Re: Can Computers Have Incomputable Concepts?

On Sun, 24 Jun 2007 00:22:22 -0700, LauLuna <laureanoluna@xxxxxxxx>
wrote:

That is exactly why I'm asking for help. I don't know what it means
for a computer to have a concept. I'm suggesting to assume we are
computers and all possible human cognitive behavior is computation.

This is VERY questionable, however some serious guys think that this
is true. One of them is Drew McDermott

http://cs-www.cs.yale.edu/homes/dvm/

Go to his page and check relevant publications, especially the book
"Mind and Mechanism" where he exposes his credo

Then, since we undoubtedly have the concept of arithmetical truth,
there are computers that have that concept. But the concept is
incomputable; how is this possible?


There are lot of misconceptions about what Goedel's theorem says and
to what areas it applies. See the following book: Goedel's Theorem: An
Incomplete Guide to Its Use and Abuse" by Torkel Franzen. Chapter 6
has title "Goedel, Minds and Computers" that addresses your question.
It also comments famous (and controversial) Penrose books.

In logical terms, let's say we can have a concept C in an extensional
way or only in an intensional way. In the latter case we are not
always able to recognize whether an object falls under C or doesn't
even if C is definite and well-defined.

So, I'm asking: how could computers have concepts in just an
intensional way?


Only if you explain what it means "concept" and "has". Remember that
computer is nothing more than container of "0" and "1" plus simple
prcessing unit tht is not more sophisticated than Turing machine.

A.L.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: AI lost in the woods?
    ... Artificial Intelligence Is Lost in the Woods ... A conscious mind will never be built out of software, ... about a UNIVERSAL consciousness, But never investigating, ... whether computers make it possible to achieve one, both, or neither. ...
    (comp.ai.philosophy)
  • Re: Need more Culture Nvels
    ... >>> I find it interesting, however, that Banks chose to describe Mind ... > Ignoring Vingian assertions about physics *really* changing in space ... > mechanical devices were capable of anything that a modern electronic ... > Computers in hyperspace might be able to compute faster and have more ...
    (rec.arts.sf.written)
  • Re: ping Purl Gurl? Beginner Level Perl
    ... most of the world's computers to a company that might not have ... You are well beyond being a technology bigot, ... Ignorance and bigotry are mutually inclusive; ... So many are stumped by what slips right off the top of my mind ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: time sync? time servers give wrong time
    ... computers and have absolutely no idea what it is doing, ... So do you know in detail how your body works, how your mind works? ... interconnected tool making connection after connection with $foo knows ...
    (comp.os.linux.setup)
  • Re: Need more Culture Nvels
    ... >> I find it interesting, however, that Banks chose to describe Mind ... mechanical devices were capable of anything that a modern electronic ... Computers in hyperspace might be able to compute faster and have more ...
    (rec.arts.sf.written)