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From: rlh@cvl.UUCP (Ralph L. Hartley)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Watch you metaphors
Message-ID: <98@cvl.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 27-Feb-85 10:48:47 EST
Article-I.D.: cvl.98
Posted: Wed Feb 27 10:48:47 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 3-Mar-85 04:17:39 EST
Organization: Computer Vision Lab, U. of Maryland, College Park
Lines: 20


> My basic assumption is that my body (including brain) is a 
> machine that needs an external force exerted upon it in order 
> for it to move.  I can not prove this assumption.  Alternatively, 
> you make the assumption that you can cause your own body to move, 
> and your conclusions are a result of that assumption.

Please be more careful to say what you mean.  The words "force" and
"move" have very precice meanings.  Taken litaraly the statement is
clearly false; a spacecraft can move using only its (internal) rocket motors.  I
suspect what you realy mean is "my body (including brain) is a machine
that needs an guidance from an external source in order for it to take
any action."  Note that I still disagree with the assumption, but at
least it means something. A computer program DOES act independantly
acording to my definition of independance. The fact that it was created
by a programmer is irelevant. The programmer may have had control of its
actions once (when he was writing it) but now that it is off on Mars
somewhere he certianly does not.

		Ralph Hartley