You still stand watch, O human star, burning without a flicker, perfect flame, bright and resourceful spirit. Each of your rays a great idea - O torch which passes from hand to hand, from age to age, world without end.
Karel CapekRead
Robots do not hold on to life. They can't. They have nothing to hold on with - no soul, no instinct. Grass has more will to live than they do.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote illustrates the difference between living beings and robots, emphasizing that robots lack the essence that drives life.
Karel Capek's quote highlights the fundamental difference between organic life and artificial constructs. It suggests that robots, despite their ability to mimic human behavior, lack the essential qualities that define living beings, such as a soul or instinct. This absence signifies that robots cannot truly 'hold on' to life in a meaningful way, contrasting their existence with the innate will to live found in nature. The mention of grass having more will to live underscores the intrinsic value of life that machines do not possess.
Themes
RobotsLifeSoulInstinctPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about artificial intelligence and its limitations, this quote can be used to illustrate the inherent differences between machines and living beings.
More from Karel Capek
All quotes →It's not possible to search for God using the methods of a detective... There is no way. You can only wait till God's axe severs your roots: then you will understand that you are here only through a miracle, and you will remain fixed forever in wonderment and equilibrium.
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Relativism is not indifference; on the contrary, passionate indifference is necessary in order for you not to hear the voices that oppose your absolute decrees...
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It suddenly occurred to me that every move on the chessboard is old and has been played by somebody at some time. Maybe our own history has been played out by somebody at some time, and we just move our pieces about in the same moves to strike in the same way as people have always done.
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Let no one think that real gardening is a bucolic and meditative occupation. It is an insatiable passion, like everything else to which a man gives his heart.
Karel CapekRead
Robots of the world, you are ordered to exterminate the human race. Do not spare the men. Do not spare the women. Preserve only the factories, railroads, machines, mines, and raw materials. Destroy everything else. Then return to work. Work must not cease.
Karel CapekRead
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