The author of the passage would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements about the simulation of organ functions?
Show Hint
- An artificial device that achieves the functions of the stomach could be considered a valid model of the stomach.
- Computer simulations of the brain are best used to crack the brain's codes of meaning and content.
- Computer simulations of the brain challenge ideas that are fundamental to psychology and neuroscience.
- Because the brain and the stomach both act as processors, they can best be simulated by mechanical devices.
- The computer's limitations in simulating digestion suggest equal limitations in computer-simulated thinking.
The Correct Option is
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question asks about the author's perspective on the analogy presented in the passage. The analogy compares the simulation of digestion with the simulation of thinking. We need to understand the logical point of this comparison.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The purpose of the digestion analogy in Searle's argument is to make the abstract concept of "simulation vs. reality" more concrete. The logic is as follows:
\begin{enumerate}
\item A computer can create a perfect simulation of digestion, modeling all the chemical processes.
\item However, no one would claim that the computer is actually digesting anything. The simulation lacks the real-world causal powers of a stomach.
\item By analogy, a computer can create a perfect simulation of thinking (e.g., passing the Turing test).
\item However, according to Searle, this simulation is not actual thinking because it lacks the brain's specific biological causal powers.
\end{enumerate}
The author, by presenting this analogy, is using it to make a point.
\[\begin{array}{rl} \bullet & \text{(E) This statement captures the precise logical function of the analogy. It transfers the clear limitation in the case of digestion (a simulation isn't the real thing) to the more controversial case of thinking. The author uses this analogy because they agree with its underlying logic.} \\ \bullet & \text{(A) This is tricky. Searle's point is about simulation, not functional replication. An artificial stomach that actually digests food would be a functional replication, not just a simulation. The author is focused on the limits of simulation.} \\ \bullet & \text{(B) This is the strong AI view that the passage is refuting.} \\ \bullet & \text{(C) While true, this is a very general statement and not the specific point of the digestion analogy.} \\ \bullet & \text{(D) The analogy is not about mechanical vs. computer simulation, but about simulation vs. reality.} \\ \end{array}\]
Step 3: Final Answer:
The author uses the digestion analogy to illustrate a principle. The principle is that the inherent limitations of computer simulation in a physical process (digestion) apply equally to a mental process (thinking). Therefore, the author would agree with (E).
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