Robot mind
A collection of articles on robot psychology illustrates some elementary functions
which might be essential for controlling robot behavior.
Recently I discovered Hans Jonas’ “The phenomenon of Life”
(1) which provides a deep insight into this subject. His definition of emotion
is important and highly relevant to the design of a robot mind.
According to Jonas: Plants, animals and the human animal
display an ascending development of organic functions and capabilities. The
emergence of the human mind does not mark a great divide within nature but
elaborates what is prefigured throughout the life-world. The organic even
in its lowest forms prefigures mind, and the mind even on its highest reaches
remains part of the organic.
In other words, the basics of the human mind are inherent in simple organisms
like an ameba or a paramecium. If you capture the essence of their mind
you might construct on it artificial mind functions.
Jonas: Three characteristics distinguish animal from plant
life: motility, perception , and emotion (p. 99). All three manifest a common
principle. First we ought to realize that environment and the organism are
contiguous. In plants, chemicals are directly exchanged between environment
and organism. Since immediacy of satisfaction is concurrent with the permanent
organic need, in this condition of continuous feeding there is no room for
desire. Plants lack emotions.
Plants continually synthesize inorganic matter directly into organic compounds,
while animals depend on organic matter.
Jonas: The animal feeds on existing life, continuously destroys
its mortal supply and has to seek elsewhere for more. The appearance of directed
long-range motility thus signifies the emergence of emotional life. Greed
is at the bottom of chase, fear at the bottom of flight. If appetition is
the basic condition of motility, pursuit is the primary motion. Fulfillment
not yet at hand is the essential condition of desire. Emotion implies distance
between need and satisfaction.
Emotions are embodied
These excerpts illustrate the novelty of Jonas’ approach. His philosophy
of biology is based on Phenomenology:
References
1. Hans Jonas The Phenomenon of Life- Toward a Philosophical Biology
Northwestern University Press Evanston Ill 2001