# John Searle - Minds, Brains, and Programs - Clarifications About "Understanding" - Sadler's Lectures

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/sadler-s-lectures-233636/john-searle-minds-brains-and-programs-clarifications-about-understanding-sadler-s-lectures.md
Podcast: [Sadler's Lectures](https://stenobird.com/podcast/sadler-s-lectures-233636)
Published: 2026-07-11T19:21:20+00:00
Episode link: https://soundcloud.com/gregorybsadler/john-searle-minds-brains-and-2
Audio file: https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2339344766-gregorybsadler-john-searle-minds-brains-and-2.mp3
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Duration seconds: 831

## Resource

This lecture discusses key ideas John Searle's article "Minds, Brains, & Programs", first published in The Behavioral And Brain Sciences In 1980, considered to be an important contribution to theorizing about the possibility and nature of artificial intelligence, not least by introducing his famous "Chinese Room" thought experiment. Specifically it examines the clarifications about the notion of "understanding" Searle thinks are needed to make at that point in the article, given that strong AI claims are made about a computer being able to "understand" stories. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 4500 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler Get John Searle, Minds, Brains, & Programs here - https://home.csulb.edu/~cwallis/382/readings/482/searle.minds.brains.programs.bbs.1980.pdf

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## Transcript

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