Why robots defy our existing moral and legal categories and how to revolutionize the way we think about them.
Robots are a curious sort of thing. On the one hand, they are technological artifacts—and thus, things. On the other hand, they seem to have social presence, because they talk and interact with us, and simulate the capabilities commonly associated with personhood. In Person, Thing, Robot, David J. Gunkel sets out to answer the vexing question: What exactly is a robot? Rather than try to fit robots into the existing categories by way of arguing for either their reification or personification, however, Gunkel argues for a revolutionary reformulation of the entire system, developing a new moral and legal ontology for the twenty-first century and beyond.
In this book, Gunkel investigates how and why efforts to use existing categories to classify robots fail, argues that “robot” designates an irreducible anomaly in the existing ontology, and formulates an alternative that restructures the ontological order in both moral philosophy and law. Person, Thing, Robot not only addresses the issues that are relevant to students, teachers, and researchers working in the fields of moral philosophy, philosophy of technology, science and technology studies (STS), and AI/robot law and policy but it also speaks to controversies that are important to AI researchers, robotics engineers, and computer scientists concerned with the social consequences of their work.
“Gunkel's latest book is essential for anyone interested in the realm of Human-Robot relations or Social Robotics.” —Ethics and Information Technology
“Gunkel's work is of utmost importance for the modern ontological crisis we find ourselves in… There is no political agenda to be made in Person, Thing, Robot, just ground-breaking moral philosophy to guide our ontologies toward the future.” —Journal of Ethics and Emerging Technologies
“Person, Thing, Robot is enticingly written and covers a broad range of philosophical themes. We are confident that it will be a staple among robophilosophers and, because of its accessible presentation and topical focus, among the wider public as well.” —Prometheus
“[P]rovides a well-researched review, perhaps the most thorough available, of the immense, growing literature. Any student of robots’ places in society and its laws should read it – nay, buy it for reference. It is also a clear, even entertaining (dare I say), lovingly written work.” —Philosophy in Review
David J. Gunkel is Presidential Research, Scholarship, and Artistry Professor in the Department of Communication at Northern Illinois University. He is the author of Robot Rights, Of Remixology: Ethics and Aesthetics after Remix, and The Machine Question: Critical Perspectives on AI, Robots, and Ethics (all MIT Press).
Why robots defy our existing moral and legal categories and how to revolutionize the way we think about them.
Robots are a curious sort of thing. On the one hand, they are technological artifacts—and thus, things. On the other hand, they seem to have social presence, because they talk and interact with us, and simulate the capabilities commonly associated with personhood. In Person, Thing, Robot, David J. Gunkel sets out to answer the vexing question: What exactly is a robot? Rather than try to fit robots into the existing categories by way of arguing for either their reification or personification, however, Gunkel argues for a revolutionary reformulation of the entire system, developing a new moral and legal ontology for the twenty-first century and beyond.
In this book, Gunkel investigates how and why efforts to use existing categories to classify robots fail, argues that “robot” designates an irreducible anomaly in the existing ontology, and formulates an alternative that restructures the ontological order in both moral philosophy and law. Person, Thing, Robot not only addresses the issues that are relevant to students, teachers, and researchers working in the fields of moral philosophy, philosophy of technology, science and technology studies (STS), and AI/robot law and policy but it also speaks to controversies that are important to AI researchers, robotics engineers, and computer scientists concerned with the social consequences of their work.
Reviews
“Gunkel's latest book is essential for anyone interested in the realm of Human-Robot relations or Social Robotics.” —Ethics and Information Technology
“Gunkel's work is of utmost importance for the modern ontological crisis we find ourselves in… There is no political agenda to be made in Person, Thing, Robot, just ground-breaking moral philosophy to guide our ontologies toward the future.” —Journal of Ethics and Emerging Technologies
“Person, Thing, Robot is enticingly written and covers a broad range of philosophical themes. We are confident that it will be a staple among robophilosophers and, because of its accessible presentation and topical focus, among the wider public as well.” —Prometheus
“[P]rovides a well-researched review, perhaps the most thorough available, of the immense, growing literature. Any student of robots’ places in society and its laws should read it – nay, buy it for reference. It is also a clear, even entertaining (dare I say), lovingly written work.” —Philosophy in Review
Author
David J. Gunkel is Presidential Research, Scholarship, and Artistry Professor in the Department of Communication at Northern Illinois University. He is the author of Robot Rights, Of Remixology: Ethics and Aesthetics after Remix, and The Machine Question: Critical Perspectives on AI, Robots, and Ethics (all MIT Press).
