From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!ists!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!gatech!pitt!geb Mon Dec 16 11:00:55 EST 1991
Article 2019 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: geb@dsl.pitt.edu (gordon e. banks)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Searle and the Chinese Room
Message-ID: <12636@pitt.UUCP>
Date: 10 Dec 91 20:45:12 GMT
References: <40332@dime.cs.umass.edu> <12616@pitt.UUCP> <40375@dime.cs.umass.edu>
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Organization: Decision Systems Laboratory, Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA.
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In article <40375@dime.cs.umass.edu> yodaiken@chelm.cs.umass.edu (victor yodaiken) writes:
>I did not ask whether there was evidence that the brain was "connected" to
>mental functions, or even if there was evidence of a connection between
>brain regions and specific mental functions. This is well known. What you
>claim, however, is that "all mental functions" arise from the operation of
>"characterizable processing elements". This is a much stronger claim, and
>I ask again for a reference to the evidence on which you base the claim.
>
The processing elements are the neurons and groups of neurons.  
The claim is based on many observations accumlated over many years.  
If the neurons or their connections
are damaged anatomically or altered pharmacologically, or the
physiologic environment is perturbed in such a manner as to change
their electrical and/or chemical functioning, mental functions are
disturbed in a roughly proportional way.  Experiments on animals
are much more easily done than humans, but unless you accept that
humans are animals and that things that can be done with their
neurons and brains are analogous to ours, that may not suffice for
you.  Of course it is impossible to prove that there isn't some
other overlooked factor, such as a spirit or animus, from which
the true consciousness arises.  It doesn't seem to be necessary,
however, as neuron theory seems to be capable of explaining how
brains, both human and animal, work.  The brains of very simple
animals, such as some worms and slugs have been completely mapped
and their behavior has been characterized entirely in terms of
firing of their neurons.  Obviously, we have not the current
technology to do this with humans yet, but we haven't found any data
inconsistent with the neuron theory.  Have you?

-- 
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Gordon Banks  N3JXP      | "I have given you an argument; I am not obliged
geb@cadre.dsl.pitt.edu   |  to supply you with an understanding." -S.Johnson
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