On Tuesday, April 23, 2013 4:31:05 PM UTC-4, Brian Tenneson wrote: > > > > On Tue, Apr 23, 2013 at 1:26 PM, Craig Weinberg > <[email protected]<javascript:> > > wrote: > >> >> >> Searle wasn't wrong. The whole point of the Chinese Room is to point out >> that computation is a disconnected, anesthetic function which is >> accomplished with no need for understanding of larger contexts. >> >> > > How do we know that what humans do is understand things rather than just > compute things? >
Because we care about what we understand, and we identify with it personally. Understanding is used also to mean compassion. When someone demonstrates a lack of human understanding, we say that they are behaving robotically, like a machine, etc. Questions like, "How do you know you are conscious?", or "How do you know that you feel?" are sophistry. How do you know that you can ask that question? Craig -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list?hl=en. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
