Poll: Do Robots Have Souls?
- Thread starter interspark
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Everything the OP described were things that can be achieved (though, less efficiently) without awareness, or a rather low degree of awareness (awareness to me isn't binary).
As for the "soul" thingie - i don't even know what thats supposed to be.
P.S.: This also is relevant: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical_zombie
Personally, i think that the concept of a philosophical zombie isn't critical enough. It's still a concept based on a binary consciousness. If instead a hypothetical concept were created, of a being that is conscious to some extend, but not to the extend how it portraits itself (i.e. lacking a lot of introspective and extrospective abilities, so that it becomes visible, that it functions like an automat in many areas where it thinks it does not)... i think that such a concept would result in much more culture-shattering possibilities.
As for the "soul" thingie - i don't even know what thats supposed to be.
P.S.: This also is relevant: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical_zombie
Personally, i think that the concept of a philosophical zombie isn't critical enough. It's still a concept based on a binary consciousness. If instead a hypothetical concept were created, of a being that is conscious to some extend, but not to the extend how it portraits itself (i.e. lacking a lot of introspective and extrospective abilities, so that it becomes visible, that it functions like an automat in many areas where it thinks it does not)... i think that such a concept would result in much more culture-shattering possibilities.
Wow, that's a lot of negatives in the first few replies. But I'm glad some positives are joining in as well. Also, I cannot vote on your poll since the only options are "absolutely" and "don't be ridiculous" when I'd vote something like "it's conceivable but iffy."
After seeing characters like Data (Star Trek: The Next Generation) and the Doctor (Star Trek Voyager), Kryten (Red Dwarf), and even the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I spent a lot of time on this question back when I was a teenager. I even started to write a fanfic in which the Turtles get faced with "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved" (boy was that a weird thought)! But I finally came to this general conclusion:
Assuming souls exist (which I do, based on the decades of research that have shaped my entire worldview), then I believe them to be the reason we can even contemplate questions like "do I have a soul?" With that idea as a starting point, I think that if a non-human creature (robot, alien, super-advanced animal) could get to the point of actually wondering that, he/she/it would have a soul.
But I think it's more likely that a robot would be able to mimic life enough to ask that, rather than honestly wondering for itself, which stays in the realm of soulless.
As for where the soul comes from, my worldview says "directly from God at the point of first breath," so I don't have a concrete idea of how these things get souls. I also sorta believe that God's plan for creation is going to conclude well before things get that complicated.
P.S. Go check out the webcomic Freefall for an overview of robots developing soul-consciousness. It's interesting.
ETA: A brief scan of posts above this says "soul" might need a definition.
Whether or not it exists, we as humans have a clear idea of a thing that is "me" that can be taken out of the body and put somewhere apart from the body (e.g., in another body) without losing any of the "me"-ness. Without this idea, stories such as the body-swapping in Stargate SG-1 would make no sense.
The soul concept is also that part that remains "me" even though time, disease (Alzheimer's), or injury (see Phineas Gage) may mess with my memory and personality to such an extent that people say I'm "a whole nother person" or not really myself.
If it helps, consider if a river is still the same river despite the entirety of its water being long gone, with new water in its place.
After seeing characters like Data (Star Trek: The Next Generation) and the Doctor (Star Trek Voyager), Kryten (Red Dwarf), and even the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I spent a lot of time on this question back when I was a teenager. I even started to write a fanfic in which the Turtles get faced with "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved" (boy was that a weird thought)! But I finally came to this general conclusion:
Assuming souls exist (which I do, based on the decades of research that have shaped my entire worldview), then I believe them to be the reason we can even contemplate questions like "do I have a soul?" With that idea as a starting point, I think that if a non-human creature (robot, alien, super-advanced animal) could get to the point of actually wondering that, he/she/it would have a soul.
But I think it's more likely that a robot would be able to mimic life enough to ask that, rather than honestly wondering for itself, which stays in the realm of soulless.
As for where the soul comes from, my worldview says "directly from God at the point of first breath," so I don't have a concrete idea of how these things get souls. I also sorta believe that God's plan for creation is going to conclude well before things get that complicated.
P.S. Go check out the webcomic Freefall for an overview of robots developing soul-consciousness. It's interesting.
ETA: A brief scan of posts above this says "soul" might need a definition.
Whether or not it exists, we as humans have a clear idea of a thing that is "me" that can be taken out of the body and put somewhere apart from the body (e.g., in another body) without losing any of the "me"-ness. Without this idea, stories such as the body-swapping in Stargate SG-1 would make no sense.
The soul concept is also that part that remains "me" even though time, disease (Alzheimer's), or injury (see Phineas Gage) may mess with my memory and personality to such an extent that people say I'm "a whole nother person" or not really myself.
If it helps, consider if a river is still the same river despite the entirety of its water being long gone, with new water in its place.
That's quite an interesting question. Firstly, what is a "Soul"? Secondly, is it possible to manufacture a soul, like a car or a computer? And, after those two, is it possible to attach a manufactured soul onto an inanimate object?
I think that you need to work out those first, before continuing on to "Whether Object A Can Have A Soul Or Not".
On the other hand, implanting a soul into a pen would be AWESOME.
I think that you need to work out those first, before continuing on to "Whether Object A Can Have A Soul Or Not".
On the other hand, implanting a soul into a pen would be AWESOME.
none of todays robot have souls but a fully self aware robot...
well yes, im gunna say yes, ive met people who barley have a soul( theirs would resemble a tattered black thing in chains) humans have souls, animales have souls so i dont see why a robot couldn't but it would have to he self aware.
well yes, im gunna say yes, ive met people who barley have a soul( theirs would resemble a tattered black thing in chains) humans have souls, animales have souls so i dont see why a robot couldn't but it would have to he self aware.
Are you aware that by this definition - Personality == Soul, soul requires none/little awareness?Kilyle said:
(Hint: If you were to with "me" ACTUALLY mean "me", rather than personality, then it MAY work - but then your soul-swapping movies wouldn't work anymore
They do not.
Yet.
It's a bit like the Asimov answer to the "When do robots deserve emancipation" question?. ?When they independently want it?. Q and A freely miss-quoted.
CJ
Yet.
It's a bit like the Asimov answer to the "When do robots deserve emancipation" question?. ?When they independently want it?. Q and A freely miss-quoted.
CJ
I'm not trawling through 9 pages of replies, so I'm just going to weigh in and assume everything I say has already been said!
The poll as given doesn't have the answer I would give: No, of course they don't, but by any definition of the word 'soul' that makes any sense to me, given that *we* have souls, and we are essentially fleshy robots, a sufficiently powerful robot could have as much of a soul as we have.
For me, 'soul' is just another word for consciousness + free will + emotion + moral responsibility, and all of these things are perfectly possible in a robot. C3PO, if it existed, would have what I would call a soul (it's harder to tell with R2D2).
For more, read anything by Douglas Hofstadter, Daniel Dennett or Steven Pinker.
The poll as given doesn't have the answer I would give: No, of course they don't, but by any definition of the word 'soul' that makes any sense to me, given that *we* have souls, and we are essentially fleshy robots, a sufficiently powerful robot could have as much of a soul as we have.
For me, 'soul' is just another word for consciousness + free will + emotion + moral responsibility, and all of these things are perfectly possible in a robot. C3PO, if it existed, would have what I would call a soul (it's harder to tell with R2D2).
For more, read anything by Douglas Hofstadter, Daniel Dennett or Steven Pinker.
the only possibility here would be an encephalorobotowitsch. Which is not really a robot again. so no. its against the principle of what is called a soul.
