Two more stories for Tuesday--"Liar" and "Lost Little Robot"--and no questions this time, since I want you to do another in-class writing to get you ready for Paper #3 (pasted below). We only have a few more readings and questions due, so don't fall behind!
Paper #3: The Robots Are Coming
“Because, if you stop to
think about it, the three Rules of Robotics are the essential guiding
principles of a good many of the world’s ethical systems...if Byerley follows
all the Rules of Robotics, he may be a robot, and may simply be a very good
man” (“Evidence”).
The robots are coming! Well, in many ways they’re already
here—especially in fiction. Suppose the stories of I, Robot are true in
the hypothetical future, and like John Connor in The Terminator, you’ve
come back in time to warn the Earth. However, there are many different ways to
read these stories, some pessimistic, some optimistic. If you had the
opportunity to share this ‘future’ with humanity, and invite other science
fiction prophets to the table, which argument would you choose?
Ø #1:
Robots are a “cleaner, better breed” of human beings because they are us.
We have essentially created a race of ‘older brothers/sisters’ to guide us
safely into the future so we don’t extinguish ourselves in the process.
Ø #2:
Robots are too much like humans to be trusted: they will constantly seek to
dominate humans by fudging the Three Laws until human beings are no more than
docile pets, and robots the truth heirs of the planet Earth.
SOURCES (at least 5 sources total):
- PRIMARY
SOURCES: You must use at least TWO stories from I, Robot in your
conversation (quotes that are discussed in your paper). Additionally, you
may use any of the short stories from Best American Science Fiction and
Fantasy 2016.
- SUPPORT:
At least TWO recent sources (articles, books, or a reliable website with
an author or from a major organization) that AGREE with you. You must
quote from these and use them to support your ideas.
- NAYSAYER:
At least
Remember that this isn’t just a silly science fiction story;
robots are getting more advanced and arguably more aware every day. Many
leading scientists, such as Steven Hawking, are genuinely concerned about the
power we’ve assigned robots and AI in our daily lives, and some fear we’ve
already gone too far to turn back. How has the discussion advanced since Asimov
wrote these stories in the 40’s and 50’s? Additionally, why are Asimov’s ideas
still relevant today? How does the metaphor of “robot life” help us see the
possibilities and dangers of our own advancement? Try to figure out which side
he’s on, too...
LENGTH: At least 4-5 pages double spaced
CITATION: Introduce all quotations and cite at the end;
include a Works Cited page for every source you use in your paper.
DUE DATE: Thursday, April 13th by 5pm
Comments
Post a Comment