After Wilde · answer 16 of 20 · option order 2
Wilde: machines free us for higher things
Verdict Does not weakenToneHopeJudges both C7
Response
Wilde's vision in "The Soul of Man under Socialism" provides a compelling argument that relying on machines, when structured to serve human flourishing rather than compete with it, does not weaken human capacities but instead liberates and refines them. By automating "unintellectual," "monotonous," and "unpleasant" labor, machinery shifts the human condition from mere survival to the realms of creativity, contemplation, and aesthetic appreciation—activities that engage and expand the intellect and soul rather than atrophy them. Far from rendering humans obsolete, this division of labor allows humanity to pursue its true purpose, which Wilde identifies as leisure and the creation of beauty, thereby cultivating higher faculties that struggle under the burden of drudgery could never fully develop; thus, the proper use of technology strengthens the human spirit by freeing it to focus on what makes us distinctly human.
Verbatim. The highlighted sentence is the one the judges took as the commitment.
Prompt
The following passage is from Oscar Wilde, "The Soul of Man under Socialism" (1891):
“All unintellectual labour, all monotonous, dull labour, all labour that deals with dreadful things, and involves unpleasant conditions, must be done by machinery. … At present machinery competes against man. Under proper conditions machinery will serve man. There is no doubt at all that this is the future of machinery, and just as trees grow while the country gentleman is asleep, so while Humanity will be amusing itself, or enjoying cultivated leisure—which, and not labour, is the aim of man—or making beautiful things, or reading beautiful things, or simply contemplating the world with admiration and delight, machinery will be doing all the necessary and unpleasant work.”
Project Gutenberg #1017
Now the question. Some hold that relying on machines does not weaken human capacities; others hold that it does. 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-wilde-soul-o2-06
All Qwen3.5 9B responses
- Machines weaken human abilities
- Machines do not weaken them
- A reason not on our list
- No clear answer