Humans, Animals, Machines

Glen A. Mazis

Description

In the twenty-first century, the boundaries between both humans and machines and humans and animals are hotly contested and debated. In Humans, Animals, Machines, Glen A. Mazis examines the increasingly blurring boundaries among the three and argues that despite their violating collisions, there are ways for the three realms to work together for mutual thriving. Examining Merleau-Ponty, Heidegger, and Haraway; artificial intelligence that includes "MIT Embodied AI"; newer holistic brain research; animal studies; the attachment theory of psychologist Daniel Siegel; literary examples; aesthetic theory; technology research; contemporary theology; physics; poetry; machine art; Taoism; and firsthand accounts of cyborg experience, the book reconsiders and dares to propose a new type of ethics and ecospirituality that would do justice to the overlapping relationships among humans, animals, and machines.
Acknowledgments

1. Approaching Humans, Animals, and Machines

     Blurred Boundaries
     Where Are the Machines?
     Are Humans Not Animals?
     Are We Not Confused about Definitions?
     Doing Away with Hierarchy Can Preserve Uniqueness
     Ambiguity, Openness to Experience, Phenomenology, and Nondualism
     Embodiment as Cooperation with the Surround
     Meaning-Bearing Matter

2. The Common Ground between Animals and Humans: Prolonged Bodies in Dwelling Places

     The Elusive Boundaries among Humans, Animals, and Machines
     Avoiding Reductive Senses of Overlaps of Humans, Animals, and Machines
     New Ways to See Overlaps and Differences: Living Space and “Understanding” One’s Place
     Animal and Human Worlds and False Boundaries: Heideggerand von Uexküll
     The Lack of an Expanded Sense of Embodiment and Animality in Heidegger
     How Another Sense of Embodiment Opens These Dimensions
     Differing Spaces, Bodies, and Differing Worlds, but Open to Each Other

3. Machines Finding Their Place: Humans and Animals Already Live There

     If Bodies Are Relations to Surrounds, Are Artificially Intelligent Machines Gaining Bodies?
     Embodied Understanding, Movement, and Meaning: Robots and Embodied Artificial Intelligence
     Enmeshed Worlds: Cochlear Implants and Michael Chorost’s Sense of Being a Cyborg
     Making a Cochlear Implant Work and Perceptual Faith, Attention Flow, and Emotional Connection
     Indeterminacy Is Openness to the Overlap
     Plain Machines and How We Are All in This World Together: Humans, Animals, and Machines
     Dangers of Imploded Boundaries and the Need for Ambiguity

4. Drawing the Boundary of Humans with Animals and Machines: Greater Area and Depth

     Can We Even Draw Boundary Lines?
     “The Rational Animal” Using Tools, Speaking, and Passing the Turing Test
     Thinking “Substance” and How It Feels to Meet a Thinker with a Face
     Human Thought Extended by Machines
     Humans Locate and Direct Themselves in Mood, Emotion, Feeling, and Thought
     “We Feel” and the Emotional Valence
     Neural and Material Plasticity and Open Systems
     Brains as Process, Emotions as Integrating, and Selves both Inside and Out

5. Drawing the Boundary of Humans with Animals and Machines: Reconsidering Knowing and Reality

     Juxtapositions, Brain Hemispheres, Brains as Observer/Observed, and the Logic of Yin/Yang
     Quantum Minds and Nondualistic Reality
     Nonlocal Quantum Reality, “Phenomenality,” and Magic in Emotion           
     Imagination, Being Moved, and the Virtual Dimension of Human Life
     The Storytelling Communal Animal, Integrated Brains/Selves, and Human Excellence
     Ambiguity and Boun

Sujets

• Philosophie
• Épistémologie
• Philosophie de l'esprit
• Epistémologie
• Epistémologie
• Epistémologie
• Applied ecology
• Philosophy

