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Article 1961 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: zeleny@zariski.harvard.edu (Mikhail Zeleny)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Searle and the Chinese Room
Message-ID: <1991Dec8.164459.6318@husc3.harvard.edu>
Date: 8 Dec 91 21:44:56 GMT
References: <302@tdatirv.UUCP> <1991Dec7.073933.6258@husc3.harvard.edu> <1991Dec8.062341.28537@milton.u.washington.edu>
Organization: Dept. of Math, Harvard Univ.
Lines: 50
Nntp-Posting-Host: zariski.harvard.edu

In article <1991Dec8.062341.28537@milton.u.washington.edu> 
forbis@milton.u.washington.edu (Gary Forbis) writes:

GF:
>I'm still thinking about the letter Mikhail sent me.  I'm not sure it is
>polite to consider another line without responding to the letter first but
>I will do so none the less.

Don't let your manners get in the way of your reason.  I don't.

>In article <1991Dec7.073933.6258@husc3.harvard.edu> 
>zeleny@zariski.harvard.edu (Mikhail Zeleny) writes:

>>In article <302@tdatirv.UUCP> 
>>sarima@tdatirv.UUCP (Stanley Friesen) writes:

SF:
>>>[...] (assuming I am right and we get meaning through encoded sense data).

MZ:
>>Briefly, you ignore the semantic role of introspection and volition.

GF:
>I'm not sure I want to consider the semantic role of volition.  Why should I
>do so?  Does this have more to do with your concept of "agency"?  Is this
>an introduction of willfull non-determinism?  It may be that in my teleology
>this is limited to the deity.  Is our discussion of semantics limited to
>those who believe in free will?  I really doubt this.

Our discussion of semantics is not limited to those who believe in free
will, but to those who practice it; if I wanted to talk to the Almighty, I
wouldn't use the net.  Still, if you'd rather, I could interpret what
appears to be your words as His own utterances; still, the semantic role of
His volition would be relevant to our discussion.  Semantics without agency
is simply inconceivable.

>--gary forbis@u.washington.edu


`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'
: 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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