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Article 1283 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: dmo@cs.vu.nl (Osinga Douwe M)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Chinese Room Variant
Keywords: ai philosophy searle expert system
Message-ID: <11615@star.cs.vu.nl>
Date: 12 Nov 91 13:23:12 GMT
References: <1991Nov7.151439.3353@osceola.cs.ucf.edu> <kas9aB8w164w@elrond.toppoint.de>
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freitag@elrond.toppoint.de (Claus Schoenleber) writes:

<stuff deleted>

>> My question is:  Does the child understand the concept of number? arithmetic?
>> 
>> I would say not; it seems to me there is more to number than computational
>> manipulations.

>I would say yes. Every day in the world there are children taught to handle
>such strings in mathematics at school. There is no difference if you take
>symbols of alphabet or digits 0 to 9, *if* the child is taught them from the
>beginning.
>And as I remember, my first performing in and multiplying numbers was
>learned by heart. Later I learned to use those basic results in larger
>multiplications. I don't think anyone else had a different "arithmetical
>evolution".
>There may be the fact that "understanding" is just another term for
>"to get used to it" (see J.v.Neuman).

>Any other ideas?

I do have other ideas. I agree that this is the way children look at
multiplication. But as time goes by and the >understanding< of numbers
and their behaviour grows, the child will reach a point where he
understands what he/she is doing. There is a difference in knowing
that something works and understanding that something works.

	Douwe.


