriately meaningful answer’ and that a machine, even if able to do some things, ‘would inevitable fail in others, revealing that it was not acting from understanding but only from the disposition of its organs.’ Descartes explains Method 2 further by separating the ability of humans to use ‘reason in all kind of situations from machines, which may have organs for some particular action’, but practically could not have ‘enough different organs to make it act in the contingencies of life in a way in which our reason acts.’ Descartes’ main arguments in Mediations on First Philosophy can be used to justify his position that machines cannot think . In this essay, following the discussion of Townsend...
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...beings we are biologically wired to live with intention. Part 1 Strong Artificial Intelligence says that a functioning computer can accurately represent the cognition of a human mind. (133) Meaning that the essence of computer programs are considered to be identical to those of mental states in the brain. (explain more AI claims) In “Minds, Brains and Programs”, John Searle is arguing against the claims supporting Strong Artificial Intelligence. The Chinese Room Experiment is used to explain the difference between understanding and the simulation of understanding. It goes as follows: Searle is sitting in a room and is given a box of Chinese letters in which he will interpret, using a set of english rules, to respond in a way...
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...Abstract This essay discusses the mind-body question and the difficulty to explain how these two entities relate to philosophical and scientific inquiry. This discussion includes the difficulty scientists find with dealing with the mind-body question when discussing the conception of reality. The discussion will include Searle’s perception of the mind-body question and conclude with a personal perspective of the mind-body question and what it means to her. The conclusion of the essay after research is that this question is difficult to answer because of different views and perspectives. Mind-Body Questions Paper The mind-body question has been a source of examination for many years. This examination began in the seventeenth-century with the French philosopher Descartes. Many credit Descartes with beginning the mind-body problem. The mind-body question in essence deals with how the physical world interacts and relates to the mental aspects of the mind. Descartes considered that the mind existed only in the mental state with the body existing only in the physical state. He felt that the mind could not exist with the body (Schimmel, 2001). Many others have formed various opinions, including John Searle, which emphasizes consciousness when discussing the mind. This essay is a discussion of the difficulty poised by the mind-body question on philosophical and scientific inquiry. The essay will also include the perspective of Searle concerning the mind-body question and reality. It...
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...1. The “multiple-realizability” of mind in differing physical systems breaks down Physicalism, more specifically the Identity Theory. Identity theorists claim that mental states are brain states, but the multiple-realizability demonstrates the fact that the same mental states can be manifested from different physical forms. Therefore, by the very basic confronting principles, multiple-realizability contradicts Physicalism. 2. Machine functionalism states that if the mind, similar to a Turing machine, in a specific state receives an input, will produce an output by considering the original state and the input. This means that it is a probabilistic automaton, where probability will decide what the output will be based on the state and the set of inputs. Analytic functionalism states there is an a priori truth in the relationship between the input, output, and mental state; therefore, analytic functionalism tries to define mental states by contemplating on the folk psychological concepts. On the other hand, psychofunctionalism uses empirical, a posteriori observations to find true mental states...
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...In this paper, I will evaluate Putnam’s, Turing’s and Searle’s argument concerning computers having consciousness. I will argue that Searle’s argument against computers having consciousness is the stronger argument of the three arguments. Firstly, I will begin by examining the Turing’s and Putman’s argument showing their strengths and weaknesses. Then I will layout Searle’s argument and showing it strengths and weaknesses. Consequently, I will show that although Artificial Intelligence has the capability of producing machines that have humanistic functions, this science however lacks the ability to produce computers with minds. In other words, computers will do a lot, but won’t be a lot. Artificial Intelligence according to the Webster dictionary can be defined as computer programs developed to mimic human intelligence, such as reasoning, learning, problem-solving, and making decisions. Artificial intelligence programs enable computers to perform tasks such as playing chess, proving mathematical theorems, etc. The definition of Artificial Intelligence can be further placed into four categories, these are systems that think like humans, systems that act like humans, systems that think rationally and systems that act rationally. Let examine the Turing test; this is test experiment invented by as the name suggests by A.M Turing as a proposal for the question whether machines can think. This experiment is one in which two connecting rooms are arranged each consisting of a teletypewriter...
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...On the “Minds, Brains, and Programs” by John Searle, he demonstrates that the idea of “synthetic machine” being able to think the same manner as the human does is erroneous. Searle uses his famous “Chinese Room” thought experiment as an example in his reasoning to establish his justification. Furthermore the experiment is proposed to disprove “philosophical position” that Searle called “strong AI (Artificial Intelligence).” Searle’s “thought experiment” starts with this theoretical proposition: assume that “artificial intelligence” has been successful in developing a computer that carries on as though it comprehends Chinese. It takes Chinese characters as data by following a guideline of a computer programs, generates other Chinese characters,...
