Abstract This paper examines Searle's original argument against the possibility of strong Artificial Intelligence, or what he calls intrinsically intelligent AI. This argument was presented in "Minds, Brains, and Programs" which contains his original formulation of the Chinese Room example and many others. This paper explains Searle's original view (which has been slightly modified in recent years) against the possibility of strong AI. It then examines the serious shortcomings in his argument, namely his flagrant assumption that intelligence is a bio-chemical property, something that he barely mentions in his text. Holfstadter later called this view "bio-chauvinist." The writer examines what it is Searle is trying to say, where his bio-chauvinism comes into play, and what the end result is.
From the Paper "In his paper "Minds, Brains, and Programs," John R. Searle attempts to establish the impossibility of strong artificial intelligence (AI), that an "appropriately programmed computer" can have genuine mental states. The validity of strong AI implies a direct correspondence between mental states and formal processes, and as such, insists that a properly defined program is sufficient for producing understanding and intentionality in the thing instantiating that program. Searle refutes this claim, arguing that a program could not be sufficient for producing intentionality because for any program it is possible to instantiate it in something without producing mental states in the thing. In elucidating this central point, Searle derives a distinction between "intrinsic" intentionality and "derived" intentionality. He defines intrinsic intentionality as the sort present in things that clearly have mental states, such as people. Searle distinguishes this from derived intentionality, which he claims is ascribed by those with intrinsic intentionality to things that "perform the sort of functions that we perform on the basis of our intentionality," but that do not actually possess mental states or a genuine intentionality. With this distinction, Searle's claim that programs are not sufficient, or even necessary, for producing intentionality becomes a claim that mere things - namely computers for our purposes - can only have derived intentionality and never can possess intrinsic intentionality. Searle's argument, pushed by his example of the Chinese room, at first seems to raise an alarming challenge to AI proponents, but on closer examination it becomes clear that the thrust of Searle's claim relies on some highly debatable intuitions and assumptions he makes a priori. In this paper I will argue that Searle's conclusion is entirely dependent these contestable assumptions and intuitions. I will then attempt to construct what Searle's response to this objection would likely be, and I will conclude by discussing the significance of this debate with regards to AI and all of cognitive science."
Abstract The paper examines and compares Stuart Hall's arguments with those of Bill Freund and of Reinhard Bendix. The paper explores how the authors analyze the factors which made colonialism and wide-spread exploitation on continental scales possible. The paper shows how Bill Freund and Reinhard Bendix emphasize the chauvinistic European mind-set that Hall delves into at length in his work. The paper concludes that Hall's contention about European chauvinism is starkly illustrated by the available evidence.
From the Paper "Hall begins his discussion by noting that one of the chief reasons that the early western explorers traveled in the direction of the New World was because they were seeking to find and to secure the fantastic wealth of the East (185). In this regard, Hall is somewhat like Freund who, as we shall see, argues that the evils of western imperialism derive from its exploitative economic relationship to the more impoverished territories of the world. However, Hall deviates from Freund in the sense that he does not focus wholly (or largely) upon economic factors which contributed - or which might have contributed - to western relations with the rest of the world; rather, his focus is upon the socio-cultural and anthropological distinctiveness of the west from other societies. With this in mind, "western" countries may be defined as those lands that are "developed, industrialized, urbanized, capitalist, secular, and modern" (Hall, 186)."
Abstract This essay examines the novel "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner. It looks at the political and social settings of the novel - a black woman in the Southern United States and how she had to deal with double discrimination--racial and chauvinism.
From the Paper "When we begin to study the Literature and History of the South the fist writer we are introduced to is William Faulkner. Faulkner created in a sense a world in the South that was hard to forget. He brought to his readers the actual essence of the South and became a interpreter of history?the history of the South and the interpreter of the human nature and relationships. At a time when sex, race and class were taboo issues he used them to state the world that was a part of people at that time. A Rose for Emily is thus one of his novels where he gives his readers a picture of the South as it was. "
Tags: Ku, Klux, Klan, racism, novel, book, negro, black
From the Paper "Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness presents a story-within-a-story, creating a central narrator, Marlow, who tells an audience of four a tale about Kurtz, an agent for a Colonial enterprise in the Belgian Congo. Marlow recounts the tale at the outset of a voyage; he has a seaman's "propensity to spin yarns," but the story is told not to amuse his shipmates--it is told to make them think about significant political, spiritual, and moral issues (Conrad 9). The unidentified first narrator wants to hear about Marlow's own adventure, but Marlow recounts instead the fate of Kurtz, and how Marlow's own journey into the Congo became a quest to understand the workings of Kurtz' mind (Conrad 11).
