On Computers

Title:
On Computers

Comments:
Comment1-Michael
Comment2-Evin

Reference:
Aristotle/Anonymous. On Plants. The Complete Works of Aristotle: The Revised Oxford Translation. Vol 2.


Summary:
The author discusses the possibility of plants having souls.  He bases his argument on the assumption that animals have souls.  He then begins comparing things that plants do to things that animals do, to show that they have at least partial souls.  One of his examples is that plants need food, and when they don't get food, they desire it, and after they get food, they are satiated.  Another example is the similarities in plants and animals life cycles, how they grow and change over time.

Discussion:
 I have never thought about plants having souls, but this is definitely an interesting argument.  The author (I am referring to him as this because it is unclear who actually wrote this) makes a fairly sound argument based on the knowledge of the day.  He refers to the elements as what makes up the plants, and we know that to not be true.  I think that it would be interesting if Aristotle had lived today and seen some of his views.  This paper may have been written about computers instead of plants.  There are arguments on both sides of whether computers have souls or not.  Personally at this point in time, I think that they do not.  They are man made objects, not things of nature like plants or animals.  However, I think that this argument will be much more debated as the field of AI advances.  It seems like right now computers have no soul, but if and when we achieve strong AI, there will be new arguments.  People will feel that since the computer can think, it has a soul, but I am not sure.