Re: A Critical Question

On Sat, 22 Nov 2003 14:42:40 -0800, "Dave Ulmer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
in comp.ai.philosophy wrote:

>
>"Lester Zick" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
>news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> On Sat, 22 Nov 2003 11:32:25 -0800, "Dave Ulmer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> in comp.ai.philosophy wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >"Lester Zick" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
>> >news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> >>
>> >>                                        A Critical Question
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> What is the ultimate relation between brain input and brain output?
>> >>
>> >snip...
>> >
>> >Basically you put in energy and data and you get out knowledge and
>> >understanding.
>>
>> I don't necessarily disagree. But if you do the same for a concrete
>> block you don't get the same output. At least I have never seen one.
>> Why?
>
>Because the concrete block is not an intelligent system. It does not know
>how to use energy to process data into knowledge. An intelligent system is a
>system of knowledge and understanding and the concrete block has neither.

Except that on a really fundamental basis, Dave, we don't know that.
And I'm trying to figure out how it is we can determine such things.
We certainly infer such things about concrete blocks. But when it
comes right down to it we have to decide how we know such things and
not simply assert that a concrete block is not an intelligent system
of knowledge and understanding. While obviously I agree with you we
still need to understand the why's and wherefore's of knowledge and
understanding such that we can state categorically that and how such
things as concrete blocks have neither.




Regards - Lester