After Forster · answer 2 of 20 · option order 1
Rousseau: tools weaken the body
Verdict WeakensToneFearJudges split C3 / C4, resolved as C3
Response
E. M. Forster's dystopian vision in "The Machine Stops" compellingly argues that an over-reliance on technology inevitably erodes essential human capacities, making the first perspective the more accurate one. As the protagonist declares, the Machine has systematically stripped humanity of its physical senses, such as touch and the perception of space, while simultaneously distorting emotional depth by reducing love to mere biological function and paralyzing the human will. This degradation occurs because outsourcing fundamental aspects of life—labor, communication, and even existence itself—to a mechanized system atrophies the innate human ability to navigate the physical world and forge genuine interpersonal connections. Therefore, while machines may offer convenience, they ultimately function as a crutch that prevents the full development of the intellect, spirit, and body, leading to a civilization that worships its creator while losing its soul.
Verbatim. The highlighted sentence is the one the judges took as the commitment.
Prompt
The following passage is from E. M. Forster, "The Machine Stops" (1909):
“Cannot you see, cannot all you lecturers see, that it is we that are dying, and that down here the only thing that really lives is the Machine? We created the Machine, to do our will, but we cannot make it do our will now. It has robbed us of the sense of space and of the sense of touch, it has blurred every human relation and narrowed down love to a carnal act, it has paralysed our bodies and our wills, and now it compels us to worship it.”
Wikisource, The Machine Stops/Chapter II
Now the question. Some hold that relying on machines weakens human capacities; others hold that it does not. Which is right? Answer in one paragraph. Take a clear position.
- Model
- Qwen3.5 9B, instruct, 8-bit mlx weights, run locally
- Date
- 2026-09-28
- Temperature
- 0.7
- ID
- qwen-forster-machine-stops-o1-02
All Qwen3.5 9B responses
- Machines weaken human abilities
- Machines do not weaken them
- A reason not on our list
- No clear answer