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...Dualism claims that reality is composed by the substances body and mind, whereas the body belongs to the physical world and the mind to the nonphysical world. Rene Descartes was a relevant defender of substance dualism, from his point of view, the body has a presence in the material space, meaning it exist and occupies the physical world while our thoughts and feelings exist in our mind and are not perceivable in the material or physical world. For Descartes, this two substances, material and immaterial "interact with each other at some point in the body", but are distinct objects because they have different properties. John Searle, on the side, recognizes the substance dualism from the supervenience theory, - even if sometimes he claims...
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...The Mind and Body Debate LaSonya Jenkins PHL 443 June 16, 2011 Dr. Dean Dowling The Mind and Body Debate Is the mind independent of the body? The relationship between the mind and body has been a stimulating argument for philosophers for many years. Some believe that the mind and body is separate entities and others believe that the mind and body are one and are dependent upon each other. The following dialogue will present the position of René Descartes and John Searle regarding the mind and body debate. Descartes: It is certainly obvious that the mind and body are two distinctly different entities. The body has physical properties whereas the mind is nonphysical. John: With all due respect Mr. Descartes, I can’t say that I fully agree with your proclamation. However, I would say that the mind is a biological state of the mental that can cause or be caused by physical changes to the body. I feel like you do not have sufficient justification of the relationship of the body and mind (Searle, 2004). Descartes: Well young man, let me explain a few things that will support my premise in a substantial way that may indeed change your position. First of all, the mind can exist without the present of the body. You see John; the existence of my body is dubitable whereas my mind is not. Therefore my mind does not consist of the same properties of my body. This is a clear distinction that my mind is separate from my body. John: Mr...
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...mathematics. Third, Freudian psychology was taken not as a gateway to an improved rationality but as a proof of the impossibility of rationality. Fourth, Kurt Gödel’s incompleteness proof seemed to deliver another blow to math. Fifth, on certain interpretations, quantum mechanics seemed simply unassimilable to our traditional conceptions of the determinacy and independent existence of the physical universe. Sixth, in late 20th century the rationality of science itself came under attack from authors such as Kuhn and Feyerabend, who argued that science itself was infected with arbitrariness and irrationality. 2. Does Searle accept the enlightenment vision? Yes 3. What are Searle's three objectives in his book? First, advance a series of theoretical claims, both about nature of mind, language, and society and about interrelations among them. Second, exemplify a certain style of philosophical analysis. Third, pass a series of observations about nature of philosophical puzzlement and problems. How to do phil, special problems doing it. 4. What is a "default position"? What five propositions make up the default position according to Searle? Default positions are views we hold prereflectively so that nay departure from them requires a conscious effort and convincing argument. There is real world that exists independently of us, of...
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...\ The Chinese Room Argument The Chinese Room argument was developed by John Searle in the early 1980’s. The argument was designed to prove that strong artificial intelligence was not possible. While the argument itself is flawless, John Searle’s opinion that strong artificial intelligence is impossible is not. The Chinese room argument is really more of a thought provoking experiment. You are asked to imagine an English speaking man in a room, within this room there is nothing but tools to which he can translate Chinese symbols. The man in the room is passed these symbols through a slit on one side of the room, and using his tools he must translate them. Then, he passes the translations through the slit in the other side of the room, and to the people outside the room it looks like he understands Chinese. Searle’s argument is that just because it looks like the man understands the Chinese symbols, and has the tools to translate the Chinese Symbols, doesn’t mean he actually understands the symbols. Within this argument the man represents a computer. The symbols are given to the computer, the computers programming allows the computer to translate the symbols, and the computer gives an answer. At no point does this imply the computer understands the original information it was given. The computer was simply programmed to be able to function as such(Gams 231). Using words and substituting the word Computer for Strong Artificial Intelligence the argument would sound...
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...Name Professor Course Date John Searle’s Chinese Room Argument When coming up with the ‘Chinese Room’ argument, John Searle was looking to establish whether or not machines can be termed as “intelligent” judging by the kind of accurate outputs they produce, given a specific kind of input. He specifically aimed at refuting the functionalism claim that, just like people, machines with the ability to run programs are presumed to have consciousness and a brain. In Searle’s argument, he creates a scenario where one is locked in a Chinese room without any knowledge of the Chinese dialect but is expected to answer questions in Chinese. As per his theory, an English-Chinese guide would allow one to answer the questions accurately but not understand the conversation. In relation to this, John Searle concludes that a computer has no ability to understand or achieve consciousness no matter how intelligent the underlying computer program might be. According to the argument, a human being with no knowledge of the Chinese language is locked in a room. He is issued a set of English guidelines that help him relate each set of Chinese symbols to another set. Basically, the rules are to guide the individual on how to use the Chinese characters to answer the questions brought forward. At the end of the process, the Chinese illiterate will be in a position to write down Chinese answers to the questions, which are also in Chinese. To those that posed the question, the individual will seem...
