Learning is a process of interpretation

A mind, reasoning dialectically and predicationally, learns by interpreting what it perceives in terms of the meaning of what it perceives; as computers don't work with meanings, interpretation and the relevant kind of learning is impossible.

Most AI theorists model learning on a Lockean paradigm that takes repeitition and contiguity of perceptions as the primary way in which new concepts are learned. For example, we learn how to spell by repeatedly seeing how words are spelled and which letters are contiguous to each other.

But such modelling does not pay sufficient attention to the role of meaning in learning. Learning occurs when a mind that reasons dialectically and predicationally interprets what it perceives in terms of the meaning of what it perceives. Because computers don't work with meanings, interpretation and the relevant kind of learning is impossible for them.

Joseph Rychlak (1991).

Note: Rychlak's further arguments about Artificial Intelligence can be found in the "Can physical symbol systems think dialectically?" arguments on this map.
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Learning is a process of interpretation
Joseph F. Rychlak
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Graph of this discussion
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