Marlow, deeply attracted to the notion of exploring Africa, signs up to pilot a steam boat up the Kissai River, taking the place of a murdered company agent. Marlow's narrative is a story..."
Abstract The following discussion focuses on black youth subcultures. It identifies their predominant types focusing on links to popular music and finds their source in the experience of unemployment and racism. Their inherent male chauvinism is also examined. Their ultimately destructive consequences and their interference with life course are also outlined.
Abstract In the novel, "To The Lighthouse" by Virginia Woolf, all of the major male characters face their own issues regarding the masculine role they must play versus the role, as males, they wish to show. This paper presents examples of how the men, throughout the novel, need to submit to the stereotypes of their gender or be stripped of their dignity.
From the Paper "Although the passage does not blatantly reflect any end to his arrogance, it is one of the few moments where the reader can view his psyche and see that, despite his restless ego, he has humility and gratitude within him, driving him through life. Nevertheless, he represses this female-associated tenderness behind a fa?ade of socially necessary masculine mannerisms. Even in the dreamed-up courtship Lily Briscoe creates between him and Mrs. Ramsay, Mr. Ramsay has to hide his passion behind a wall of chivalry..."
Abstract In a world where women are paid significantly less, discriminatory cultural norms suppress male creativity, and the children of each generation are taught sexual discrimination as a rule, we have to ask ourselves, "How far have we come?" This opinion paper argues that ,as long as women are not respected as workers, as long as the creativity of men is censored, and as long as children are raised in an environment of chauvinism, we must not abandon our fight for equality.
From the Paper "The perception of the family has changed quite a bit since the fifties, but one feature has stayed the same. The father will sit at the head of the table. This metaphor is applicable across the board. From business to politics to the home, the wielding of power is reserved for a single group, and their sexist rhetoric has infected the modern day business environment like a virus. The archaic opinions of an antiquated generation have stereotyped women into specific occupations. Though these duplicities may be difficult to spot, their effects are not. They turn America's glass ceiling into glass walls transparent enough for women to see exactly what they cannot have."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the theme of feminism in "Mr. Sammler's Planet" by Saul Bellow and "Enemies: A Love Story" by Isaac Bashevis Singer. The paper discusses how both authors illustrate their views towards the emerging feminist movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s in America. The paper shows how both authors condemn feminism and the women's movement in their own way. They portray women in a negative light and represent the male view at the time these books were written. They support the belief that women should not be seen or heard and they should always support their men.
From the Paper "Singer's attitude toward women is better than Bellow's, but it is still full of chauvinistic values and ideals. Herman Broder is the main character in Enemies: A Love Story, and there is hardly anything likeable about the man, and yet three women love him. Singer shows women as weak with this theme, because they cling to a man who is no good for them, rather that striving for love from someone good and decent. Singer also seems to have a low opinion of women with this portrayal. For example, he portrays Masha, the good woman who supports Broder through much of his life, as needy and jealous. She loves a man who is married to other women, who lies and cheats, and this makes her as weak as he is."
Abstract In this article, the writer maintains that it is important that one understands the use and application of the numerous feminist perspectives to gain a lucid idea of what feminism really is and how it works. However, the writer notes that not even one successful feminist perspective has been recognized in recent years, which is one of the main reasons why this phenomenon has had to face more than its fair share of criticism in recent history. The writer points out that the feminist school of thought has helped women all around the world to gain confidence and strength in their abilities and venture out of their homes to widen their spectrum of opportunities. The writer concludes that feminism has also helped women to tackle the situation at hand whether it is defying against an aggressive spouse, challenging racial and class prejudice, tackling the demands of a greedy landlord, pursuing higher levels of education, encouraging the employment of female politicians or lawyers or engineers, challenging chauvinism at work, initiating women's health or co-operative or financial headquarters.
From the Paper "One of the phases where the feminist perspectives were finding strong basis was from the post WWII through to the early 1980s. The main aim of feminism during the post WWII period through to 1920 was to mainly speak out and fight against the oppression and violence that women were facing due to the constant political and economic conflicts that the world was facing. This particular form of feminism was very common throughout all the countries in the world but also had certain specific circumstances and characteristics related to every country where the gender-struggle was a constant issue. After that the main focus of the feminist activists was to gain parallel on the legal grounds alongside men specifically in the US. The open-minded feminists during this time tried to get the women to contribute at a higher percentage in the political and legal aspects of the administration."
