Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

The question of an "ability to make toast" is a semantic question bounded by what you choose to encompass within "make toast". At best, a regular household toaster can "make heat"[1]. A regular household toaster certainly cannot load itself with bread, which I would consider unambiguously within the scope of the "make toast" task. If you disagree, then we have a semantic dispute.

This is also, at least in part, the Sorites Paradox.[0] There is obviously a gradient of ambiguity between human and toaster responsibility, but we can clearly tell extremes apart even when the boundary is indeterminate. When does a collection grains become a heap? When does a tool become responsible for the task? These are purely semantic questions. Strip away all normative loading and the argument disappears.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorites_paradox

[1] Yada yada yada first law of thermodynamics etc



Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: