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Essay / Cyborgs: are they human? - 1981
Cyborgs are a very common recurring motif in science fiction works such as books, films, television, etc. We see these cyborgs everywhere in this genre, but we only partially grasp the concept of humanity in cyborgs. A cyborg is an organism composed of both artificial and natural components, hence the full name "cybernetic organism". For clarification, when I talk about cyborgs, I am referring to artificially created organisms or beings rather than humans with cybernetic modifications. One of the key traits of cyborgs is their uncanny ability to replicate the thought processes and emotions of human beings, even though they are not human. My argument is that cyborgs (specifically those artificially created to look like humans) are in fact not human at all, and I will explain why. To begin with, there are some similarities between human beings that we can compare to cyborgs. A comparison between humans and cyborgs is how signals are sent throughout their bodies. Cyborgs and humans send low-pulse electrical signals throughout the body. These signals are sent to the brain or central processing unit whenever each of the five senses is stimulated in some way and evokes an emotional response. For example, if you touch something hot, the signal that tells your brain that burning sensation travels to the brain via nerves. For human beings, this is true; while cyborgs may have organically created mechanisms similar to human nerves, as well as integrated circuits that transmit the same type of electrical signals. What it means to be human is not limited to physiological aspects such as nerves and the brain. There are other aspects than organic materials that define a center...... middle of paper...... part of us that is eternal. As humans, we do not have a complete understanding of what a soul is or how we were created by God as a material and spiritual being. We are not capable of reproducing the human soul. The consequence is therefore that everything that is artificially created by humans does not have a true soul. Our dependence on God as the Creator and Sustainer of human life on Earth is an integral part of our humanity. We can have hope for the future even after we die because we are children of God. By grace we are allowed to live forever. This relationship with God as His image-bearer, which artificially created robots and cyborgs lack, should not be taken for granted. Our existence is due to God's ability to perfectly create and redeem through His love for us. It is the distinction that allows us to divide the boundary between human and non-human..