Abstract This paper analyzes John Updike's short story "A & P", focusing on the main character - Sammy. The writer describes the protagonist's personality traits and characteristics in detail. The writer further describes how Updike portrays Sammy as a male chauvinist. The writer points out that Sammy is not the only chauvinist. The writer concludes that all chauvinists do see the light from different points of view, but only with Sammy does it seem to stick.
From the Paper "In John Updike's A&P, a close view into the mind of a fictional teenager named Sammy is given. As any nineteen year old, Sammy a grocery store cashier in a small country New England Town, seems like any other nineteen year old, critical, immature, observant, and a prompt thinker. As a very complex character, each and every one of Sammy's qualities show his opposing personalities, that are in reality, a heavy response to his regulated surroundings. Sammy is not the only chauvinist in this story. Some may view Sammy's thorough and detailed analysis of people's appearances and actions as the usual teen sarcasm, while others may view it as sexism. Sammy's attention is captured by women, more specifically when "In walks three girls wearing nothing but bathing suits" (Updike) at the grocery store Sammy is working at on a hot summer day. Sammy feels it necessary to observe the girls with much interest and many remarks."
Tags:chauvinism, sexism, undesirable, features, status
Abstract This paper relates that Susan Glaspell, a reporter, based her one-act play "Trifles" on events that actually happened in Iowa near the turn of the 20th century, which she covered. The author points out that the plot of the play is as if Glaspell didn't like the outcome of the real-life situation and then got to craft her own ending. The paper relates that the themes in "Trifles"are gender relationships, the tug-of-war battles between the sexes, women's perceptive intuition vs. men's bullishness, male chauvinism and the good-old-boy network of criminal justice
From the Paper "After leaving newspaper work, her writing was strictly fictional; until that is her husband, George Cram Cook (a classics scholar with whom she had been involved during his second marriage in a long affair) urged her to write a play. "Glaspell may have been trying to buoy up Cook's artistic reputation by making him out to be the party responsible" for her literary success, something he, Cook, had never achieved. Meanwhile, even though Glaspell herself carried on an affair with a married man, thus hurting another woman, she painted men in "Trifles" as the bad guys."
Abstract This thesis seeks to examine the treatment, by Sigmund Freud, of a female patient, identified as Dora, aged 18, in the beginning of the 20th. century. The author contends that Freud, whilst undoubtedly a pioneer in the field of psychiatry and psychoanalysis, allowed his prejudices and chauvinism to influence his thinking and diagnosis in the case of Dora. The writer investigates and evaluates this idea by examining existing scholarly research and by his own investigation into Freud's treatment of his patient.
From the Paper "This paper will present the case - through a careful review of existing scholarship and this writer's own investigation - that Freud was a chauvinist who didn't listen to Dora's cry for understanding, but rather became aggressive in his desire to verify his own interpretations of her issues. In short, there is evidence that Dora was a victim of trauma, but in his haste to prove his point about hysteria, Freud used his narrative to spin the truth his own selfish way. And moreover, he made rash assumptions about Dora's family - in particular her mother - without having full knowledge and background of those dynamics, and he didn't record the substance of his therapy with Dora until after the sessions had been completed. It is altogether possible that Freud's assumptions - and his own ego-driven male bias - led him to wrongful conclusions, and the fact that he relied on his memory to complete the delicate yet pivotal recording of the interactions with Dora leads observers today to wonder as regards the accuracy therein."
Abstract This paper discusses the play "Antigone," written by Sophocles and first performed in Athens around 440 B.C.E. The writer describes the drama in detail and discusses some of its main themes, such as the power of upholding morality, the conflict between Antigone's moral values and Creon's immoral tyranny, and Antigone's conflict with male chauvinism. The writer concludes that Antigone's spirit permeates every woman today who courageously continues to struggle against continued bias and discrimination against women.
From the Paper "Therefore, Sophocles' tragedy of Antigone really encompasses the major theme of an apparently insoluble problem of whether the rights of the state are of greater importance than that of the rights of the individual common man and/or woman. Sophocles' Antigone clearly can be considered a work sympathetic to feminism. This is because of its portraying the unrelenting courage and fearless defiance exhibited by Antigone, in her wanting to have her brother Polynices' body buried regardless of the consequences to her as a woman because of defying the higher male authority of Creon, who unjustly imposed an immoral ruling not to have Polynices' body decently buried."
