<P> It is not to be confused with the Chinese room argument proposed by John Searle, which is also a thought experiment in philosophy of mind but relating to artificial intelligence . </P> <P> Many theories of mental states are materialist . That is, they describe the mind as the behavior of a physical object like the brain . One formerly prominent example is the identity theory, which says that mental states are brain states . One criticism is the problem of multiple realizability . The physicalist theory that responds to this is functionalism, which states that a mental state can be whatever functions as a mental state . That is, the mind can be composed of neurons, or it could be composed of wood, rocks or toilet paper, as long as it provides mental functionality . </P> <P> Suppose that the whole nation of China was reordered to simulate the workings of a single brain (that is, to act as a mind according to functionalism). Each Chinese person acts as (say) a neuron, and communicates by special two - way radio in the corresponding way to the other people . The current mental state of China brain is displayed on satellites that may be seen from anywhere in China . China brain would then be connected via radio to a body, one that provides the sensory inputs and behavioral outputs of China brain . </P> <P> Thus China brain possesses all the elements of a functional description of mind: sensory inputs, behavioral outputs, and internal mental states causally connected to other mental states . If the nation of China can be made to act in this way, then, according to functionalism, this system would have a mind . Block's goal is to show how unintuitive it is to think that such an arrangement could create a mind capable of thoughts and feelings . </P>

Block's chinese brain thought experiment is an example of