Many years ago, a Dear Friend, David Smith, a fellow member of the choir of The Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, had a college homework assignment. He and I shared a somewhat intelligent discourse thereon. My grey cells strain now, trying to remember the exact assignment, but it was reminiscent of the age-old question: "What came first - the chicken or the egg?"

Shortly thereafter, my creative juices concocted the following menagerie of verbosity. A penny for your thoughts!

The Human Mind versus The Computer

By: Thomas K. Hyland, Jr.

 

If you had to pick one particular aspect, quality, or trait that was the major difference between the two, what would it be ? Could it be: creativity, originality, emotion, conscience, religious preference, infallibility, self-preservation, or even the presence of a spirit or soul ? Many would argue that a computer can be programmed to have or do, most if not all, of these functions. What is the major difference between our "grey matter" and one of our most powerful and prestigious tools, the ever-loving computer?

The most important, unique distinction is that the human mind, or brain, is part of the human body. As such, it has the ability, not only to create things (like computers), but also to play a major part in the procreation of the race known as "homo sapiens". Without the brain, the human body could not function. It would not have the mobility to even locate another of its species of the opposite sex, let alone recognize this necessary partner, and know what to do with her (him) afterwards. In essence, you might argue that I am being unfair, because it takes two human bodies, therefore, two brains to do this wonderful feat of nature. Two against only one computer, "foul" you cry! Well, so be it!

My point is that all of the computers in the world can not produce one single, solitary human being! We have the ability to regenerate ourselves, as well as machines, whereas they can only regenerate themselves; if we program them to do so !

Along these same lines, consider the fact that most of us humans tend to be thoroughly awed by the vast array of features and configurations, and concurrent tasks that computer hardware and software is able to produce. We are both amazed and astonished by the formidable power and versatility of these tools. Yet, we tend to lose sight of the ultimate truth of the situation, namely, a human mind: creates the concept of the computer, designs the plans to manufacture the hardware, designs the machines and assembly lines that produce the hardware, programs and develops the myriads of software, and then, assembles all the wires and connections, and peripherals, plugs the thing into the wall, and makes it all work! This is no small task. Perhaps it is time to give credit where credit is due; that is, to our Creator, who gave us the ability to think! In the famous words of Samuel Morse, upon the successful transmission of the first telegraph message, "What Miracle hath God wrought?"

Every time one: watches a breathtaking movie, drives over a magnificent suspension bridge, relaxes in a comfortable seat of a jet plane during a trans-oceanic flight, speeds along the rails of a clickety-clacking train, enjoys the vast panoramic view from a skyscraper, or even something so profane and lowly, like flushing the "John" ... remember that all of these wonders are possible, only because our God granted us both the ability to use our brains, as well as the "Free Will" to do with them what we wish.

In closing, the following quotation is still highly pertinent, 139 years later !

As John Stuart Mill so aptly put it, in his work entitled, "On Liberty" in the year, 1859:

"Supposing it were possible to get houses built, corn grown, battles fought, causes tried, and even churches erected and prayers said, by machinery -- by automatons in human form -- it would be a considerable loss to exchange for these automatons even the men and women who at present inhabit the more civilised parts of the world, and who assuredly are but starved specimens of what nature can and will produce. Human nature is not a machine to be built after a model, and set to do exactly the work prescribed for it, but a tree, which requires to grow and develop itself on all sides, according to the tendency of the inward forces which make it a living thing. "

I don't believe that anyone could present this case any better than Mister Mill. If my meager attempt above is considered by anyone to be even vaguely close to his explanation, then I shall be most gratified to have been, just for a brief moment, in the shadow of such greatness.

© March 11, 1998, Thomas K. Hyland, Jr.