Author: Emily Konishi

This week was very interesting because we continued with our discussion of ethics and applied it to topics that really forced us to think about how our society functions. We began by talking about the ethical situations brought up in The Caves of Steel. I really enjoyed this book because it challenged the idea that robots will eventually turn against mankind and try to destroy humanity. The reasoning behind this common belief is that humans feel threatened by other intelligent beings. Humans are often characterized as a species that needs to be in power and be superior. This could be seen as an internal battle because the human race is also focused on progression. This is evident in history with the Industrial Age and the Space Race.

Another parallel to America’s history is the fact that the robots are treated as slaves. Just like the robots, African Americans had to fight for their freedom to be fully accepted by other humans. We were shown a portrait of Olaudah Equiano, who was a freed slave that supported the British movement to end the slave trade. When put side to side against a portrait of George Washington, you could clearly see the similarities. The clothing, posture, and hairstyle were signs that he was trying to assimilate and be accepted by the white society. This reminded me of when Andrew in The Bicentennial Man, wanted to wear clothes like the humans. This shows a weakness in humans that make it difficult for us to be considered ethical. One of the biggest issues when talking about ethics is the issue of who should have the authority to determine what is right and what is wrong. Another tangent that this led to was the discussion of machine metaethics. I had never heard of this, but the main point is that ethics can be made computable, Innovations to make programs that enable machines to act as ethical advisors to humans. Again, I think this is not probable because there are too many factors to consider when writing the programs. Or, it would just take a very long time and be very meticulous because there are many situations that the robot would have to process. This led us to our ending conversation of whether or not we are ready to introduce robots into human society. I think that we are not ready because we have historically shown that we do not fare well with change. With gender inequality, racism, global warming, and many other pressing issues that we do not have a handle on, I don’t think we could handle another one. The integration of robots would pose a lot of tension and conflict because some people would want to treat them as slaves, while others would argue that they need rights as well because they are intelligent beings. Even though there would be good intentions to begin with, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it will work out. The results would be very unpredictable. Lastly, I think that having robots would make society more inclined to not work as hard because the robots would do most of the work. It would makes us feel displaces and have no purpose because we are so used to working all the time. We wouldn’t know what to do with all of our free time. The only solution to this problem I think, is time. Over time, we may accept the integration of robots and the role they would play. But, as of now, our world has too many problems to consider another one that would drastically change the way society functions.

During this week of class, the concept of ethics and morals was thoroughly discussed and applied to different situations. To me, ethics is a difficult and sometimes confusing subject because it addresses how society tackles issues of conflict. I think it is important to understand that there are multiple factors that one has to consider when judging others morals. It is hard to say that someone has bad morals when their culture or religion has taught them those core values and views. At the same time, who is given the power to decide what is right and what is wrong? And what gives them the authority? For example, when we were reading The Bicentennial Man, humans thought that they should have full control over robots and were hesitant to give them rights. I think this was because as a species, it is natural for humans to yearn for superiority. We feel like we need to be in control because we are all fearful of something that will take our place. We are used to being at the top of the chain. We consider ourselves as the most intelligent species on earth because we have dominated by building, industrializing, and marking it as our planet. We are hesitant to share it with others, even among ourselves. Our competitive and selfish nature has proven to be beneficial, but I also think there are some downfalls. It is a very efficient way to isolate ourselves. There is an undertone of racism in The Bicentennial Man seen through the discrimination towards robots. One example is the color of their “skin”. The robots do not wear clothes and their metallic “skin” is fully exposed. Once Andrew realized that people wore clothes, he wanted to as well in order to fit in and assimilate with the human society. But, we have shown that we are often close-minded to things that differentiate from us. We are quite stubborn because we are  afraid of change. We are afraid of the threat it might have and how it might alter our system of living.

The ethical dilemma in the situation of allowing robots to have rights is how are we to expect progress in a technological world if we are denying the fact that robots should not have the freedom to be conscious individuals? It seems as if we are stopping ourselves from accepting a world where humans are not at the top of the chain. This scares us because humans have always had the power and it does not seem right to transfer that power to something else. We would feel insufficient and worthless.

But what if it would create benefits for us? In most science fiction movies, robots are often portrayed as going rogue and ending up wanting to kill the human race. My view on that is that is their only a natural response because they are so constrained. It only proves that they have very humanistic characteristics in which they feel strongly against being held against their will and being discriminated against.

A common theme I want to address with The Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court and the rise of Trump is that history repeats itself. You can see this theme expressed in The Connecticut Yankee when Hank wants to create a peaceful revolution. He is aware that the social order is convoluted and something like the French Revolution is bound to happen if nothing is done. So, throughout his time in the 6th century, he tries to create change without violence. He soon finds out that this is not possible. So, history repeats itself in a bloody battle between the nobles and the lower class.

Although it is a scary thing to realize, Trump has shown certain characteristics that are similar to Adolf Hitler during his reign of power. Laurence W. Britt advocating and warned people of the early signs of fascism. These included “powerful and consuming nationalism, disdain for human rights, identification of enemies/scapegoats, supremacy of the military, obsession with national security” and many other corrupt ideologies. Trump has proven that these are on his top list of priorities in his new job as president. One in particular is his ban on refugees for fear that they will bring terrorism with them and endanger the safety of U.S. citizens. It is quite the opposite actually.

We were lucky enough to be able to attend the walkout that was held in the quad, where people gathered to discuss and provide support for those affected by Trump’s recent ban on refugees. This movement is un-American and unpatriotic. This country was built on immigrants and refugees. It is ironic considering that those that first came to our country (the pilgrims) were searching for a safe place to practice their own religion. It is not right that we are shutting the doors on those who are in danger. People from Somalia, Syria, Iraq and Iran are trying to flee their country because of the horrific violence that is occurring. America, in their mind, is an opportunity to rebuild their lives.

