[ExI] The symbol grounding problem

[Ben Zaiboc]

> "The operations of the brain can be simulated on a digital computer in the same sense in which weather systems, the behavior of the New York stock market or the pattern of airline flights over Latin America can. So our question is not, "Is the mind a program?" The answer to that is, "No". Nor is it, "Can the brain be simulated?" The answer to that is, "Yes". The question is, "Is the brain a digital computer?" And for purposes of this discussion I am taking that question as equivalent to: "Are brain processes
computational?"


Groan.

In no way can the question "is X a digital computer?" be regarded as equivalent to "Are the processes of X computational?"  A mechanical clock is not a digital computer, Babbage's Difference Engine is not a digital computer, the WHOLE FREAKIN' UNIVERSE is not a digital computer (probably).  My opinion of Searle wasn't very high before, but since reading that, he's taken a nosedive and made a deep crater.

If the operations of the brain can be simulated on a digital computer, it necessarily follows (if it wasn't blindingly obvious already) that 'brain processes are computational'.  Why does this even need saying? Information is one of the basic properties.  Any physical or energetic process involves information being processed.  Information processing = computation.

Ben Zaiboc