Chinese room

The Chinese room argument comprises a thought experiment and associated arguments by John Searle (1980), which attempts to show that a symbol-processing machine like a computer can never be properly described as having a "mind" or "understanding", regardless of how intelligently it may behave. Searle's thought experiment begins with this hypothetical premise: suppose that artificial intelligence research has succeeded in constructing a computer t... more
top ↑

Facts from the Community

From the Argument mapping base

Type of argument:

Suggests this is false:

top ↑

We can also tell you Chinese room is a…

If you know more about Chinese room, you can add more facts here »

Similar topics in Freebase

  • Inverted spectrum

    Inverted spectrum

    Inverted spectrum is the apparent possibility of two people sharing their colour vocabulary and discriminations, although the colours one sees — their qualia — are systematically different from the colours the other person sees. The argument dates back to John Locke. It invites us to imagine that...
  • Mary's room

    Mary's room

    Mary's room (also known as Mary the super-scientist) is a philosophical thought experiment proposed by Frank Jackson in his article "Epiphenomenal Qualia" (1982) and extended in "What Mary Didn't Know" (1986). The argument it is intended to motivate is often called the "Knowledge Argument" against...
  • Rotating spheres

    Rotating spheres

    Isaac Newton's rotating spheres argument attempts to demonstrate that true rotational motion can be defined by observing the tension in the string joining two identical spheres. The basis of the argument is that all observers make two observations: the tension in the string joining the bodies ...
  • Bucket argument

    Isaac Newton's rotating bucket argument (also known as "Newton's bucket") was designed to demonstrate that true rotational motion cannot be defined as the relative rotation of the body with respect to the immediately surrounding bodies. It is one of five arguments from the "properties, causes, and...
  • Changing places

    The changing places thought experiment was conceived of by Max Velmans, Professor of Psychology at Goldsmiths College, University of London, and was discussed in his 2000 work, Understanding Consciousness. The experiment was designed to demonstrate the difficulties in distinguishing...
  • China brain

    In the philosophy of mind, the China brain thought experiment (also known as the Chinese Nation or Chinese Gym) considers what would happen if each member of the Chinese nation was asked to simulate the action of one neuron in the brain, using telephones or walkie-talkies to simulate the axons and...
  • Violinist

    The Violinist is a famous thought experiment first posed by Judith Jarvis Thomson in 1971. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy describes her thought experiment as follows: In her introduction to her "Famous Violinist Problem", Thomson notes that much of the inadequate debate on abortion was...
  • Utility monster

    The utility monster is a thought experiment in the study of ethics. It was created by philosopher Robert Nozick in 1974 as a criticism of utilitarianism. In the thought experiment, the idea of a monster is proposed who can turn resources into his own utility far more effectively than anyone else....
  • Twin Earth thought experiment

    The Twin Earth thought experiment was presented by philosopher Hilary Putnam in his 1973 paper "Meaning and Reference" and subsequent 1975 paper "The Meaning of 'Meaning'", as an early argument for what has subsequently come to be known as semantic externalism. Since that time, philosophers have...
  • The Experience Machine

    The Experience Machine is a short section of Anarchy, State, and Utopia by Harvard University philosopher Robert Nozick. The text is one of the best known attempts at a refutation of ethical hedonism, based on considering a choice between everyday reality and an apparently preferable simulated...

These people have edited this topic:

Edit this topic
Edit and Show details

Add or delete facts, download data in JSON or RDF formats, and explore topic metadata.

Freebase Logo
What is Freebase?

Freebase is a huge collection of facts, built by people like you. Freebase connects facts in ways other sites can't, giving you new ways to explore millions of subjects.
You can help improve it!

Freebase Attribution

Freebase data is free for use under the CC-BY license.

The original description for Chinese room was automatically generated from Wikipedia.org licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
[1]
Learn more about Freebase licensing and attribution