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Article 1797 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: Zeleny (was Re: Searle
Message-ID: <1991Dec2.110629.6077@husc3.harvard.edu>
Date: 2 Dec 91 16:06:27 GMT
References: <12537@pitt.UUCP> <1991Dec1.113406.6027@husc3.harvard.edu> <12538@pitt.UUCP>
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In article <12538@pitt.UUCP> 
geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks) writes:

>In article <1991Dec1.113406.6027@husc3.harvard.edu> 
>zeleny@zariski.harvard.edu (Mikhail Zeleny) writes:

GB:
>>>There have been some connectionist programs (such as Sejnowski's)
>>>that have learned to speak words.  These symbols were learned
>>>by reinforcing certain stimuli, so I suppose you could say they
>>>"refer" to the stimulus in some way.  In a more complex computer,
>>>such as the brain, the referents would be multiple and complex.

MZ:
>>I would argue that the program's words merely refer to its internal
>>representation (under our interpretation, of course) of the stimulus, as,
>>regardless of how such a representation occurred, the program's response
>>would be the same.

GB:
>And how would that contrast with our words refering to our internal
>representation of the objects and abstractions that we are symbolizing
>by them?

Unlike internal representations like sense-data, abstract objects like
propositions, expressed by our words, or numbers, denoted by them, can be
meaningfully used in communication with those not enjoying privileged
access to our mental processes.


'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`
`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'
: 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                                                     :
: 872 Massachusetts Ave., Apt. 707                                   :
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: (617) 661-8151                                                     :
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`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'


