Is Man a Robot?

SIMONS, GEOFF

ISBN 10: 0471911062 / ISBN 13: 9780471911067

Editore: John Wiley, 1986

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- dustwrapper a little rubbed and shelfworn with small nicks to edges - spine cocked - some minor pencil underlining and marginalia - Book ow/ solid, clean and content ow bright - 332 pages.

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Dati bibliografici

• Titolo: Is Man a Robot?
• Editore: John Wiley
• Data di pubblicazione: 1986
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 0471911062
• ISBN 13: 9780471911067
• Rilegatura: Hardback
• Condizione: Good
• Condizione della sovraccoperta: Very Good
• Cataloghi dei venditori:
  • Philosophy

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Riassunto

The modern robot is developing immense functional versatility and - many would say - powers of judgement, reason, and the ability to discriminate between behavioural options (the rudiments of free will). We can see, with only a little imagination, how robots will progressively acquire human-like capabilities and characteristics. Indeed we may ask whether there are any human preserves upon which the robot will not one day encroach. And this suggests the associated question - is it possible to interpret human beings themselves in robotic terms? This book suggests that there is a sense in which man can be viewed as a robot - as an engineered anatomy, a cybernetic system programmed for performance. It is proposed - and argued - that the specifically human characteristics of emotion, free will, moral responsibility, creativity and ethical awareness can be accommodated by the doctrine of robotic man; and moreover that this is not a dehumanising analysis of human nature. Geoff Simons argues that we need to interpret human beings within the terms of natural law. Only in such a way - avoiding the traditional packaging of man in confused, mysterious and superstitious categories - can we develop a philosophy that is truly humanistic. The true humanists are those that can face what man is - and rejoice.