Rationalism: Rationally we are just Robots designed to make more robots.
July 14th 2008 11:17
Rationalism: Rationally we are just Robots designed to make more robots.
I came across a book, it was very important book, written by a very important man. Important people must be listened to because we know that they are important. If they were not important then why would they be writing books? So as you see writing a book and being important are the same thing. Having written the book the author is right because he is important and there for all he says is right. The code is run the machine is done. All praise the machine that is the universe.
“Important sir,” I said to he. “Why am here, just to eat and drink and pea? I know that life is short and it may not matter but if you can fit it in can you give it a blather.”
The great sir who signed his book quite well, he was friends with Douglas Adams no less, do tell. Well he sat and thought, or at least pretended to for my sake, he open his mouth and said, “Do you know what is at stake?
“We are all just robots,” he said with a snap, “Robots I tell you because everything else is crap. The genes you see run the show, we are slaves to their every blow. The genes are selfish, they want to survive that is why you are alive.”
“Selfish genes,” I replied, “That must mean I am selfish inside.”
“Your program runs to make you survive. You foolishly think that are really alive. The genes tell where to go, who to mate and what to know. They are selfish, greedy and totally mean but that is how it was meant to be. This self replicating machine it lives to live and live again. The chicken lays the egg so the chicken hatch and lays another egg. It is all in the genes to make you survive. The genes are ruthless and that is a fact. I wrote it, you believe it and that is that.”
“Crazy man,” I mutter too loud, “I am a person not some machine in the crowd. You see a robot but I see a man. Don’t you think that I know what I am?”
“You are a robot, a robot I say, learn to accept it, it is just the way. Robots that breed to live to breed, to pass on the genes and to no other end. That selfish gene it must survive, in fact it is doubtful that we are actually alive. Our robot arms and robot legs are just machines so we are actually dead. That ghost you say that haunts your machine, well it does not exist because our genes are mean. They are mean, they are nasty and need to survive in a new robot that is ironically also not alive.”
“What of love and pain and truth.” I asked the great sir. “Do we just function until we are switched off?”
“Oh yes, that is right,” the great writer muttered, “and if you don’t we will unplug you instead.”
So looking back I somehow got lost when thinking I am a man was told all this toss. A robot that has no reason to live but to pass on a selfish gene, hey what gives? It seems rather wasteful indeed that it would build a whole man just to spread a disease. A robot that functions like a wound up clock seems an odd way to excuse switching one off.
I came across a book, it was very important book, written by a very important man. Important people must be listened to because we know that they are important. If they were not important then why would they be writing books? So as you see writing a book and being important are the same thing. Having written the book the author is right because he is important and there for all he says is right. The code is run the machine is done. All praise the machine that is the universe.
“Important sir,” I said to he. “Why am here, just to eat and drink and pea? I know that life is short and it may not matter but if you can fit it in can you give it a blather.”
The great sir who signed his book quite well, he was friends with Douglas Adams no less, do tell. Well he sat and thought, or at least pretended to for my sake, he open his mouth and said, “Do you know what is at stake?
“We are all just robots,” he said with a snap, “Robots I tell you because everything else is crap. The genes you see run the show, we are slaves to their every blow. The genes are selfish, they want to survive that is why you are alive.”
“Selfish genes,” I replied, “That must mean I am selfish inside.”
“Your program runs to make you survive. You foolishly think that are really alive. The genes tell where to go, who to mate and what to know. They are selfish, greedy and totally mean but that is how it was meant to be. This self replicating machine it lives to live and live again. The chicken lays the egg so the chicken hatch and lays another egg. It is all in the genes to make you survive. The genes are ruthless and that is a fact. I wrote it, you believe it and that is that.”
“Crazy man,” I mutter too loud, “I am a person not some machine in the crowd. You see a robot but I see a man. Don’t you think that I know what I am?”
“You are a robot, a robot I say, learn to accept it, it is just the way. Robots that breed to live to breed, to pass on the genes and to no other end. That selfish gene it must survive, in fact it is doubtful that we are actually alive. Our robot arms and robot legs are just machines so we are actually dead. That ghost you say that haunts your machine, well it does not exist because our genes are mean. They are mean, they are nasty and need to survive in a new robot that is ironically also not alive.”
“What of love and pain and truth.” I asked the great sir. “Do we just function until we are switched off?”
