John Searle
American philosopher known for the Chinese Room argument against strong AI, stating 'The mind is to the brain as software is to the hardware.'
Quotes by John Searle
The idea that the mind is a computer program is a mistake.
The essence of the mental is consciousness and intentionality.
We are biological machines, but we are also conscious, intentional, rational agents.
The problem of meaning is not a problem of how words relate to things, but how minds relate to the world.
The capacity for language is innate, but the specific language we learn is acquired.
The distinction between 'is' and 'ought' is fundamental.
The function of consciousness is to enable us to cope with the world.
The world is not just a collection of physical particles; it also contains social facts.
The human brain is the most complex object in the known universe.
We are not just passive recipients of sensory input; we actively construct our reality.
The notion of 'truth' is a property of propositions, not of states of affairs.
The purpose of philosophy is to get clear about how things are.
The problem with artificial intelligence is that it's not intelligent.
The idea that we can upload our minds to computers is a fantasy.
The mind is not a separate substance from the body; it is a property of the body.
The only way to understand consciousness is to understand the brain.
The problem of consciousness is the last great problem in biology.
The world is not just a collection of brute facts; it is also a collection of institutional facts.
The notion of 'meaning' is a biological phenomenon.
The human mind is capable of creating realities that do not exist independently of us.