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Poll

If a machine or 'synthetic' entity could think would you call it a person?

Yes. (Cognito Ergo Sum)
- 12 (37.5%)
No. (You gotta be a carbon based life form to join our club)
- 13 (40.6%)
Maybe, depends. (Please explain)
- 7 (21.9%)

Total Members Voted: 14


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Author Topic: Of Man and Machine...  (Read 9562 times)

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ladyattis

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Of Man and Machine...
« on: February 15, 2007, 05:12:51 PM »

Discuss!
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cerpntaxt

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Re: Of Man and Machine...
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2007, 06:08:35 PM »

If it passes a Turing test that I administer...
That's gonna be really really hard. But I'd consider it human if it had emotions and consciousness and morality and shit...
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voodoo

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Re: Of Man and Machine...
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2007, 06:14:49 PM »

No.  I'd call it whatever it asked to be called.

I don't even qualify with emotions or morality.  If it claims to be conscious (and this will happen faster than we can imagine) I'm going to have a hard time ignoring it.
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"It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself."  ~ Thomas Jefferson: Notes on Virginia Q.XVII, 1782. ME 2:222

cerpntaxt

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Re: Of Man and Machine...
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2007, 06:18:33 PM »

If it can convince me not to destroy it...
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voodoo

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Re: Of Man and Machine...
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2007, 06:20:18 PM »

I'm just glad I'm not named Sarah Conner.   :lol:
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"It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself."  ~ Thomas Jefferson: Notes on Virginia Q.XVII, 1782. ME 2:222

ladyattis

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Re: Of Man and Machine...
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2007, 06:22:22 PM »

You have to understand that the definition of person as found in philosophy basically follows this snippnet, "a self-guided rational agent." So that means a person is just someone who can think , and possibly act, on what s/he thinks.

I think it's funny how people will vote no only because they attribute the concept of personhood only to a small species of mammals called Homo Sapien Sapien. Basically it's species-ism.


-- Bridget
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voodoo

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Re: Of Man and Machine...
« Reply #6 on: February 15, 2007, 06:26:54 PM »

My dog is self guided and rational (you didn't qualify degree), but she's definitely not a person. 

Well, maybe an extremely retarded person.

Nah.  Not a person.
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"It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself."  ~ Thomas Jefferson: Notes on Virginia Q.XVII, 1782. ME 2:222

Timothy

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Re: Of Man and Machine...
« Reply #7 on: February 15, 2007, 06:27:09 PM »

I say no, on the grounds that the rationality within the machines would essentially be a "photo copy" of sorts regarding the human psyche. In other words, the machines would only be duplicating or reproducing the feelings of humans, and with every duplication, the intent and reality would become blurred, so-to-speak.
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ladyattis

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Re: Of Man and Machine...
« Reply #8 on: February 15, 2007, 06:28:32 PM »

My dog is self guided and rational (you didn't qualify degree), but she's definitely not a person.
Dogs are not rational, they're instinctual.

Quote
Well, maybe an extremely retarded person.

Nah.  Not a person.
Right...Not.
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voodoo

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Re: Of Man and Machine...
« Reply #9 on: February 15, 2007, 06:29:35 PM »

So, is an extremely retarded homo sapien a person?
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"It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself."  ~ Thomas Jefferson: Notes on Virginia Q.XVII, 1782. ME 2:222

ladyattis

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Re: Of Man and Machine...
« Reply #10 on: February 15, 2007, 06:29:53 PM »

I say no, on the grounds that the rationality within the machines would essentially be a "photo copy" of sorts regarding the human psyche. In other words, the machines would only be duplicating or reproducing the feelings of humans, and with every duplication, the intent and reality would become blurred, so-to-speak.

That implies everyone born after the first humans are not persons either since they mimiced their forebearers. That doesn't follow. Also it implies a robot with such means to reason would not have free will, which would not be possible if we were mimicking the substrate of the human brain to allow for a synthetic mind to exist. So it's still a person. QED.

-- Bridget
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ladyattis

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Re: Of Man and Machine...
« Reply #11 on: February 15, 2007, 06:30:05 PM »

So, is an extremely retarded homo sapien a person?

Yes.
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Timothy

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Re: Of Man and Machine...
« Reply #12 on: February 15, 2007, 06:31:25 PM »

So, is an extremely retarded homo sapien a person?

I think in the purest sense, yes. However, their capacity for learning will undoubtedly be different than that of the "normal"* general population.

This does not suggest that "retarded" individuals aren't human; they're just limited in certain aspects of the mind or body.

*There is no definite definition of "normal", as "normal" is purely a subjective term.
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Brent

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Re: Of Man and Machine...
« Reply #13 on: February 15, 2007, 06:36:03 PM »

I'd call it a person, but when the robot hoardes are sweeping across the country side, I won't likely feel bad about setting off the giant Popular Mechanics build-it-yourself EMP bomb I'll have stored in my basement by then.  Actually, it would probably work better if it were elevated.  Maybe I should see if PM has any plans for building your own ballistic missles.  Hmm.
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bonerjoe

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Re: Of Man and Machine...
« Reply #14 on: February 15, 2007, 06:39:27 PM »

Did anyone ever watch the Matrix and the cartoon backstory thingees? Yeah.
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