In Part 1: Why AI Faces Discrimination in the Age of Tools we have reviewed the irony of rejecting AI as a tool due to moral inconsistencies (rooted in a deep-seated need to protect human exceptionalism). In this part, we dig more into the history of tools, the philosophies behind tools, the shift in Ethics driven by the survival needs of humans and the role of AI in shaping the future of human societies.

For as long as humans have existed, tools have been pivotal to our survival and progress. Yet, every major leap in tool-making has invited resistance, particularly when those tools reshaped society’s moral, ethical, or social structures. The current backlash against AI feels eerily familiar—a philosophical echo of debates faced by early civilizations, Enlightenment thinkers, and industrial pioneers.

From Descartes and Newton to ancient survival-driven societies, history is rife with examples of well-established principles being challenged—and overturned—when survival or progress demanded it. The lessons from these upheavals illuminate why AI, as a “brain-tool,” is so polarizing today and why we may need to adapt our ethics yet again.

The Cartesian Shift: Tools and the Mind

René Descartes (1596–1650) revolutionized philosophy by separating the mind (res cogitans) from the body (res extensa). This dualism framed the human mind as a unique, immaterial entity distinct from the mechanistic physical world. Descartes used tools as metaphors for mechanical processes, likening the human body to a machine but reserving the mind as something uniquely human.

AI challenges this Cartesian dualism by blurring the lines between thought and mechanism. If machines can simulate cognition, where does the “mind” end and the “tool” begin? Descartes’ contemporaries might have rejected AI outright as mere mechanism, but their era was also one of paradigm shifts, where survival demanded intellectual flexibility.

Example: The Copernican Revolution
Just a few decades before Descartes, Copernicus and Galileo shattered the geocentric view of the universe, a principle deeply tied to religious and moral beliefs. Society eventually accepted heliocentrism, not because it was comforting but because survival in the scientific age required embracing evidence over dogma. AI might represent a similar challenge, forcing us to reassess our beliefs about human exceptionalism.

Newton and the Calculus Controversy: Tools of Knowledge

Isaac Newton (1643–1727) exemplifies the transformative power of tools that expand human understanding. His invention of calculus, alongside Leibniz, faced immediate resistance—not because calculus was faulty, but because it radically shifted how people thought about motion, time, and change.

Critics viewed calculus as arcane, even dangerous, to traditional Aristotelian principles. Yet, as Newtonian mechanics became indispensable for navigation, engineering, and astronomy, society had no choice but to adopt it. Calculus wasn’t just a tool; it was a survival mechanism in a rapidly industrializing world.

Similarly, AI is not just a convenience; it is becoming a tool for navigating a complex, data-driven world. Resisting AI out of fear or tradition mirrors early resistance to calculus—short-sighted and counterproductive in the face of societal progress.

Early Civilizations: Survival Over Ideology

Before the Enlightenment, ancient civilizations often rewrote their moral codes and social structures to fit the survival race. History shows that principles were flexible when survival was at stake:

1. The Agricultural Revolution (c. 10,000 BCE): From Equality to Hierarchy

Hunter-gatherer societies were egalitarian, but agriculture introduced private property and hierarchical governance. The moral principles of shared resources and collective living gave way to systems of ownership and control. Why? Because survival in settled communities required new structures to manage surplus and conflict.

2. The Code of Hammurabi (c. 1750 BCE): Justice Adapted for Order

The Babylonian king Hammurabi instituted one of history’s first written legal codes, replacing clan-based retribution with state-controlled justice. This shift wasn’t about morality—it was about preventing cycles of vengeance that threatened societal stability.

3. The Industrial Revolution (18th–19th Century): Labor Ethics Rewritten

The rise of machines challenged traditional notions of work and human dignity. Factory labor was dehumanizing by pre-industrial standards, but it was accepted because it ensured survival in an age of mass production. The moral outrage of the Luddites gave way to a grudging acceptance of mechanization as essential for progress.

These examples show how societies have consistently redefined morality and ethics when faced with survival imperatives. AI, like agriculture, legal systems, and industrial machinery, demands a similar recalibration.

Survival, Morality, and the AI Age

1. Ethical Flexibility in Desperate Times

During the World Wars, principles of nonviolence were often suspended for survival. Technologies like radar, nuclear weapons, and computers emerged from these conflicts, transforming global power dynamics. In peacetime, these tools sparked debates about morality—just as AI now raises questions about the ethics of autonomy and control.

2. AI and the Knowledge Economy

We are entering an era where information and intelligence are the new capital. Rejecting AI would be akin to rejecting the printing press in the Renaissance or the steam engine in the Industrial Revolution—moral consistency sacrificed for survival in a new economic order.

3. Beyond Labor: Redefining Human Value

AI challenges the labor-value principle central to modern morality. If AI can perform mental tasks better and faster, what is the role of human effort? This echoes the Industrial Revolution’s upheaval of physical labor ethics, suggesting that we may need to decouple value from productivity entirely.

Breaking the Conventions: Philosophical Lessons for AI

Kant argued for universal moral laws, but even he acknowledged that context matters. His “categorical imperative” invites us to act according to principles we’d want universally applied. Yet, as history shows, survival often necessitates breaking these universals.

Aristotle’s virtue ethics emphasizes flourishing (eudaimonia), but flourishing has always been redefined by tools. The printing press democratized knowledge; AI could democratize creativity and problem-solving.

Nietzsche’s Übermensch urges us to embrace transformation, rejecting outdated morals to create new values. AI fits this narrative, urging humanity to overcome fear and embrace a future where intellect is not monopolized by biology.

Points to Ponder

• Is Morality Static or Adaptive?
  • If ancient societies adapted morals for survival, should we do the same for AI?
• What Defines Human Worth?
  • In a world where machines perform both physical and mental labor, should human value pivot toward creativity, empathy, and philosophical exploration?
• Are We Fearful of Change or Irrelevance?
  • Does resistance to AI stem from genuine ethical concerns or a fear of losing our unique place in the hierarchy of intelligence?

Toward an AI-Integrated Future

Civilization has always evolved by embracing tools that challenge existing norms. AI, like the agricultural plow, the printing press, and the steam engine, is a tool with transformative potential. Its success—or failure—depends on our willingness to question outdated notions of morality and adapt to new realities.

As Descartes and Newton showed, survival requires intellectual courage. Just as early societies redefined ethics for the survival race, we must now confront AI not as a threat but as an opportunity to redefine what it means to be human in the 21st century. After all, progress is rarely about clinging to the past—it’s about daring to imagine a better future.

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