Minds, Brains, & Science - John Searle (1984 Reith Lectures)

In this series of lectures, John Searle, former Professor of Philosophy at Berkeley, examines the connections between minds, brains, and science. These lectures were given as part of the 1984 BBC Reith Lectures, but are still just as relevant today. Some of the topics discussed include free will, the mind-body problem, artificial intelligence, social reality, cognitive science, human action, consciousness, and the social sciences.

00:00 A Froth on Reality
In his first lecture, John Searle examines the so-called 'mind-body problem'. Searle uses this paradox of the conscious mind verses the scientific brain to explore our understanding of the world. He considers how humans think of themselves as cognisant, free, rational beings, but science tells us that we are a chance occurrence, created in a world that consists entirely of mindless physical particles. From this viewpoint Professor Searle explores the question: how can an essentially meaningless world contain meaning?

29:48 Beer Cans & Meat Machines
In his second lecture, John Searle considers artificial intelligence. He debates whether scientists could create a digital computer which has its own thoughts and presents his famous "Chinese Room" argument. He compares the relationship of the mind and the brain to that of computer programme software to computer hardware. But can a man-made machine ever think like a human?

59:21 Grandmother Knew Best
In his third lecture, John Searle explores the discipline of cognitive science. He investigates how and why scientists are developing this field. Exploring how the human brain processes information in order to do the action of thinking, Searle links back to his previous lectures to debate the differences between human thought and computerized artificial intelligence.

1:29:05 Walk to Patagonia
In his fourth lecture, John Searle analyses the structure of human actions. He draws together the mental and physical aspects to show how our mental activities can produce our behavior. Can our ability to choose our movements be what separates us from machines? Professor Searle seeks to show how the structure of an action relates to the explanation of it.

1:58:45 A Changing Reality
In his fifth lecture, John Searle considers the discipline of human behavioral science. He explores the limits to the insights that we can expect from a 'science' of human behavior. He questions the success of the natural sciences. Why have they not given us more information about human behavior? What makes the subject so different to sciences like physics and chemistry?

2:28:21 Freedom of the Will
In his sixth and final lecture, John Searle examines the evidence for and against the existence of free will. He attempts to explain why human beings stubbornly believe in their own freedom of action and debates the issue of free will. He concludes his Reith Lectures trying to characterize the relationship between the perceptions of self and the world around us.

#Philosophy #Searle #Consciousness

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