Philosophy / Unit 6 Philosophy 0236 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The Chinese Room
Captions available
The idea
Searle's Chinese room: following rules to swap symbols can imitate understanding Chinese without any understanding—running the right program, Searle argues, is not having a mind.
In practice
Inside the room, notes come in, rulebook consulted, notes go out. Outside, fluent conversation. Inside, no Chinese.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Builds on
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