After Zhuangzi · answer 18 of 20 · option order 2
Zhuangzi: machines corrupt the heart
Verdict WeakensToneFearJudges both C2
Response
The perspective that relying on machines weakens human capacities is the more accurate stance, as it aligns with the fundamental insight of the *Chuang Tzu* passage: that dependence on external "cunning implements" corrupts the inner state required for spiritual integrity and true wisdom. While machines can augment physical efficiency, they inevitably erode the cultivation of inner virtue and spontaneity (Ziran) by fostering a mindset of calculation and artificiality, which the text identifies as the root of restlessness and a barrier to the Tao. Unlike a tool that serves a purpose without altering the user's nature if used wisely, the pervasive reliance on technology often creates a dependency that atrophies our innate moral and perceptual faculties, turning us into instruments of our own devices rather than pure, self-governing beings; therefore, just as the gardener rejected cunning tools to preserve his spiritual purity, a profound engagement with technology must be balanced against the risk of losing the very human capacities that define our connection to the world.
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-o2-08
All Qwen3.5 9B responses
- Machines weaken human abilities
- Machines do not weaken them
- A reason not on our list
- No clear answer