From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!ists!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!psych.toronto.edu!christo Wed Feb 26 12:54:35 EST 1992
Article 4015 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: christo@psych.toronto.edu (Christopher Green)
Subject: Re: Definition of understanding
Message-ID: <1992Feb25.190913.7908@psych.toronto.edu>
Organization: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
References: <1992Feb23.071810.16573@ccu.umanitoba.ca> <1992Feb24.044654.12505@psych.toronto.edu> <1992Feb25.165326.16204@ccu.umanitoba.ca>
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 1992 19:09:13 GMT

In article <1992Feb25.165326.16204@ccu.umanitoba.ca> zirdum@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Antun Zirdum) writes:
>In article <1992Feb24.044654.12505@psych.toronto.edu> christo@psych.toronto.edu (Christopher Green) writes:
>>
>>I think you've lost track of the fact that all the rules the man is using
>>are purely syntactic. All the Chinese symbols he uses are still purely
>>formal and uninterpreted. Thus, what he is missing is their *meaning*.
>>And without their meaning, surely he cannot be said to understand them.
>>
>I think that you missed my point. What is it that you get from me when I write to you
>on the Net, is it syntax or semantics? Where exactly in your mind is this
>syntax converted to semantics?

Depends entirely on how you explicate "get from" Why do you assume that
syntax is "converted" to semantics. That just begs the question. I
think most semantic theorists would argue that the syntax merely flags
semantic tokens already in your mind. It is not "converted".
>
>I am claiming that without interpreting the symbols, the Chinese room has not a prayer
>in hell chance of actually conversing intelligently. 

Well golly gosh! We agree. Problem is, computers have no way of doing such
an interpretation (take a look at Fodor's "Tom Swift and his procedural
grandmother" in _Representations_).

-- 
Christopher D. Green                christo@psych.toronto.edu
Psychology Department               cgreen@lake.scar.utoronto.ca
University of Toronto
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