PP Language Lessons
EasyEducationOctober 12, 2025

John Searle: Mind, Machines, and a Contested Legacy

EasyMediumHard

Key Vocabulary

philosopher

a person who studies ideas about knowledge, mind and language
Example: Searle was a philosopher who wrote about the mind.

Chinese Room

a thought experiment that questions whether a computer really understands language
Example: The Chinese Room asks if symbol rules mean real understanding.

emeritus

a retired professor who keeps an honorary title
Example: Berkeley revoked his emeritus title.

📖 Article

John Searle was an American philosopher. He was born on July 31, 1932 and died on September 17, 2025 at age 93. He taught at the University of California, Berkeley for many years. The University of California, Berkeley is a large public university in California in the United States.

He is best known for the “Chinese Room” thought experiment, which argues that a computer can follow rules but may not truly understand. In June 2019 Berkeley revoked his emeritus title after a finding that he violated the university’s sexual harassment policies. Searle wrote books on how language works and on the mind, and his work influenced debates about artificial intelligence and consciousness.

112 words

❓ Quiz

Q1. When did John Searle die?
Q2. What thought experiment is he best known for?
Q3. What did Berkeley revoke in June 2019?

💬 Discussion

1.

Do you think machines can ever truly understand language? Why or why not?

2.

Have you ever used a computer or app that seemed to 'understand' you? What happened?

3.

What do you think when you hear about a famous teacher losing university privileges? How does it affect your view of their work?