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Article 2101 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: fb0m+@andrew.cmu.edu (Franklin Boyle)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Searle, again
Message-ID: <4dGDU4_00Uh_E2nbIF@andrew.cmu.edu>
Date: 13 Dec 91 18:12:20 GMT
Organization: Cntr for Design of Educational Computing, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Lines: 44

Gary Forbis writes:

>In article <4dFul6O00Uh7A37HQ7@andrew.cmu.edu> fb0m+@andrew.cmu.edu (Franklin
>Boyle) writes:
>>There are two reasons algorithms, as manipulations of symbols, do not
>>refer to objects or states of affairs in the world: the first is that
>>the symbols physically do not in any way resemble the things to which 
>>we hold them to refer.  The second is that even if they did resemble
>>the structures of external objects, the physical process of pattern 
>>matching does not transmit physical structure, hence, inputs to the
>>system (say from a camera) can only *trigger* further processing.
> 
>Surely you don't mean this?
> 
>I have the symbol "house" to refer to a house yet a "house" does not
physically
>resemble a house.
> 
>The second sentence is totally opaque to me.  What do you suppose is going on
>in one's mind when one sees a house?

If you just had the symbol "house" without any meaning attached to it, that
is, for you it brings to mind houses no more than "sakfhidu" does, do you
think it would refer to the actual structures we call houses?  "House"
refers to actual houses because there is more than just that symbol in
your head.

With respect to the opaqueness, in the physical process of pattern
matching, the result of a match is a "simple" action which acts as
a trigger for enabling other processes.  It is like a key unlocking a
door.  The structure of the key is not transmitted to the door or any 
subsequent action effects.  It is merely a trigger for enabling certain
behavior pathways.  For more info see:

Pattee, H.H., (1986)  Universal Principles of Language and Measurement
Functions
In J.L. Casti and A. Karlqvist 	(eds), Complexity, Language and Life: 
Mathematical Approaches,  (Springer-Verlag, New York)
[for the "simple" action idea]

Boyle, C.F., (1991) On the Physical Limitations of Pattern Matching. Journal
of Experimental and Theoretical Artificial Intelligence, 3:191-218.

-Frank


