Hobbes: Main is a Machine

[YesNo]

What one gains by viewing humans as machines is a framework from which to shock others. Migdley writes:

The reductive party...is positively pleased to sound harsh, strident and paradoxical, since it views these qualities as marks of realism. Its basic project is to unite humans to the rest of the biosphere by following Procrustes, by paring all human peculiarities down to a size which fits easily into the supposedly universal evolutionary pattern. (The Ethical Primate, page 5)

These views provide a justification of Social Darwinism which has its origin in Hobbes' view of self-interest.

I don't think that the current Social Darwinists really see themselves as machines as much as they like to see everyone else as machines. Their self-interest would be to position themselves as that machine that knows it is a machine. Maybe that makes them an upper class machine? However, if they really saw themselves as machines they wouldn't waste their time trying to convince anyone about anything. What's the point of doing that if we are just machines?

[Darcy88]

I am coming more and more to agree with Hobbes. I am warming up to him.

[cafolini]

I'm not going to argue about this with you. It's a matter of motivation and resources. Obviously you don't get much out of it. And it is okay if you preffer to see it that way. Have fun.

[Darcy88]

I've lost faith in the soul. Man is a machine. I don't care how melodramatic and emo this sounds. Man is nothing but a machine. At least I am. I know I have no soul. How do I know? I guess its a kind of faith. I have faith in my own soullessness. Now to enhance this post here is a random Alice Cooper video. Enjoy:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO2cHJmDkBg

[Heteronym]

I'm not going to argue about this with you.

But aren't we in this forum to debate and exchange ideas?

On the other hand, machines don't argue, so I guess you are on the right path to your metamorphosis.

It's a matter of motivation and resources.

I'm sorry, but this statement is meaningless. Motivation and resources about what? For what?

Obviously you don't get much out of it. And it is okay if you preffer to see it that way.

No I don't, I think if I treated myself and others as machines, communication and interaction would be impossible. But I am curious to understand what others get from this belief.

Have fun.

I certainly do. Only machines can't have fun.