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Article 1341 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: zeleny@zariski.harvard.edu (Mikhail Zeleny)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.books,sci.philosophy.tech,comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Daniel Dennett (was Re: Commenting on the pos
Message-ID: <1991Nov15.234645.5506@husc3.harvard.edu>
Date: 16 Nov 91 04:46:44 GMT
Article-I.D.: husc3.1991Nov15.234645.5506
References: <1991Nov15.003438.11323@grebyn.com> <1991Nov15.160741.5495@husc3.harvard.edu> <1991Nov16.014015.1074@yarra-glen.aaii.oz.au>
Organization: Dept. of Math, Harvard Univ.
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In article <1991Nov16.014015.1074@yarra-glen.aaii.oz.au> 
dnk@yarra-glen.aaii.oz.au (David Kinny) writes:

>zeleny@walsh.harvard.edu (Mikhail Zeleny) writes:

>>In article <1991Nov15.003438.11323@grebyn.com> 
>>fi@grebyn.com (Fiona Oceanstar) writes:

FO:
>>>I asked Mikhail Zeleny to elaborate on his labeling of Dennett "a
>>>charlatan," but he wrote me back that he will only do so if I make
>>>it a "public" request.  I puzzled over this one for a couple of
>>>days, and decided, finally, not to pursue the reasons behind his need
>>>for me to go public.  Instead I will just comply, and ask again:
>>>What did you mean, Mikhail?  I read enough mind-brain books, that
>>>I'd like to hear other people's guidelines for telling the wheat
>>>from the chaff.

MZ:
>>My guideline is very simple: if you see someone offer a reductive argument
>>purporting to explain the properties of mind, such as consciousness,
>>cognition, and intentionality, in terms of the alleged computational
>>properties of the brain, you may conclude that he is a charlatan or an
>>ignoramus.

DK:
>> [ unconvincing justification and unsightly .signature omitted ]

I am terribly impressed by your debating style.

DK:
>Ah yes, that most convincing of guidelines:
>
>	"If you see someone offer an argument that conflicts with *my*
>	 dearly-held beliefs, you may conclude that he is a charlatan,
>	 worthy only of scorn and ridicule.
>
>Surely you can come up with something better than this pathetic effort.
>Try arguing for your position in a way that doesn't take its inevitable
>correctness as a given.

I have argued for my position in a way that presents its correctness as a
consequential characteristic, not in any inadmissible way presupposed in
the premisses.  You haven't argued at all; indeed, you prudently chose to
omit my justification, attacking instead my conclusion.  So what are you:
an ignoramus or a charlatan?

>David

(Not that the AI community has given any more courtesy to the arguments of
Searle, Penrose, and McGinn; so perhaps you are simply trying to honor me
by treating my modest efforts in the same disdainful manner your colleagues
have treated those of the above luminaries...)

'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`
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: Qu'est-ce qui est bien?  Qu'est-ce qui est laid?         Harvard   :
: Qu'est-ce qui est grand, fort, faible...                 doesn't   :
: Connais pas! Connais pas!                                 think    :
:                                                             so     :
: Mikhail Zeleny                                                     :
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`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'


