The Thomistic Institute Thomistic Perspectives on True Artificial Intelligence I Prof. Jordan Wales
Jul 23, 2025
Prof. Jordan Wales, an expert in theology and AI from Hillsdale College, critiques artificial intelligence through an Augustinian lens. He challenges conventional definitions of intelligence, emphasizing intentionality and experiential understanding. Wales discusses the limitations of AI, highlighting Searle's Chinese Room to argue that machines lack true understanding. He also navigates the historical philosophical perspectives on intelligence, drawing connections between love, moral judgment, and what it means to truly know.
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Medieval Intelligence: Reason & Intellectus
- Medieval Christian understanding of intelligence emphasizes both rational reasoning and an intuitive grasp called intellectus.
- Understanding isn’t just logical thought; it’s an experiential engagement with reality's deeper meaning.
Modern AI Rooted in Mastery Paradigm
- Modern AI definitions reduce intelligence to symbolic manipulation and problem solving.
- This view traces back to Bacon and Descartes' emphasis on mastering nature as mechanism.
Limits of Computationalism on Understanding
- Computationalism claims that simulating cognition equals genuine thinking.
- However, it ignores the experiential interiority necessary for true understanding found in human intellectus.
