The purpose of the Society for Machines and Mentality is to advance philosophical understanding of issues involving artificial intelligence, philosophy, and cognitive science.
The purpose of the Society for Machines and Mentality is to advance philosophical understanding of issues involving artificial intelligence, philosophy, and cognitive science.
Section 1. The Society for Machines and Mentality (‘the Society’ hereafter) shall be an international professional organization open to every qualified individual.
Section 2. The objective of the Society shall be to promote, foster, support, and encourage literary and educational projects that have as their purpose to advance philosophical understanding of issues at the intersection of artificial intelligence, philosophy, and cognitive science, including such issues as whether machines are able to think, whether machines could have minds, and related matters.
Section 3. The Society is not organized for profit, and no part of its net proceedings shall inure to the benefit of any officer or employee of the Society except that reasonable compensation may be paid for services rendered to and for the Society in connection with one or more of its purposes, which are entirely literary and educational.
Section 4. No substantial part of the activities of the Society shall be the carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the Society shall not participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
Section 1. Membership in the Society is open to any person without regard to race, creed, color, age, sex, or nationality or to any organization interested in and sympathetic to its purposes.
Section 2. Persons and organizations become members of the Society when they submit a letter of application to the Treasurer accompanied by the initial payment of membership dues. Membership is for one year and is renewable each year upon payment of membership dues. A membership year shall be the same as the calendar year.
Section 3. All members shall be regular members and shall be entitled to the privileges specified by this constitution and its bylaws.
Section 1. The officers of the Society shall be: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and the Immediate Past President.
Section 2. The President's term of office shall be for two years without renewal. The President shall be the chief executive and operating officer of the Society and shall be responsible for arranging the program of and conducting the annual meeting of the Society.
Section 3. The Vice-President's term of office shall be for two years without renewal. The Vice-President shall assist the President in arranging the annual meeting of the Society and shall serve in place of the President when the President is unable to discharge his/her duties. Upon completion of his/her term of office, the Vice-President shall succeed to the office of President.
Section 4. The Treasurer's term of office shall be for two years and renewable indefinitely. The Treasurer shall be responsible for receiving and processing applications for membership, shall maintain control over dues received and disbursements made in accordance with the objectives of the Society, and shall keep accurate and up-to-date membership records of the Society.
Section 5. Upon completion of his/her term of office, the most recent President shall become the Immediate Past President of the Society and shall have a nonrenewable term of office of two years.
Section 1. Elections shall be held every two years or more frequently if required.
Section 2. The first slate of candidates for office shall be nominated by an ad hoc organizing committee consisting of the Editor of Minds and Machines and two others invited by him, who shall take steps to insure the confidentiality of the voting process. Thereafter elections shall be arranged by the Nominating Committee as appropriate.
Section 3. Whenever possible balloting shall take place by email with each member permitted to write in the name of alternate candidates. Otherwise balloting shall take place by surface mail. When email balloting is employed, members shall be given at least seventy-two hours to cast their ballots. When surface mail is employed, members shall be given at least one week to cast their ballots.
Section 4. A candidate shall be elected by receiving a plurality of the votes cast in that election.
No member of the Society, or the Society itself, shall be legally responsible for any act done or any liability incurred by any officer of the Society, unless such action shall have been specifically authorized in accordance with this constitution and its bylaws.
Section 1. The Treasurer shall chair a standing Membership Committee.
Section 2. The officers of the Society shall serve as Nominating Committee and shall nominate at least one member of the Society for each open office whenever that becomes appropriate by virtue of its vacancy. The Nominating Committee shall arrange for balloting to occur in a timely fashion and in a manner that insures the confidentiality of the voting process.
Section 3. The officers are authorized to establish temporary committees to promote the purposes of the Society as may be appropriate.
Section 1. There shall be an annual meeting of the Society in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Eastern Division of the American Philosopical Association, unless otherwise decided.
Section 2. The annual meeting shall involve presentations by one or more speakers and may include a reception for those in attendance.
Section 3. The location of the annual meeting may be changed and other meetings may be called with the approval of a majority of those voting using the same procedures as for the election of officers.
Section 1. Amendments to this document may be proposed by the officers or any group consisting of at least five members of the Society.
Section 2. Amendments shall be distributed and voted upon in the same manner as elections for officers, except that the adoption of an amendment shall require approval by two-thirds of those voting to be adopted.
Section 1. Bylaws of the Society may be adopted and amended. Proposed bylaws must be submitted to the President in writing, signed by at least five members of the Society.
Section 2. Proposed bylaws must be submitted more than sixty days before the annual meeting and shall be voted upon prior to that meeting in accordance with the same procedures as apply to the election of officers, except that the adoption of a bylaw shall require the support of a majority of those voting.
The Society shall have the power to do any lawful act or thing reasonably necessary or desirable for carrying out the Society's purposes and for protecting the lawful rights and interests of its members.
Upon the dissolution of the Society, the officers shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all liabilities of the Society, dispose of all assets of the Society exclusively for the purposes of the Society in such a manner, or to such organization or organizations established and operated exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, scientific, or literary purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or corresponding sections of any future United States Internal Revenue Code), as the officers shall then determine.
In addition to the balloting methods of Article 4, section 3 of this Constitution, balloting may take place over the World Wide Web. When balloting is done over the web, members shall be notified by email at least seventy-two hours in advance of the deadline for casting ballots, and a web ballot shall have a provision for the submission of the name of an alternative candidate.
Passed 13 November 2003.
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