How Will Robot Technologies Affect Human Morality and Self-Discipline When Pursuing Sensual Pleasure No Longer Means Damaging the Body?

Jeevan Neupane        

ENG 111        

Denise Ashkenas

April 29, 2015

How will robot technologies affect human morality and self-discipline when pursuing sensual pleasure no longer means damaging the body?

        Man’s philosophical belief, religious practices and cultural traditions also take part in shaping morality. Human morality is defined through a man’s intention of such perspective whether it is right or wrong (Johnson). These intentions are imposed in sets of standards that are accepted by society and mandated by law. Humans are aware that their existence is limited, their body is fragile and weak (Narvaez and Schore). Time passes by and cannot be rewind. Everyone will die. These are the reasons why man at the very first place imposed strict set of rules. These guidelines will help him and others understand the importance of individual existence of time. The rules allow people to have hope that after death, they find peace or a certain reward for the actions and efforts they did while they were living. In order to ensure that rules are followed, society soon created an idea of an all-knowing being, a creator or a God. Man believes that his existence came from God (Johnson).  Robot technology is going to directly affect the lives of man creating an alternate interpretation to humanity and living that would also affect the perception about human morality and self-discipline.

In the movie, the Surrogates, the ethnicities of people have already been removed. There was a 99% decrease on the crime rates, communicable disease and discrimination (The Surrogates).  These surrogates are complex robots that can be controlled by men. Thus, the surrogates do the work of men and even live their lives. One part of the movie even showed how a computer programmer was able to stop a possible murder when two surrogate men decided to rape a surrogate woman. Though this was very helpful in the law department, this idea of surrogacy may not be helping civilians in upholding their human morality in terms of pursuing sensual pleasure.

        Sensual pleasure literally means a good feeling of a person coming from all of his five senses. All of man’s faculties have to operate accordingly in order to be in sync with his pleasure. The Surrogate Movie claimed that a person can feel such pleasure without damaging the body.  The body of the person is a biochemical plastic whose skin is made of special silicon fiber and the body frame is built in semi-alloy metallic composition with green fluid.

When the surrogate dies, it would not in a way directly affect the operator or the true person. Initially, man might be happy with the idea that sensual pleasure can be attainted without the wear and tear of bodily organs. After all, the true fragile body organs are safely placed inside a bed. Somehow, the mind is the only one that feels the sensual pleasure while other body senses are at rest. Unfortunately, man would eventually abuse this opportunity.

One has to remember that man has placed and constructed a set of rules based on human morality because of one thing – man is limited. The idea of being fragile creates that fear and precaution not to involve on too much of the bad thing and of the good thing. However, due to the nature of the surrogates, an operator can use the robotic body in any way he wants without constraints. This could be a downfall of the man.

Moreover, when the idea that the body is fragile, that life is limited, that there is a God who watches us are removed, man instinctively claim that position of being god himself. Man soon established himself as the creator. He can do everything without excuses and without regrets. Man could ultimately do whatever he wants. And this now is the problem especially that man is a sensual being who has the natural thirst to do more and innovate more.

Soon self-discipline is removed because man has no more limits. The surrogate allows him to do everything. During the act of sensual pleasure, man can tear his surrogate until exhaustion without acquiring any disease. Communicable disease will be non-existent because there is nothing to communicate directly. It is the surrogate who does all the actions. Man becomes god who only sees what the surrogates do. All the constrictions only apply to the surrogate. Removing self-discipline, the surrogate can even go beyond the usual delivery of sensual pleasure.  A very good example in the movie was when Maggie’s friends were jacking in the living room by sending electrical jolts through their robot bodies producing a drug like high (The Surrogates). If this action was already dangerous for real men but they were still able to perform it, what more disturbing actions can they not do? After all, the possibilities are endless considering that they will never die, they will always have the time and because they will always have the opportunity to do more.

...