Searle’s Argument against the Computational Theory of the Mind:
Think about your best friend and all of the life events you have been through together. For example, think about all of the conversations you have had together, the times you have laughed or cried together, the times you have expressed your deepest hopes or heartaches, and all of the exciting and unexpected things you have done together. Now imagine that one day he or she confides in you his or her deepest secret: that he or she was designed by computer scientists and bioengineers in a secret government laboratory. At first you think it is just a lame attempt to be funny. But to your complete astonishment, he or she (or it?) opens up the top of his or her (or its?) completely human-looking head and reveals that inside is a compact supercomputer rather than a normal human brain! As the initial confusion and disbelief clears, you are confronted with a terrible question: Does he or she (or it?) really have thoughts and feelings, or have you been duped into spending all of this time caring about an unthinking and unfeeling automaton? In hopes of finding some answer to this conundrum, you decide to read chapter two of John Searle’s Minds, Brains, and Science…
In two or three clear, concise, and detailed paragraphs explain in your own words the following:
What is computationalism and what does it suggest about whether your best friend has a mind?
What is John Searle’s imaginary “Chinese Room” scenario, and what is it supposed to show about the claim that minds just are computer programs being run by sophisticated, neurobiological computers (i.e. brains and central nervous systems)?
Does the fact that your friend’s computer “brain” is inside an artificially-grown biological human body that has sense organs, can move around, and can interact with its environment help against Searle’s challenge?
What do you think? Does your friend have a mind or is he or she (or it?) simply an amazingly complex automaton? Why are you convinced about that?
Your response should be clear, concise, well-structured, and accurate in summarizing Searle’s “Chinese Room” argument against computationalism. Your assessment of this argument must be well-supported by evidence and arguments we have considered in the course. Outside sources (including online sources) used for any reason must be cited!
