Okay, so before I begin this next post, I would like to start by saying something very important.
Last Friday I wrote a blog post about the Borrowers and kindly asked them to return my music. As it happens, they did and now I must officially thank them, they even put it into my music folder for me. Given, it was my old music folder. BUT A MUSIC FOLDER NONETHELESS.
So, Thank you Borrowers. Much Appreciated. <3
Annnndddd, back to business:
As we were sitting in Philosophy today, we were discussing the problem of humanity. What defines a human? Is it behaviour? Or consciousness? Or self awareness?
This lead us to the question: What if a robot is programmed to have these characteristics? If it behaves in the correct way, is able to answer questions, learn from its mistakes and take a step back from certain situations? Does this make it a human? Because if any of these features are what make a human being, then surely an animal could also be seen as human?
Just at this moment, my brain imploded. And then Louisa and I had an epiphany. WE ARE ROBOTS. We have been programmed to think in a certain way. You can't disprove that we're robots, so therefore we are robots. If you think like Rene Descartes. And if we say that the definition of a robot is that it is a machine built by someone, then surely all those religious people are complying with this belief, because a God made us?
Another important question was brought up during these Philosophical times, what if Louisa and I were to build a robot, cover it with real skin cells, hair cells etc, give it characteristics and a consciousness, and self awareness, would it be a robot, or would it be a zombie?
And what is a zombie? Are we zombies? Or are we robots? Or are we humans?
Let me know in the comments, and give reasons to support the statement you make!
Georgie :Dxx
[I had so much fun looking for pictures to accompany this article xD ]
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| Our Philosophy notes and debates. |
You're just a pigment of my imagination, everything is
ReplyDeleteYou say that the theory of us being robots fits with the religious beliefs of a God making us, but for all that are not religious wouldn't it be fair to say that our parents created us? This idea still fits with the definition of a robot and is easier for atheists to believe, we are created from parts that our parents put together, are we not?
ReplyDeleteI would argue that yes are parents created us, but did they design us? In the same way computer I used to type this was created in a factory by other robots and machines. (Although this raises questions about genetic modification). We cannot and will probably never be able to proove God exists, but for this robot theory it is easier to assume that there was a creator, but even without a God we cannot know the truth of our own existence. Robots or no, God or no, you could all be a figment of a pink hippo sitting on a cloud.
ReplyDeleteI would question your definition of the word robot. It is defined in my dictionary as "mechanical" which, I suppose is a word which could be attributed to humans in terms of the complex system of organs forming a mechanical system of sorts.
ReplyDeleteHowever, they are also described as having some level of "artificial intelligence" which, by its very definition can on no level be attributed to humankind as "artificial" intelligence is an imitation of human intelligence and while it could be said there are those who exist whose higher functions could hardly be called human their intelligence is by no means artificial as it remains organic and human reasoning and biology still applies.
It could however be said that human intelligence could be an imitation of the intelligence of a designer or higher being such as God or perhaps the perfect Form of human intelligence in Plato's world of the Forms and could, by that token, be seen as having an artificial intelligence but this is, of course, relative as a robot's artificial intelligence would not be considered artificial by another robot if no humans were present to use as a kind of yard stick.
Nevertheless, there is indeed some reasoning which could lead to the conclusion of humans being robots or at least some kind of quasi-robotic being but perhaps robot would be an incorrect term as what we are referring to is something beyond us which presumably cannot be fully understood as any complete knowledge of higher beings still alludes us as a species, no matter what some may claim.