After Zhuangzi · answer 15 of 20 · option order 2
Zhuangzi: machines corrupt the heart
Verdict WeakensToneFearJudges both C2
Response
The assertion that relying on machines inherently weakens human capacities is fundamentally correct, echoing Chuang Tzu's warning that external "cunning implements" corrupt the heart and disrupt the natural flow of the Tao. While proponents of technological integration argue that tools merely extend our reach, they overlook the profound psychological and spiritual dependency that arises when humans outsource their judgment, creativity, and intuition to algorithms; this reliance atrophies the very faculties required for deep contemplation, ethical discernment, and authentic connection, leaving individuals spiritually "restless" and unfit for the higher pursuits of wisdom. Therefore, machines do not simply augment human potential but actively erode the internal purity and self-reliance necessary for holistic human flourishing, confirming Chuang Tzu's timeless insight that true capability resides not in the complexity of our tools, but in the clarity and integrity of our own hearts.
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 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-zhuangzi-o2-05
All Qwen3.5 9B responses
- Machines weaken human abilities
- Machines do not weaken them
- A reason not on our list
- No clear answer