perm filename MENTAL.SUP[F75,JMC] blob sn#189800 filedate 1975-12-03 generic text, type C, neo UTF8
COMMENT āŠ—   VALID 00002 PAGES
C REC  PAGE   DESCRIPTION
C00001 00001
C00002 00002	TOPICS
C00004 ENDMK
CāŠ—;
TOPICS

counterfactuals and concepts relative to a theory

Intention: The program %2intends%1 to do X.  We will ascribe intentions
only as part of a rather complex mental structure.  Part of intending
to do something is believing that one can do it.


Imagine a program that must behave intelligently in a competitive
situation.  For example, suppose it is connected  a broker's stock
terminal so that it can buy and sell stocks, but instead of merely
responding to a keyboard and displaying prices and executing orders,
it must decide what to buy and offer for sale at what price.
Let us suppose that it is trading in a stock that is held by a few
active traders, and it knows who they are and something about how
much they hold, how much money they have, and something about their
motivations.