3 ms·

how is chinese room related to p zombie is it a p zombie?

• retrac 3y ago
  As I understand it, the main difference between the Chinese room, and a philosophical zombie, is that the p-zombie would be, by definition, a biological organism physically and behaviourally indistinguishable from ordinary humans. The Chinese room is non-biological -- a set of data and algorithms being followed. The Chinese room would be like a p-zombie's non-mind, in a non-human form. The hypothetical object is very similar -- a system or organism, which behaves as if it has a human-like mind, but which does not actually have a human-like mind with a subjective experience.
  • ftxbro 3y ago
    thanks this is interesting, so the important distinction is the biological vs non biological substrate
    • qbrass 3y ago
      The point of a p-zombie is that it's indistinguishable from a human. A Chinese room could be that in any context that only deals with speech. You could also theoretically memorize how the Chinese room works, as well as the phrase book it uses. You could then go out and have a conversation with someone in Chinese, where the person you're speaking to believes you speak the language, but you have no idea what you or they are talking about. Maybe you're explaining how to break into NORAD, maybe you're hiring an assassin, you don't know because you don't speak the language. Does that make you a p-zombie? Or just the part that speaks Chinese? Maybe you now have multiple personalities now who don't share thoughts or feelings?