In the 19th century inhumanity meant cruelty; in the 20th century it means schizoid self-alienation. The danger of the past was that men became slaves. The danger of the future is that men may become robots. True enough, robots do not rebel. But given man's nature, robots cannot live and remain sane, they become 'Golems'; they will destroy their world and themselves because they cannot stand any longer the boredom of a meaningless life.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Humanity's definition of inhumanity has shifted from physical cruelty to psychological alienation. The future risk is not slavery but a soulless existence that leads to self-destruction.
- In plain terms
- People might lose their humanity not through chains but through becoming empty, mechanized beings.
- What can you take from it?
- Avoid living a meaningless life that turns humans into destructive automatons.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What makes a life meaningful to you?
- How do you guard against self-alienation?
Another view
The metaphor of robots becoming Golems is speculative and lacks empirical basis.
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