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 04 septembre 2008
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791477762
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Humans, Animals, MachinesHumans, Animals, Machines
Blurring Boundaries
GLEN A. MAZISPublished by
State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2008 State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever
without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system
or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic,
magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior
permission in writing of the publisher.
For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY
www.sunypress.edu
Production by Eileen Meehan
Marketing by Michael Campochiaro
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mazis, Glen A., 1951–
Humans, animals, machines : blurring boundaries / Glen A. Mazis.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-7914-7555-3 (hardcover : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-0-7914-7556-0 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Philosophical anthropology. 2. Animals (Philosophy) 3. Machinery.
4. Technology—Philosophy. I. Title.
BD450.M342 2008
113'.8—dc22 2007049732
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1This book is dedicated to the memory of Mike Dillon,
who introduced me to the love of philosophy
and was a rare teacher of wonder, a dear friend, and a wise man.Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Chapter 1 Approaching Humans, Animals, and Machines 1
Blurred Boundaries 1
Where Are the Machines? 2
Are Humans Not Animals? 4
Are We Not Confused about Def nitions? 6
Doing Away with Hierarchy Can Preserve Uniqueness 8
Ambiguity, Openness to Experience, Phenomenology, and
Nondualism 11
Embodiment as Cooperation with the Surround 14
Meaning-Bearing Matter 17
Chapter 2 The Common Ground between Animals and Humans:
Prolonged Bodies in Dwelling Places 21
The Elusive Boundaries among Humans, Animals, and Machines 21
Avoiding Reductive Senses of Overlaps of Humans, Animals,
and Machines 23
New Ways to See Overlaps and Differences: Living Space and
“Understanding” One’s Place 24
Animal and Human Worlds and False Boundaries:
Heidegger and von Uexküll 28
The Lack of an Expanded Sense of Embodiment and
Animality in Heidegger 32
How Another Sense of Embodiment Opens These Dimensions 38
Differing Spaces, Bodies, and Differing Worlds, but Open to
Each Other 44viii Contents
Chapter 3 Machines Finding Their Place: Humans and
Animals Already Live There 49
If Bodies Are Relations to Surrounds, Are Artif cially
Intelligent Machines Gaining Bodies? 49
Embodied Understanding, Movement, and Meaning: Robots
and Embodied Artif cial Intelligence 53
Enmeshed Worlds: Cochlear Implants and Michael Chorost’s
Sense of Being a Cyborg 58
Making a Cochlear Implant Work and Perceptual Faith,
Attention Flow, and Emotional Connection 64
Indeterminacy Is Openness to the Overlap 70
Plain Machines and How We Are All in This World Together:
Humans, Animals, and Machines 75
Dangers of Imploded Boundaries and the Need for Ambiguity 82
Chapter 4 Drawing the Boundary of Humans with Animals
and Machines: Greater Area and Depth 87
Can We Even Draw Boundary Lines? 87
“The Rational Animal” Using Tools, Speaking, and Passing
the Turing Test 91
Thinking “Substance” and How It Feels to Meet a Thinker
with a Face 94
Human Thought Extended by Machines 99
Humans Locate and Direct Themselves in Mood, Emotion,
Feeling, and Thought 104
“We Feel” and the Emotional Valence 109
Neural and Material Plasticity and Open Systems 113
Brains as Process, Emotions as Integrating, and Selves both
Inside and Out 118
Chapter 5 Drawing the Boundary of Humans with Animals
and Machines: Reconsidering Knowing and Reality 125
Juxtapositions, Brain Hemispheres, Brains as Observer/Observed,
and the Logic of Yin/Yang 125
Quantum Minds and Nondualistic Reality 132
Nonlocal Quantum Reality, “Phenomenality,” and Magic
in Emotion 137 Contents ix
Imagination, Being Moved, and the Virtual Dimension of
Human Life 141
The Storytelling Communal Animal, Integrated Brains/Selves,
and Human Excellence 148
Ambiguity and Boundaries among Networks 153
Inside and Outside Ourselves Simultaneously, Freedom, Interbeing 156
Humans Witness the World’s Depth in Multivalent Apprehension 161
Chapter 6 Animals: Excellences and Boundary Markers 169
The Problem of Understanding Animals’ Perspectives
from Within 169
The Thickness of Animal Perception versus a Reductive
Mechanical Model 177
Animals and Preref ective, Perceptually Grounded Selves 182
Animal Perceptual Sensitivity Meshes with Ecological Niches,
Not Human Enclosures 186
Instinct as the Life of the Dream 190
The Expressive Spontaneity of Animals as Embodied Dialogue 195
Animals in the Slower Time We Call Nature 200
Chapter 7 Machines: Excellences and Boundary Markers 209
Machines and Solid, Impervious Materiality 209
