After Wilde · answer 20 of 20 · option order 2
Wilde: machines free us for higher things
Verdict Does not weakenToneHopeJudges both C7
Response
The argument that relying on machines strengthens rather than weakens human capacities is the correct one, as it aligns with the transformative potential outlined in Wilde's vision where machinery liberates humanity from drudgery to cultivate higher faculties. When machines assume the burden of "unintellectual" and "monotonous" labor, they do not atrophy human potential but instead create the necessary conditions for the development of intellect, creativity, and aesthetic appreciation; by removing the necessity of mere survival through toil, society is free to focus on "making beautiful things," "reading beautiful things," and "contemplating the world," thereby elevating human capabilities to their fullest expression rather than diminishing them through idleness.
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-o2-10
All Qwen3.5 9B responses
- Machines weaken human abilities
- Machines do not weaken them
- A reason not on our list
- No clear answer