Apologies for the last minute delay of Wednesday's paper (end of semester comes for us all). We will return to Hukmi's article the week after next, on the 10th of June. In the mean time, next week, we will discuss "The Semantic View of Computation" by Oron Shagrir. You can find the article attached to this email, the abstract below, and the zoom link and meeting info below that.
As always, we will meet on Wednesday, in room 6.71, from 10:30 to 11:30.
Cheers,
Tom
Abstract:
A semantic view of computation asserts that semantic properties are an essential aspect of the nature of physical computing systems. A primary motivation
in favor of the semantic view is that it arguably meets the classification criterion
of distinguishing computing from non-computing physical systems. Computing
systems such as desktops and brains appear to involve representations, be they
derivative or natural. Many instances of non-computing systems—such as
stomachs, hurricanes, and rocks—do not involve semantic properties, and therefore cannot be deemed to be computing. If this is correct, then the semantic view
is superior to the existing non-semantic views reviewed in previous chapters.
Another argument (“the master argument”) for the semantic view is presented
in Chapter 8. In this chapter, my aim is twofold: to explain what is meant by the
semantic view (Section 7.1), and to defend it in the face of a long list of objections
that have been raised against it (Section 7.2). I will further develop my own account in the next two chapters.
