Newsgroups: sci.skeptic,alt.consciousness,comp.ai.philosophy,sci.philosophy.meta,rec.arts.books
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!bb3.andrew.cmu.edu!casaba.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news2.harvard.edu!news2.near.net!news.mathworks.com!udel!gatech!darwin.sura.net!tulane!cs.cs.uno.edu!uno.edu!RTSHO
From: rtsho@uno.edu (R.T. Stodghill)
Subject: Re: Penrose and Searle (was Re: Roger Penrose's fixed ideas)
Message-ID: <1994Dec12.070928.21608@cs.uno.edu>
Sender: news@cs.uno.edu
Reply-To: rtsho@uno.edu
Organization: University of New Orleans (Computer Science)
References: <CzzuEu.F48@gpu.utcc.utoronto.ca> <3c4u97$hch@news1.shell> <D0I9n9.528@gpu.utcc.utoronto.ca> <3c7pme$hc2@news1.shell>,<jqbD0LGrB.G91@netcom.com>
Distribution: inet
Date: Mon, 12 Dec 1994 07:09:28 GMT
Lines: 27
Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu sci.skeptic:97788 comp.ai.philosophy:23560 sci.philosophy.meta:15507

In article <jqbD0LGrB.G91@netcom.com>, jqb@netcom.com (Jim Balter) writes:
>In article <3c7pme$hc2@news1.shell>, Hal <hfinney@shell.portal.com> wrote:
>>Let me ask you what you think is the connection, if any, between people
>>who want more than the TT and racists.
>
>They both drink water.
>
>Oh, and they both have biases.
>
>
>How can we have an intelligent discussion when inference rules like
>"P -> Q; R -> Q; therefore P and R are connected" are used?
>-- 
><J Q B>

I don't see how P and R both materially implying Q mean that P and R are 
related (necessarily) in any other way than their relation to Q.  

For instance, reading poorly written stories from Alice Walker makes me sick
(P) and eating infected chicken makes me sick (R).  But I don't see how both
making me sick (Q) means that there is a necessary connection between
Alice Walker and samonilla (though I am quite willing to indulge any contingent 
theories on the issue.)




