To Be Born Human, To Remain Human
The great danger we face is not biological extinction, but a regime of mental enslavement in which we hand over our intellectual faculties to machines – in other words, a soulless ‘Age of Robot Industry’ in which humans will become robots.
When I look back today at both my own society and societies across the globe, I see a profound global impasse. Wherever you go in the world, you encounter the silent helplessness of masses who are buried in their screens, having lost their spirit and humility whilst worshipping speed. Whilst this age we live in is at the peak of material consumption, spiritually and philosophically it is experiencing the driest period in history. The great danger we face is not biological extinction, but a regime of mental enslavement in which we have ceded our intellectual faculties to machines – in other words, a soulless ‘Age of Robotics’ in which humans will become robots. As we confine our minds to comfort zones and grow too lazy to engage in philosophy or construct analyses, artificial intelligence laboratories and algorithms begin to think in our stead. Like any faculty in the universe that is not put to use, the human mind is condemned to idleness and gradually withers away.
A mechanical mind, devoid of philosophy, justice and conscience, and built solely on speed, may construct the universe’s flawless skeleton, but it can never breathe life into it. Just as inanimate matter in nature comes together to form organic life, the natural sciences are the universe’s lifeless yet magnificent skeleton. Philosophy, however, is the very mind that breathes life into this framework, imbuing it with meaning by asking the question ‘why’. Philosophy without formulas leads to a dreamy idealism with no grounding in reality; science and technology without philosophy and without questioning, on the other hand, descend into a mechanical darkness devoid of humanity.
Today, technology has not lagged behind philosophy; on the contrary, technology is racing unchecked, devoid of a philosophical compass. No matter how fast a ship without a compass travels, it will merely crash into the rocks sooner. When we hand over our decision-making mechanisms entirely to algorithms, the free will that makes us human disappears.
No matter how advanced machines become, the one thing they will never possess is moral consciousness, a conscience and the quest for meaning. It is precisely at this turning point that building the unshakeable strongholds of our humanity is, for me – just as it is for you – the greatest responsibility resting on my shoulders as a son, a father and a grandfather raised by this country. To avoid being swept away by the mechanical loneliness to which the future seeks to consign us, I entrust the following unshakeable advice to our children and grandchildren, who are the guarantee of tomorrow: Be the master of your mind, not a slave to screens. Let smart devices make your life easier, but do not let them take away your decisions and your free will; do not spend all twenty-four hours of the day in front of those bright screens that numb you. Preserve your curiosity and your capacity for wonder; for the one thing machines can never replicate is the childlike, pure excitement of a human mind in search of truth, shining with the power of authentic Turkish words. Make justice an unshakeable fortress within your own little world; do not wrong others, do not compromise on merit, do your job to the best of your ability, do not allow mechanical systems to desensitise you, and when you come to hold power, never tolerate tyranny or injustice. Teach them to ‘remain human’ before teaching them about careers. Instill in your children not merely the desire to become wealthy or to climb the career ladder swiftly, but above all, the ability to be honourable, honest and free individuals.
Only when we can blend that great love for humanity within us with the clear truths of philosophy, the natural sciences and mathematics found in the outside world will we be able to rebuild the bright, prosperous world we long for. The future will belong not to those who enslave their souls and minds to technology, but to those who, without forgetting their roots, manage to remain steadfastly human by renewing themselves through universal knowledge and philosophy.
