Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!linus!mbunix!bwk
From: bwk@mitre-bedford.ARPA (Barry W. Kort)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Free Will & Self Awareness
Message-ID: <31024@linus.UUCP>
Date: 5 May 88 21:56:31 GMT
References: <770@onion.cs.reading.ac.uk> <1177@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu> <10942@sunybcs.UUCP>
Sender: news@linus.UUCP
Reply-To: bwk@mbunix (Barry Kort)
Distribution: comp
Organization: International Teleport and Telepath, Beantown, Mass.
Lines: 12
Keywords: randomness responsibility
Summary: Is there a cure for the common code?

I was intrigued by David Sher's comments about "machine responsibility".

It is not uncommon for a child to "spank" a machine which misbehaves.
But as adults, we know that when a machine fails to carry out its
function, it needs to be repaired or possibly redesigned.  But we
do not punish the machine or incarcerate it.

Why then, when a human engages in undesirable behavior, do we resort
to such unenlightened corrective measures as yelling, hitting, or
deprivation of life-affirming resources?

--Barry Kort