Human Beings and Robots: A Matter of Teleology?
In this paper, I use the comparison between human beings and intelligent machines to shed light on the concept of teleology. What characterizes human beings and distinguishes them from a robot capable of achieving complex objectives? In the first place, by stipulating that what characterizes human b...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Associazione Culturale Humana.Mente
2018-12-01
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| Series: | Humana.Mente: Journal of Philosophical Studies |
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| Online Access: | http://www.humanamente.eu/index.php/HM/article/view/212 |
| _version_ | 1828742661096341504 |
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| author | Andrea Lavazza |
| author_facet | Andrea Lavazza |
| author_sort | Andrea Lavazza |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this paper, I use the comparison between human beings and intelligent machines to shed light on the concept of teleology. What characterizes human beings and distinguishes them from a robot capable of achieving complex objectives? In the first place, by stipulating that what characterizes human beings are mental states, I consider the mark of the mental. A smart robot probably has no consciousness but we might have reason for doubt while interacting with it. And a smart robot shows intentionality. I focus on the type of naturalized intentionality that is at stake here. Then I go back to the traditional idea of teleology, and to the scientific criticism of it, through the question of the kind of purposes that artificial intelligence (AI) may set itself. Husserl's basic idea of teleology therefore serves to have an authoritative term of comparison and to introduce the intuitive difference between human beings and intelligent machines based on the homo pictor thought experiment proposed by Jonas. My conclusion is that a specific finalism, understood in a non-criterial sense, is what qualifies the human being and differentiates the latter (for now) from smart robots. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T01:23:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e5c12fb1fa2143948536286a8ca343a6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1972-1293 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T01:23:44Z |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | Associazione Culturale Humana.Mente |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humana.Mente: Journal of Philosophical Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-e5c12fb1fa2143948536286a8ca343a62022-12-22T03:08:42ZengAssociazione Culturale Humana.MenteHumana.Mente: Journal of Philosophical Studies1972-12932018-12-011134Human Beings and Robots: A Matter of Teleology?Andrea Lavazza0Centro Universitario Internazionale, Arezzo, Italy.In this paper, I use the comparison between human beings and intelligent machines to shed light on the concept of teleology. What characterizes human beings and distinguishes them from a robot capable of achieving complex objectives? In the first place, by stipulating that what characterizes human beings are mental states, I consider the mark of the mental. A smart robot probably has no consciousness but we might have reason for doubt while interacting with it. And a smart robot shows intentionality. I focus on the type of naturalized intentionality that is at stake here. Then I go back to the traditional idea of teleology, and to the scientific criticism of it, through the question of the kind of purposes that artificial intelligence (AI) may set itself. Husserl's basic idea of teleology therefore serves to have an authoritative term of comparison and to introduce the intuitive difference between human beings and intelligent machines based on the homo pictor thought experiment proposed by Jonas. My conclusion is that a specific finalism, understood in a non-criterial sense, is what qualifies the human being and differentiates the latter (for now) from smart robots.http://www.humanamente.eu/index.php/HM/article/view/212human beingartificial intelligenceteleology |
| spellingShingle | Andrea Lavazza Human Beings and Robots: A Matter of Teleology? Humana.Mente: Journal of Philosophical Studies human being artificial intelligence teleology |
| title | Human Beings and Robots: A Matter of Teleology? |
| title_full | Human Beings and Robots: A Matter of Teleology? |
| title_fullStr | Human Beings and Robots: A Matter of Teleology? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Human Beings and Robots: A Matter of Teleology? |
| title_short | Human Beings and Robots: A Matter of Teleology? |
| title_sort | human beings and robots a matter of teleology |
| topic | human being artificial intelligence teleology |
| url | http://www.humanamente.eu/index.php/HM/article/view/212 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andrealavazza humanbeingsandrobotsamatterofteleology |