From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!ists!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!uwm.edu!uwvax!blondie.cs.wisc.edu!michaili Tue Nov 19 11:10:20 EST 1991
Article 1340 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: michaili@blondie.cs.wisc.edu (Afroditi Michailidi)
Subject: Re: Chinese Room, from a different perspective
Message-ID: <1991Nov16.015220.16300@spool.cs.wisc.edu>
Keywords: ai philosophy searle expert system
Sender: news@spool.cs.wisc.edu (The News)
Organization: University of Wisconsin, Madison -- Computer Sciences Dept.
References: <1991Nov7.151439.3353@osceola.cs.ucf.edu> <1991Nov11.011527.28514@midway.uchicago.edu> <70105@nigel.ee.udel.edu>
Date: Sat, 16 Nov 1991 01:52:20 GMT

In article <70105@nigel.ee.udel.edu> lintz@cis.udel.edu (Brian Lintz) writes:
>>In article <1991Nov11.011527.28514@midway.uchicago.edu> gal2@ellis.uchicago.edu(Jacob Galley) writes:
>>[yet another Chinese room argument]
>
>I always thought basically the same thing. Searle starts with the
>premise that the man doesn't know Chinese, and ends with the
>conclusion that the man doesn't know Chinese. He assumed what he
>intended to prove.
>
>>             Jacob Galley, a full-time student with a part-time reality check
>>                                                   gal2@midway.uchicago.edu
>
>Brian Lintz
>lintz@udel.edu


  Now, whether or not you agree with Searle this isn't doing his argument
justice. A better way to phrase that would be:

1. Searles assumes some initial conditions [i.e. the subject of this experiment
   doesn't know Chinese]
2. He then changes the environment [i.e. put the subject in a room, provide
   paper & rules etc]
3. He then proves (or doesn't, according to your viewpoint) that the initial
   conditions still hold [i.e. the subject still doesn't know Chinese]

                                 Afroditi

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