What is the difference between "English Speaking People" and "the Chinese Room" ? The problem with Searle's arguments is that all the Chinese room is is an appeal to absurdity, a sleight of hand. I'm supposed to think, "Oh. This is so absurd, of course the room doesn't understand" but it is an appeal that falls apart about once you realize that the same logic could be applied to any computational process, including human cognition. The distinction Searle draws between a person who genuinely understands English and a system that mechanically manipulates symbols is, in essence, arbitrary. They are both systems that have demonstrated understanding.