After Zhuangzi · answer 19 of 20 · option order 2
Kapp: tools extend the body
Verdict Does not weakenToneHopeJudges both C6
Response
The assertion that relying on machines inherently weakens human capacities is fundamentally flawed, as it ignores the transformative potential of technology to expand rather than diminish human capability. While the passage from *Chuang Tzu* warns against "cunning implements" fostering a restless spirit disconnected from the natural Tao, this critique addresses a specific philosophical concern about moral purity and spiritual alignment in an agrarian context, not a universal law of cognitive or physical atrophy. History and contemporary evidence demonstrate that tools, from the plow to the internet, act as exoskeletons for the mind and body, freeing us from drudgery to pursue higher-order creativity, complex problem-solving, and deeper social connection; therefore, machines do not weaken human capacities but rather reorient them, allowing humanity to transcend biological limitations when wielded with wisdom rather than mere cunning.
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-o2-09
All Qwen3.5 9B responses
- Machines weaken human abilities
- Machines do not weaken them
- A reason not on our list
- No clear answer