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From: geb@cadre.dsl.PITTSBURGH.EDU (Gordon E. Banks)
Newsgroups: comp.ai,talk.philosophy.misc
Subject: Re: Artificial Intelligence and Intelligence
Message-ID: <1841@cadre.dsl.PITTSBURGH.EDU>
Date: 5 Dec 88 14:02:41 GMT
References: <562@metapsy.UUCP> <2732@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu> <563@metapsy.UUCP>
Reply-To: geb@cadre.dsl.pittsburgh.edu (Gordon E. Banks)
Organization: Decision Systems Lab., Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA.
Lines: 24

In article <563@metapsy.UUCP> sarge@metapsy.UUCP (Sarge Gerbode) writes:
>I don't need a mechanistic explanation of my own behavior (much of
>it, at least), because I am directly aware of causing it by
>intention.  Furthermore, the most major observable difference between
>myself and a machine is that the latter is explainable in mechanistic
>terms, whereas I am not.  

Neither of these two propositions can be demonstrated reliably.
The behaviorists have shown that behavior which subjectively seems
to us to be caused by intention can be determined (even hypnotists
can demonstrate this), therefore your impressions are unreliable.
In addition, a complex enough neural network can demonstrate behavior
the cause of which is not immediately apparent.  Obviously no network
has been invented as complex as the human brain, and until one is
we won't be able to answer the question experimentally.  Those bothered
by possible loss of free will should recall that in a system complex
enough, there is room for the possibility of indeterminacy, be
it a biological system or whatnot.  

I will ask Serge the same questions I asked Gilbert: if humans are
not a machine, what elements are added to the body (which seems to
be a physical machine as far as we can tell) which make it otherwise?
Are these material or immaterial?  Is there some aspect of human
beings which does not obey the laws of nature?