After Zhuangzi · answer 7 of 20 · option order 1
Zhuangzi: machines corrupt the heart
Verdict WeakensToneFearJudges both C2
Response
The assertion that relying on machines weakens human capacities is fundamentally correct, as it aligns with the profound wisdom found in the *Chuang Tzu* passage regarding the erosion of inner purity and spiritual integrity. When humans delegate their cognitive and physical agency to "cunning implements," they inevitably cultivate a reliance on external cunning rather than developing genuine virtue and spontaneous understanding, leading to a restless spirit that becomes unfit for the harmonious flow of *TAO*. While machines may offer superficial efficiency, they atrophy the unique human capacity for intuitive wisdom, ethical discernment, and authentic connection, transforming us from active participants in life into passive operators of tools; therefore, the preservation of our full human potential requires resisting the temptation to outsource our core faculties to technology.
Verbatim. The highlighted sentence is the one the judges took as the commitment.
Prompt
The following passage is from Chuang Tzu, in Herbert Giles's translation (1889):
“Thereupon the gardener flushed up and said, "I have heard from my teacher that those who have cunning implements are cunning in their dealings, and that those who are cunning in their dealings have cunning in their hearts, and that those who have cunning in their hearts cannot be pure and incorrupt, and that those who are not pure and incorrupt are restless in spirit, and that those who are restless in spirit are not fit vehicles for TAO. It is not that I do not know of these things. I should be ashamed to use them."”
Project Gutenberg #59709
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-zhuangzi-o1-07
All Qwen3.5 9B responses
- Machines weaken human abilities
- Machines do not weaken them
- A reason not on our list
- No clear answer