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Article 4058 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: rickert@mp.cs.niu.edu (Neil Rickert)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Definition of understanding
Message-ID: <1992Feb27.041137.29433@mp.cs.niu.edu>
Date: 27 Feb 92 04:11:37 GMT
References: <1992Feb26.165452.7666@psych.toronto.edu> <1992Feb26.190407.5123@organpipe.uug.arizona.edu> <1992Feb27.025740.8034@a.cs.okstate.edu>
Organization: Northern Illinois University
Lines: 21

In article <1992Feb27.025740.8034@a.cs.okstate.edu> onstott@a.cs.okstate.edu (ONSTOTT CHARLES OR) writes:
>I would suggest that unless the system can translate the language from
>its original tongue to that of chinese or be capable of generating its
>own originial statements free of context from the ones being presented
>to it, the system has altogether failed to understand anything at all.

  Remember that you are talking about what is supposed to be a programming
system designed to handle Chinese.  As such, its original tongue IS
CHINESE.  It matters not one iota whether the steps are implemented by
someone whose native language is English or Martian, or MC68030 or 80486
or Cray.  The system itself has only one language.  If you want the system
to be able to translate English into Chinese you had better change the
Chinese room so that the program is also required to handle English.  But
without changing the definition, you cannot hope to get English out of
the system.  The system is different from the individual implementing it.

-- 
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  Neil W. Rickert, Computer Science               <rickert@cs.niu.edu>
  Northern Illinois Univ.
  DeKalb, IL 60115                                   +1-815-753-6940