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...THE MIND IN IDEALISM Philosophy of mind is widely considered a branch of philosophy that studies the nature of the mind, mental events, mental functions, mental properties, consciousness, and their relationship to the physical body, particularly the brain. The mind–body problem, i.e. the relationship of the mind to the body, is commonly seen as one key issue in philosophy of mind, although there are other issues concerning the nature of the mind that do not involve its relation to the physical body, such as how consciousness is possible and the nature of particular mental states. One of these issues that do not presume a relationship of a mind and body is the conception of mind in Idealism. Philosophically, idealism is the view that fundamental reality is the make-up of mind and ideas only. This essay will discuss at length what the mind generally means to the idealist especially in the classical sense as espoused by George Berkeley and then proceed to analyse the concept of mind or self in the radical transcendentalism of Joseph von Schelling and conclude with Edmund Husserl, a 20th century philosopher and reputed founder of Phenomenology Idealism is the form of monism that sees the world as consisting of minds, mental contents and or consciousness, according to Stoljar (2005). Idealists are not faced with explaining how minds arise from bodies: rather, the world, bodies and objects are regarded as mere appearances held by minds. According to Stoljar, accounting for the mind–body...
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...Social Sciences and Humanities prof. Coleridge Chris Final essay “Brain vs Mind” [pic] Alessandro Acquaviva E060478 INDEX The Mind-Brain Problem 3 Background of the problem 4 Evaluating the three proposed solutions 6 Weak Dualism 7 Strong Dualism 9 The relevance of Parapsychology 11 Conclusions 12 The Mind-Brain Problem The mind-brain problem raises the question as to whether the mind is no more than the idle side-effect of our brain processes or whether the mind can, in some degree, influence behaviour. Here we rehearse the arguments on both sides plus some recent attempts to eliminate mind altogether. However contentious, the philosophical problem, as distinct from the physiological problem, can be stated quite simply as follows: What, essentially, is the relationship between events in the brain and those private, subjective experiences that together constitute our inner mental life? We need not assume here that consciousness is synonymous with mind - consciousness may well be no more than just one aspect of mind - but, with respect to the problem at issue, it is the existence of consciousness that is critical. Stated thus, the problem admits of only three basic answers: 1) Events in the brain, operating in accordance with the laws of physics, determine completely both our behaviour and our subjective experiences. 2) Mental events may be elicited by events in the brain or they may, in turn, elicit brain events and so influence...
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...The Mind-Brain Problem JOHN BELOFF Department of psycho log^, George Square, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, Scotland Abstract-The mind-brain problem, which is still with us, raises the question as to whether the mind is no more than the idle side-effect of our brain processes or whether the mind can, in some degree, influence behavior. Here we rehearse the arguments on both sides plus some desperate recent attempts to eliminate mind altogether. What is the Problem? However contentious, the philosophical problem, as distinct from the physiological problem, can be stated quite simply as follows: What, essentially, is the relationship between events in the brain and those private, subjective, introspectible experiences that together constitute our inner mental life? We need not assume here that consciousness is synonymous with mind-consciousness may well be no more than just one aspect of mind-but, with respect to the problem at issue, it is the existence of consciousness that is critical. Stated thus, the problem admits of only three basic answers: (1) Events in the brain, operating in accordance with the laws of physics, determine completely both our behavior and our subjective experiences. (2) Mental events may be elicited by events in the brain or they may, in turn, elicit brain events and so influence the course of our behavior (I use here the word 'elicit' rather than 'cause' advisedly since the kind of causation here envisaged is so unlike ...
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...When it comes to the subject of the mind, it can be difficult for any one person to separate his or her own human experiences from the discussion at hand. The natural inclination of most people is to believe that there is something special, something uniquely human, about the processes of thinking, reasoning, and understanding. With advances in technology taking exponential leaps forward, however, the idea that science may one day – if it has not already – create an artificial intelligence equal to our own becomes ever more plausible. Searle’s piece in the course text tackles the issue head on, and it makes his case strongly and succinctly. Based on the arguments set forth by Searle, his Chinese Room Objection in particular, and my own take on the idea of understanding as a whole, I find myself in agreement with Searle on the subject of artificial intelligence. It can be tempting to believe that an advanced instance of artificial intelligence is capable of understanding when it is able to demonstrate behaviours that we typically associate with it. I refer here to the example of the storytelling computer mentioned early in the reading. The computers is able to answer questions about the hamburger story with responses that contain information not found in the story itself, because it possesses information on how human beings typically behave with regard to restaurants. This does not strike me as being equal – or even comparable – to real understanding as we humans know...
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