Alicia Keys produced a great short film that put Americans in the shoes of the thousands of refugees who are not safe in their homeland. For a lot of us, we may feel for those who are affected by this ban but we are fortunate to not have to worry about something happening to us. The point of the video is to bring the struggles of the refugees into a relatable context. I think it is important to blur the line between “us” and “them”, because in the end we are all human.

After reading Anson Rabinbach’s book, “The Human Motor”, I began to wonder if society’s perception of work and its value it brings to one’s life should be viewed as a positive or negative thing. I have always believed in hard work and the places it can take you. I have put myself through more than a fair amount of pain and discomfort to know that fatigue is a very real thing. So, when Rabinbach walked the reader through the history of multiple physicians, sociologists and philosopher’s views on the battle between fatigue and idleness, I was very intrigued. Towards the beginning of his discussion, Rabinbach introduced some groundwork with how fatigue was discovered and how it heavily affected the way society functions.

Fatigue was considered the start point of social disorder and moral decay because the world depended on a constant working system. It was a sign of weakness and an absence of will. Reflecting on the law of thermodynamics has caused people to think that the human body is a machine and the ideal worker never gets tired. So, work hours were increased and the pressure to perform at an optimal rate was very high. But this in turn led people to realize that fatigue is an important factor and that in order to function, people need rest. People began to push for change and reform. The social, economic, and political benefits were unlocked when they discovered the most efficient way to work.  They opted for shorter hours and considerable breaks in order to maximize the worker’s energy. This caused a new perception of the word “idleness”. Instead of thinking of it as committing a sin, being idle was accepted as a natural process that the body needed to go through.

A good example of the balance between work and leisure is evident in the film, “Expo of the White City”, which documents the extravagant displays of the World Fair put on in Chicago during the late 19th century. So much effort, time, and money was put into this grand expo in which countries from all over the world were given the opportunity to show everyone “what they were made of”. This ranged from material goods, technological inventions, and cultural backgrounds that worked in a paradoxical way. People were given the chance to experience something new and different. It opened their eyes to other parts of the world. But, some things provoked feelings of revulsion and fear. I think the World Fair had an undertone of competition and was utilized as a means of measuring who was at the top and who had the most power. In all the glory and show of the fair, we have to consider the work that was behind it. The preparation of putting on this show was hard to even conceive. They created the displays in record time by developing efficient techniques that have stuck with us to today. This gave way to the pleasure and leisure the fair-goers experienced. Without the hard work and effort, there would have been nothing to enjoy. Therefore, work and leisure are two processes that have to converse in order to bring order to the world.

Coming into this class, I was not quite sure what to expect. Looking back on the discussions we had this week, I am glad I enrolled in this course. Being a biology major, I am used to intense memorization of terms and have never been pushed to think about deeper psychological issues at hand. I think this will give me a new perspective and will encourage me to apply myself in my education in ways that I never considered.

I was especially interested in the excerpt from Sigmund Freud’s “Civilization and Its Discontents” (1913) that we read in class on Thursday. This was written shortly after World War I in which technology showed a significant progression. Although the introduction of these inventions, such as the telephone and the railroad, allowed communication and travel to make great advancements, Freud and others were not as excited. They saw this progression as a hinderance and did not see the point because they created problems of their own. Looking at this dialectically, we can see how technology can both enable happiness and cause suffering. In medicine for example, there is the moral question of whether it is better to extend one’s life so that they have more time on Earth or if this would only elongate the suffering in which “we can only welcome death as a deliverer”. It is also important to consider the consequences of increasing one’s longevity with the planet in mind. If the birth rate continues to increase or even stay at a very high number, the population will climb immensely. This in turn will have such a dramatic effect on the environment, with food and water shortages, increased carbon footprint, and many other problems. This spiral effect poses an alarming reality check and makes us question whether technological advances are actually beneficial.

Connecting this to Mark Twain’s book “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court”, we speculate the main character, Hank, and his observations of the new time period he has been placed in. There are obvious differences that show how time and technology influences every aspect of life. Hank is awestruck at their fashion, the way they talk, and the way they treat their prisoners like “white indians”. With every new technological advance, society will change and adapt to that technology. Humans don’t have much free will at all. Whatever society as a whole is using to communicate, they feel the need to have that as well. There is a fear of being left out and not being able to be on the same page as everyone else. I think that this shows that as a species, we are always looking for the next best thing because we seem to be dissatisfied with what we have. Hank shows this theory in a different light in which people will change to fit in, even if it is not necessarily better, but to thrive in the environment they are placed in. When trying to get himself out of the numerous predicaments he finds himself in, he utilizing over exaggeration because he knows that the people in Arthur’s court will believe everything he says. He is using the form of communication during that era to his benefit and also trying to fit in and gain the approval of his peers. But, he takes this to the next level in which he uses his heightened sense of knowledge to seem all knowing and powerful. It is clear that technology has given people the opportunity to learn (printing books, microscopes, telescopes, etc) and Hank’s reference to the eclipse and his skills in explosions to destroy Merlin’s castle displays how knowledge truly is power. You can take away things and items from someone, but you cannot take away their knowledge. It become a part of who you are. This introduces another problem that technology brings about. Because people have become so addicted to technology and are even dependent on it, they are not able to separate themselves from it. They seem to lose their identity and it is quite sad to not realize one’s self importance without the help of a device. So, as you can see, there are many ways in which technology has both hindered developement of society and created new opportunites for people to grow.