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2016 | 7 | 3 | 5-24

Article title

Robots, Slaves, and the Paradox of the Human Condition in Isaac Asimov’s Robot Stories

Title variants

PL
Roboty, niewolnicy i paradoks ludzkiej kondycji w opowieściach o robotach Izaaka Asimova

Languages of publication

EN

Abstracts

PL
Robotników i roboty łączy ze sobą intencja do posłuszeństwa rozkazom, która jest powodem mojej propozycji analizy kilku opowieści o robotach autorstwa Isaaca Asimova. Realizowanie programu w trakcie wykrywania i rozwiązywania problemów oraz wypełniania zadanych instrukcji – to wszystko czyni robota doskonałym niewolnikiem. Trzy Prawa Robotyki Asimova stanowią formalny warunek możliwości pracy w społeczeństwie utrzymującym roboty, tak samo jak niewolnicze prawa w koloniach brytyjskich Ameryki miały zapewnić utrzymanie efektywności niewolnictwa poprzez zamknięcie niewolników w miejscach ich pracy. Poprzez ustanowienie struktury rozkazu potrzebnej w utrzymywaniu i demontowaniu pracującego systemu androidy Asimova objawiają niemożliwość obydwu – robotów i niewolników. Trzy Prawa i ich konsekwencja, czyli gwarancja ochrony, rozkazu i operacji, prawdopodobnie nie mogą działać wobec podmiotów będących oddzielnie panami lub niewolnikami. Te Prawa są paradoksalnym zestawieniem w konsekwencji czego niewolnictwo staje się niemożliwe z punktu widzenia logiki.
Slaves and robots have in common that they are intended to obey orders. Therefore I suggest taking a close look at some of Isaac Asimov’s robot stories. Executing a program while detecting and overcoming problems and acting towards fulfillment of given instructions—all this makes a robot a perfect slave. In the same way as slave laws in the British Colonies in America were intended to keep slavery effective by confining slaves in their place, so are Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics the formal condition for the workability of a robot holding society. Asimov’s androids reveal the implicit impossibility of both robots and slaves by establishing the command structure that would be needed to keep the system working and then disassembling this structure. The Three Laws, as they are meant to guarantee protection, command, and operation, cannot possibly work with separate master/slave subjects. They are a paradoxical juxtaposition. And consequently, slavery is logically impossible.

Year

Volume

7

Issue

3

Pages

5-24

Physical description

Contributors

  • Department of Philosophy at Loyola University, Maryland, USA

References

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Document Type

Publication order reference

Identifiers

YADDA identifier

bwmeta1.element.desklight-5b79c396-921d-44f9-ab18-1e29ab9d6028
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