“Oh yes, that is right,” the great writer muttered, “and if you don’t we will unplug you instead.”
So looking back I somehow got lost when thinking I am a man was told all this toss. A robot that has no reason to live but to pass on a selfish gene, hey what gives? It seems rather wasteful indeed that it would build a whole man just to spread a disease. A robot that functions like a wound up clock seems an odd way to excuse switching one off.
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Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
Thanks for your comments.
I think what people fear the most in the future is become rational soulless robots devoid of any humanity. Logical but without meaning.
Comment by Norm
Consumption Malfunction
Equal and Opposite
Arses and Elbows
Footy Power
Or at least a creator.
Comment by Norm
Consumption Malfunction
Equal and Opposite
Arses and Elbows
Footy Power
Comment by tlcorbin
Coffee Quip
A Global Citizen
Paranormal Paranormal
Is Why
Alaska Chronicle
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
Thanks for your comments.
Robots imply mechanism and automation.
One view is that people are just robots that evolved from the primordial soup for the expressed purpose of replicating itself in order to pass on its selfish gene. Survival of the fittest is replaced with survival of the genes.
We build cities just like termites build cities in order to give a better chance of survival of our selfish genes. We only help other because we are ruthlessly trying to help our genes to survive.
It is a view that I do not personally share but some may find it attractive.
Who made who is an old question but who will agree with your findings is just as important.
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
Just one question. What kind of robot are you?
I get the impression that you are not a Dalek, or that tin one from Star Wars. Perhaps the Robot from Lost in Space. Danger, danger Will Robinson. So help me out as I am at a loss.
Comment by Norm
Consumption Malfunction
Equal and Opposite
Arses and Elbows
Footy Power
Made being the operative word.
Do you not think so?
Adams sounds like he's telling you to go forth and multiply.
We build cities like termites because it's the best way to fit lots of insects into a small amount of land.
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
Let quote the original source:
"We are survival machines--robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes. "
Adams was only his friend so we cannot attribute his attitudes to Adams.
It is possible that it is all about convenience. Cities were invented to fit more in.
Comment by Norm
Consumption Malfunction
Equal and Opposite
Arses and Elbows
Footy Power
I would have thought the programmers are the genes, therefore the programmers are blindly programming their vehicle, which was made (by some higher power, I assume) to preserve themselves, which they do by adapting to their environment (and changing their vehicle)?
I'd say?
Based on the quote.
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
My original text:
"...he was friends with Douglas Adams no less, do tell"
Hence all that can be established is the person was friends with Douglas Adams. Whether Adams or he were in agreement on this point cannot be established from what I have written. An absurd reference in itself to the concept of impress people with social climbing.
Do you have an alternative to the selfish gene? Or are you trying to reject the theory or explain it better. Are you saying that there must be a separate programmer or the machine cannot exist?
Comment by Norm
Consumption Malfunction
Equal and Opposite
Arses and Elbows
Footy Power
The way you put it to me was just so nicely put in that line.
Not sure if I can answer those quests, being ignorant.
Trying to understand exactly what the quote says.
Robot - artificially made
Vehicles - transports
Blind - without the sense of sight
Programmed - operate according to instruction?
Preserve (opposite of conservation?) - keep as is
Selfish - for the benefit of the individual (me, me, me!)
Molecules -chemical building blocks?
Genes - half from mum and half from dad
Artificially made transports operating according to instruction by a sightless instructor to keep them as they are for mum and dad's chemically formulated information (for the benefit of themselves).
I'd say I disagree if only I knew what he was on about.
Strictly speaking, I find scientific arguments to be in the same boat as political and religious: erroneous.
Aren't the genes the programmers?
And isn't the programme the vehicle?
ie the body?
So the vehicle is programmed by the genes who are only trying to keep themselves as they are.
Staying as you are is not something that helps a vehicle (species) survive though.
I think...
Comment by Damo
For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics
To be fair the author took a whole book to argue his case. I would call it conjecture rather than hard science. The argument is forwarded that humans only evolved to better protect a ruthless selfish gene.
By adding term like selfish into the argument it creates an image of singular intent. In short we only exist to further our existence and nothing more. Everything else is just noise because the real job is to pass your genes onto another generation.
I came across this argument more than 20 years ago and found it unpalatable then as much as I do now.