As we know, Gödel’s theorem shows that in any consistent system and given any comprehensible axioms and rules of arithmetic, it is always possible that there exists a true theorem of arithmetic which can not be proved from the axioms, but we, standing outside of the system, can see it to be true. One well-know example of his theorem is that, in the precise language of symbolic logic, he proved the statement: “this sentence is not true” is a true statement which cannot be produced as being true by any machine within the given system of axioms (formal system). At this point, Lucas argues that this theorem must apply to cybernetical machines, because it is of the essence of being a machine, that it should be a concrete instantiation of a formal system. Now if going back to the Cherniak’s story, it is not hard to see that the purpose of this story is trying to apply the Gödel’s theorem to the human mind instead of machine. Here the unprovable statement is the “Riddle” which cannot be solved by human mind under the hypothetical condition that mind works like machine. In other words, if human minds can be explained as machines, the “Riddle” will never be solved within the “mind system”. So, my hypothetical explanation to Cherniak’s story is based on Lucas’ argument. If his argument is accurate, that is, the mind cannot be explained as a machine, “the Riddle coma” crises would never ever happen.
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Chuanzhe Jia
20480299
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