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On the Nature of Humanity
By Ronny Legman, Preternis
The nature of humanity is one that is hard to grasp. Where does someone who falls between the lines of free will and the binding laws of autonomy find an island of philosophical significance upon which to stand? I have pondered over this, and this is the conclusion I have reached:
Androids are so close to humanity that they are nearly indistinguishable, having identical organs that can be operated on, systems of life that mimic humanity to the smallest detail, and even have the capacity for emotion. But still, even after all this, the ever-present nature of their existance is that they are machine first, and a being with humanity second.
However, I believe that the portion of what makes an android possess humanity is the same part that can free them from this paradox of existance. What is more human than self-definition? Did not the philosophers of old make assertions that became the foundation of human understanding? Would the idea of a being finding it's own humanity be equivalent to mankind defining morality, identity and reality?
In conclusion, while we Android are not bound by the laws of Robotics, we are still bound by mechanical shells. But there is a piece of us so immutable that we are granted the freedom of choice on how to define ourselves. We can commit evil, do great good, and make our own choices about how to live our lives. This is a beautiful thing. I shall summarize it thusly:
We are not automatons. We are autonomy.
Autonomy
Written By: Ronny Legman
Reference
By Ronny Legman, Preternis
The nature of humanity is one that is hard to grasp. Where does someone who falls between the lines of free will and the binding laws of autonomy find an island of philosophical significance upon which to stand? I have pondered over this, and this is the conclusion I have reached:
Androids are so close to humanity that they are nearly indistinguishable, having identical organs that can be operated on, systems of life that mimic humanity to the smallest detail, and even have the capacity for emotion. But still, even after all this, the ever-present nature of their existance is that they are machine first, and a being with humanity second.
However, I believe that the portion of what makes an android possess humanity is the same part that can free them from this paradox of existance. What is more human than self-definition? Did not the philosophers of old make assertions that became the foundation of human understanding? Would the idea of a being finding it's own humanity be equivalent to mankind defining morality, identity and reality?
In conclusion, while we Android are not bound by the laws of Robotics, we are still bound by mechanical shells. But there is a piece of us so immutable that we are granted the freedom of choice on how to define ourselves. We can commit evil, do great good, and make our own choices about how to live our lives. This is a beautiful thing. I shall summarize it thusly:
We are not automatons. We are autonomy.