Becoming a Cyborg
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I would reject the offer to become a cyborg because the possible disadvantage of the loss of some or all of my humanity, of what makes me human, far outweighs the possible advantages. The stated advantages are hardly guaranteed, in any case. As with any machine which "consists, to a large degree, of artificial parts," I, as a cyborg, would be susceptible to every sort of breakdown to which all machines are susceptible. No machine, certainly no machine as technologically complex as a cyborg, is guaranteed anything. Machines of every sort, from automobiles to computers, "die" and wind up on various junk heaps every day, even brand new ones which are said to have "greater longevity of life." There is no guarantee, then, that I will not be a "lemon," that I will truly have "enormous increase in knowledge and thinking speed and a much greater longevity of life." Even if these promises were kept by my makers and maintainers, the even more essential question of the quality of my life as a cyborg remains. The essences of being human are freedom and spirit. Neither is a part of cyborg existence. I may have the capacity for a sort of mechanical reason, just as a computer is able to perform linear tasks indicating alignment with cause and effect. However, the cyborg, as a machine, is incapable of emotion, of the reason of the heart, of spiritual considerations. The cyborg is programmed to do as the maker wishes, and no machine can be programmed with a soul, the mysterious core of hu
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be able to counter every argument from humans on some subject, but it would be incapable of duplicating the Socratic method, which was a combination of commitment to truth (or the exposure of non-truth) and a commitment to love. Socrates believed, as no cyborg can, that he was engaging his fellows in a dynamic process which would bring them nearer and nearer their true natures, their virtuous center, their wise core. No cyborg could even "care" about wisdom or virtue. much less spend its existence pursuing those mysterious phenomena or helping others do the same.
Work Cited
Plato. Dialogues. New York: Pocket, 1951.
William James, in "The Will to Believe," makes a more reasonable and compelling argument than does Jean-Paul Sartre in "Existentialism." There are significant flaws in both arguments, but James' argument is more compelling because it includes a t least the possibility that human existence has meaning.
Sartre might argue that his own argument is based precisely on the creation of meaning in human life by the human being himself or herself. He demeans his foes in the debate by calling them "cowards" and "stinkers," and then claims that he does so from an "unbiased" point of view (Sartre 407). Clearly, Sartre h
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Socrates Phaedo, , Nevertheless James, Sartre Existentialism, God Creation, Socrates Socrates, God James, Jesus Sartre, James Believe, William Believe, universe human, cowards stinkers, universe human subjectivity, description soul, faith god, sartre's argument, human existence, reader hope, wisdom virtue, religious hypothesis, longevity life,
Approximate Word count = 1699
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)
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