Problem
I. Hobbes suggested in 1651 that human reasoning, or rational thinking, is nothing but the application of computational, mathematics-like procedures to everyday problems. State your own opinion about this, citing examples from the chapter.
II. Various technological innovations were essential in the efforts to build thinking machines. Describe some of the specific technologies that facilitated the construction of mechanical models of human reasoning.
III. What were some of the major issues that led to the abandonment of strict behaviorism in favor of a cognitive orientation in the mid-19003? To what extent would you define the change as a revolution?
IV. The question of whether a machine can be built to imitate human thinking and even demonstrate creativity generates further questions about the nature of what it is to be human. Pick three pioneers from this chapter and discuss where they stand on the issue of whether humans can be conceptualized as complex machines. What kinds of philosophical implications might follow from this belief?