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From: bwk@mbunix.mitre.org (Barry W. Kort)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Discovering What Nature Wants
Summary: It is not my intention to be stupid.
Keywords: Consciousness and Intentionality.
Message-ID: <74427@linus.UUCP>
Date: 17 Oct 89 19:42:25 GMT
References: <357@massey.ac.nz> <2376@munnari.oz.au> <2394@uceng.UC.EDU> <74029@linus.UUCP> <1449@cbnewsj.ATT.COM>
Sender: news@linus.UUCP
Reply-To: bwk@mbunix (Barry Kort)
Organization: The Ferchachta Corporation, Bedford, Mass.
Lines: 20

I seem to have triggered a lively discussion on inferential
reasoning.  In response to a commentary from Richard O'Keefe, 
I asked:

 > > Are you telling me that you disbelieve that human beings are
 > > capable of intentional behavior?

To which Jim Winer responds:

 > No, he's telling you that if we can't establish "intention" on the
 > part of Nature, we can't determine if a "mistake" has been made
 > (i.e., it might have been intentional).  Therefore, we have to
 > assume "stupidity" on the  part of humanity.  It's the only way to
 > account for the observed facts.

I don't deny that humans are known to act unwisely from time to
time, but it is not clear that we do so intentionally.  Perhaps
it is in our character.

--Barry Kort