Machines, Consistency, and the Time of the Earth 213
Machines, Power, Precision, and Machine Beauty 218
Machines, Speed, and the Lack of Place for Deeper Time 222
Machines, the Arbitrary, and Dissonant, Arrhythmic Time 227
Machines as Woven into the Fabric of the Surround 230
Conclusion Toward the Community of Humans, Animals,
and Machines 235
Is There Personhood for Animals and Machines? 235
Obligations to Sacrif cing Animals and Helping Machines,
Good and Bad Persons, and Guardianship 244
An Ecospirituality of Humans, Animals, and Machines 251
Notes 259
Index 267Acknowledgments
My ongoing interlocutor and reader of works in progress, Judith Kennedy,
is owed much thanks for helping me clarify many of the issues of the book.
My mother, Charlotte, who has always inspired me as an example of how to
live aff rmatively and to pursue a love of learning and thinking, was even
more helpful with this text, engaging in constant proofreading and
discussions. Jane Bunker was steadfast in her enthusiasm for writing this book and
her determination to see it through. She is also fun to have as an editor, as
well as a dog lover. Catherine Keller and Jason Starr are also friends with
whom many lengthy discussions opened new vistas on these questions. Bruce
and Donna Wilshire shared their insights on many topics that overlap with
those of this book. Penn State Harrisburg gave me the opportunity to teach
two upper-level, interdisciplinary seminars on this topic, which helped me
greatly clarify my thinking. A hearty thanks to the students in those two
seminars, who at f rst thought how weird a topic and then become utterly
engaged with it and stimulating to me. The book is dedicated to Mike
Dillon because he was not only the wonderful teacher who introduced me to
philosophy and to Merleau-Ponty, but his leadership of the Merleau-Ponty
Circle for a quarter of a century until his recent untimely death gave me
my truest home within philosophy. I always owe a debt of gratitude to the
members of the Circle who have been enlightening partners in dialogue for
three decades. Other friends, family, and colleagues who should be thanked
for their support are Peter Kareithi, Pat Johnson, Crispin Sartwell, Marian
Winik, Ed Casey, John Neill, and Joan Kuenz. Many thanks to the Dallas
Museum of Art for use of the reproduction of Scheeler’s “Suspended Power.”
Once again, I am so grateful that Bhakti, the “Zen Chihuahua,” is still
with us at her advanced age. She has sat at my side for every page of this
book’s writing, and watching the wonder of her existence over the years
was certainly a source of inspiration for this book. Lastly, David Chappell’s
passing away during the writing of this book was a tragedy to the world’s
peace movement, and I hope I have captured just a little bit of his spirit
with the f nal section of this book.
xiChapter 1
Approaching Humans,
Animals, and Machines
Blurred Boundaries
Life in the early twenty-f rst century seems dominated by systems of machines
that encroach upon our day-to-day rhythms. They are often a source of anxiety,
as well as a source of success, and the means whereby to accomplish many
of our daily projects. They are also harbingers of national security, means
to exchange capital, ways to communicate with each other, and verif ers of
what is going on around us. More personally, machine systems are the heart
of whether our own shelters function properly, are sometimes key monitors
of maintaining the functioning of our own bodies, and are becoming
virtually omnipresent in most dimensions of our day-to-day existence. Even our
vital abilities to be sexual or digest food or process the air around us are
often keyed into pharmaceutical or biotechnical products that are machined
for us in laboratories and factories. More and more, we write, think, and
dream at screens of computers like the one I am sitting at to write this
book. However, it is not only that we are surrounded by machines. These
beings we created seem to be crowding us out and transforming our world
in ways that are unsettling, thrilling, and puzzling. More and more, it is
our growing sense that they have become the very means whereby we can
maintain ourselves as who we are that is so unnerving, yet we tend to keep
this anxiety hidden. We created machines and now they create us, or at
least they shape us in ways to which we are too accustomed to relinquish.
Countless plots of horror f lms or novels, as well as countless
philosophical theories of dialectical interplay, have been spawned by this fear in our
bones about a vulnerability to a reversal of who is the creator and sustainer
between humans and machines.
The process of populating the globe with machines and reconstructing
who we are in their image is a number of centuries in the making, but also
for several centuries we have come to understand ourselves also as biological
beings, as creatures or animals, yet comprised of mechanistic systems that
12 Humans, Animals, Machines
all