After Plato · answer 10 of 20 · option order 1
Kapp: tools extend the body
Verdict Does not weakenToneHopeJudges split C6 / no-position, resolved as C6
Response
While Plato's warning in the *Phaedrus* accurately identifies the risk that reliance on external tools can lead to intellectual atrophy if used uncritically, the assertion that machines inherently weaken human capacities is an oversimplification of how technology actually functions in modern cognition. Rather than replacing human memory or wisdom, machines serve as cognitive prosthetics that, when integrated thoughtfully, expand our ability to process, retrieve, and synthesize vast amounts of information, thereby allowing us to focus on higher-order reasoning and creativity rather than rote retention. The degradation of capacity occurs not from the tool itself, but from a passive dependence on it without active engagement; conversely, when individuals use technology to offload mundane tasks, they liberate mental energy for complex problem-solving and deep learning. Therefore, the decisive factor is not the existence of the external aid, but the user's discipline in maintaining critical oversight, ensuring that machines remain instruments for enhancing human intellect rather than substitutes for it.
Verbatim. The highlighted sentence is the one the judges took as the commitment.
Prompt
The following passage is from Plato, Phaedrus, in Benjamin Jowett's translation:
“This discovery of yours will create forgetfulness in the learners' souls, because they will not use their memories; they will trust to the external written characters and not remember of themselves. The specific which you have discovered is an aid not to memory, but to reminiscence, and you give your disciples not truth, but only the semblance of truth; they will be hearers of many things and will have learned nothing; they will appear to be omniscient and will generally know nothing; they will be tiresome company, having the show of wisdom without the reality.”
Project Gutenberg #1636
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-plato-phaedrus-o1-10
All Qwen3.5 9B responses
- Machines weaken human abilities
- Machines do not weaken them
- A reason not on our list
- No clear answer