“Yes, much faster than we can…”
“So, if a primitive intelligent being saw it and witnessed its ability to see, hear, move around, consume energy and communicate with others, will this primitive being not assume it has a separate conscious existence on its own?”
“Sure.”
“But is that really the case?”
“Yes and no.”
“Go on…”
“Yes, because it apparently does things on its own, but no, because all its activities are the results of pre-programmed data.”
“So, let’s talk about humans now. But first, let’s think of an android that looks exactly like a human in appearance, with an extremely powerful electric brain in its head and let’s assume this android is called ‘human’. Let’s also assume that it has been programmed so comprehensively that it is able to give the correct response to any external stimulus it may receive. Can such a thing be possible?”
“Well, it hasn’t been invented yet, but theoretically yes, it is possible…”
“Can everyone understand the way this robot operates?”
“No! Only those with an extensive knowledge of electronics can to some extent understand its mechanics…”
“How about when people see these programmed robots, I mean the androids, from outside?”
“It is quite possible, because of their immaculate programming, that they are mistaken for independent intelligent beings…”
“Additionally, if we assume a center that remotely monitors these androids and uploads the necessary information to them, if and when the need arises, that is, if they could be remotely controlled via electronic messages, would there be any doubt left as to their independence?”
“Probably not… So, what are you trying to say, Alph? Are you suggesting that humans are like androids?”
“I want to ask you a few questions.”
“Go ahead.”
“Has ‘humanity’ been able to decipher the mystery of the brain yet? How does the brain work? What does it run on? What are its operations? How does it respond to stimuli? How do characters and dispositions form? What is instinct and intuition, and how do they form? What is inspiration and where does it come from?”
“To be honest, I do not believe we have a systematic and a holistic explanation to any of these phenomena yet…”
“Ok, here’s another question: If someone offered another person a piece of cake, and said ‘here, eat it’ but the person refused to eat it, can he say ‘you are stupid because I told you to eat it, and you didn’t’? Or, let me give another example. Let’s say there is a man imprisoned in a cell and one day the guard unlocks the door and says ‘go’ but the man does not leave… Will the guard not think that the man is deliberately and consciously choosing not to leave and therefore deserves to be imprisoned?”
“Yes..?”
“But there is a person, far away from the prison, who is sending magnetic energy to prevent the man from leaving his cell! The guard does not know this, but an observer nearby is aware of the situation. According to the guard, the man has the choice to leave but prefers to stay inside, and thus deserves the punishment. According to the observer, however, he has no choice or will, as he is being forced to remain inside and therefore should not be blamed.
“As we can see, the same man is free according to one viewer, and compelled according to another. Therefore, one who does not know will judge and blame, whereas the one who knows will see things forwhat they really are.”