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John Searles

37quotes

John Searles


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Full Name and Common Aliases
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John Searles was a renowned American philosopher known for his contributions to the fields of philosophy of mind, metaphysics, and epistemology.

Birth and Death Dates
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Born on July 31, 1932, in Boston, Massachusetts, John Searle passed away on September 30, 2020, at the age of 88.

Nationality and Profession(s)
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Searle was an American philosopher who held various academic positions throughout his career. He served as a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where he taught philosophy for over 40 years.

Early Life and Background
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John Searles grew up in a middle-class family in Boston, Massachusetts. His early life was marked by a strong interest in philosophy, which was nurtured by his parents. He attended Harvard University, where he earned his Bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1952. After completing his undergraduate studies, Searle went on to pursue his Master's and Ph.D. degrees from Oxford University.

Major Accomplishments
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Searle made significant contributions to the field of philosophy, particularly in the areas of consciousness, free will, and social reality. Some of his notable accomplishments include:

Developing the Chinese Room thought experiment, which challenged the idea of strong artificial intelligence.
 Advocating for the concept of "observer-dependent" reality, which emphasizes that physical facts are independent of human observation.
Proposing the "Background Theory," which posits that consciousness arises from a set of unconscious background conditions.

Notable Works or Actions
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Some of Searle's most notable works include:

Speech Acts: An Essay in the Philosophy of Language (1969) - This book introduced the concept of speech acts, which has had a significant impact on linguistic philosophy.
* Minds, Brains and Programs (1980) - In this paper, Searle presented his Chinese Room thought experiment, arguing that artificial intelligence is inherently impossible.

Impact and Legacy
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Searle's work has had a lasting impact on the field of philosophy. His ideas have influenced many prominent philosophers, including Daniel Dennett and David Chalmers. His contributions to consciousness studies and social reality have also had a significant impact on cognitive science and anthropology.

Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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John Searle's work is widely quoted and remembered due to his thought-provoking ideas and influential writings. His ability to challenge conventional wisdom has made him a prominent figure in the philosophical community, inspiring new perspectives on the nature of reality and human consciousness.

Conclusion
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In conclusion, John Searle was a pioneering philosopher who left an indelible mark on the field of philosophy. His groundbreaking work continues to inspire new generations of thinkers and scholars, cementing his legacy as one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century.

Quotes by John Searles

I don't write to a genre.
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I don't write to a genre.
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Everyone has a ghost story, or at least that's how it has always seemed to me.
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Everyone has a ghost story, or at least that's how it has always seemed to me.
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A lot of people are afraid of dolls - everybody remembers 'Chucky.'
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A lot of people are afraid of dolls - everybody remembers 'Chucky.'
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I always wanted to be a writer.
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I always wanted to be a writer.
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My writing is sort of 'Sidney Sheldon meets Anne Tyler.'
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My writing is sort of 'Sidney Sheldon meets Anne Tyler.'
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Most people, they are afraid to believe in ghosts. Me, i’m afraid not to believe. Because, well, what then? If there really is nothing else- nowhere to go after this, no way to linger on this plane to finish unsettled business it we must, then that means each moment, each breath, each passing second, is as ethereal as the wind. It means all we do here on earth- the going and coming, the loving and hating- it is all for naught. So, no. Ghosts don’t scare me. But no ghosts- that terrifies me.
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Most people, they are afraid to believe in ghosts. Me, i’m afraid not to believe. Because, well, what then? If there really is nothing else- nowhere to go after this, no way to linger on this plane to finish unsettled business it we must, then that means each moment, each breath, each passing second, is as ethereal as the wind. It means all we do here on earth- the going and coming, the loving and hating- it is all for naught. So, no. Ghosts don’t scare me. But no ghosts- that terrifies me.
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That’s what belief does, Sylvie. Whether something is true or not is beside the point.
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That’s what belief does, Sylvie. Whether something is true or not is beside the point.
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It seems like a good way to grow up,” I told her. “It was. But raising a child holds no guarantees. You can follow all the right steps, do all the right things, and still something can go wrong – Actually, no. That’s a word my husband would use. I won’t say wrong anymore, I’ll say differently than planned. That’s what happened to my daughter when she reached her teens.
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It seems like a good way to grow up,” I told her. “It was. But raising a child holds no guarantees. You can follow all the right steps, do all the right things, and still something can go wrong – Actually, no. That’s a word my husband would use. I won’t say wrong anymore, I’ll say differently than planned. That’s what happened to my daughter when she reached her teens.
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Just because people are related doesn’t always make the difference it should.
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Just because people are related doesn’t always make the difference it should.
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What is prayer but meditation? What is a demon but a fear that lives inside us, one we cannot easily conquer on our own?
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What is prayer but meditation? What is a demon but a fear that lives inside us, one we cannot easily conquer on our own?
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