From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!torn!utcsri!rpi!gatech!ncar!noao!amethyst!organpipe.uug.arizona.edu!organpipe.uug.arizona.edu!bill Tue Jul 28 09:41:21 EDT 1992
Article 6448 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: bill@nsma.arizona.edu (Bill Skaggs)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Defining other intelligence out of existence
Message-ID: <BILL.92Jul14150153@cortex.nsma.arizona.edu>
Date: 14 Jul 92 22:01:53 GMT
References: <BILL.92Jul13114604@cortex.nsma.arizona.edu>
	<1992Jul14.031930.3423@mp.cs.niu.edu>
	<BILL.92Jul14102805@ca3.nsma.arizona.edu>
	<1992Jul14.174442.16152@mp.cs.niu.edu>
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Organization: ARL Division of Neural Systems, Memory and Aging, University of
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In-Reply-To: rickert@mp.cs.niu.edu's message of 14 Jul 92 17: 44:42 GMT

rickert@mp.cs.niu.edu (Neil Rickert) writes:

     How can we be sure that the dog has goals, or that the dog sees this as
   a problem?  Aren't we anthropomorphizing when we assume so?

I don't think so.  Is it anthropomorphizing to say, "The dog wants the
bone"?    

   For that
   matter, how certain are we that human intelligence has much to do with
   possessing goals?  

I don't see how purposeless behavior could ever be viewed as
intelligent.  Can you give a concrete example of an intelligent action
that does not help to achieve some goal?

   Couldn't the goals often be no more than a
   rationalization?

I agree with you that the reasons people give for their actions often
have little to do with the actual causes of those actions; but if the
actions don't have any purpose, then they aren't intelligent, as far
as I can see.

     When most people use the work "intelligence" they think of its as
   being a primarily human phenomenon.

Well, I often hear people say things like, "My dog is amazingly
intelligent!  She knows how to open the screen door all by herself!"
It seems to me that people use intelligence to mean the ability to
find a nonobvious path to some goal.

	-- Bill


