John Searle: Can Computer Think - Essay Example

Computers have revolutionized the way that things are done in the day-to-day running of things in the world. The computer revolution ushered in a new age of fast global communication through the internet and wireless telephone networks. Computers have been ingrained in almost all the cultures of the world and some communities; life would be unsustainable without the use of computer technology. It is this aspect of inculcating computer technology in man’s everyday life that raises the question of what impact computers have in people’s lives both physically and psychologically.

This paper aims at addressing the question of whether computers can think. Computers were designed to simplify tasks that humans got involved in their daily lives, and in part, computer are used in these daily activities. In doing so, people inculcate computers into their daily activities making them a part of their lives. When people rely on computers for most of their daily tasks, it creates time for other activities. This why computers are used for almost all aspects of life because they help increase productivity through enhanced efficiency and effectiveness.

Human potential is amplified by the use of computers because they add efficiency and effectiveness to skills (Kessler, 2012). . Production of commodities has seen a sharp rise for goods produced per unit time. This has contributed to improved profit margins in all business enterprises. Computers have changed the social set up of communities where it has made it possible to create relationships amongst people from different regions of the globe. Computers have seen the emergence the emergence of a diverse range of cultures like cyber culture, which has changed the way people interact.

The use of computers also has its down sides because the things it has changed in people impact negatively on society and themselves. Computer use has seen the advent of new forms of crime like hacking, cyber fraud, terrorism and promotion of cultural vices like pornography. There are health conditions that have been attributed to computer use like declining physical health, eyesight complications and social anomalies like anti-social behavior. Computers have been contributed to the declining creativity in professional fields that rely, on human creativity, to excel like in the arts.

All of this negative attributes of computer use can be explained by focusing on how computers have changed that way that people think (Kessler, 2012). People rely on computers for almost all their tasks even those that require minimal effort. This has changed the way that people think, and it has seen a sharp decline mental acuity. This is especially being witnessed in the upcoming generation which has been brought up believing in the notion that computers solve everything. Mental sharpness is as significant as physical health, and the use of computers diminishes the mind’s opportunity to exercise which enhances its capabilities. This