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Celeste Garcia
Professor Collins
English 115
27 October 2015
Argument Analysis
Everyday theres always people imagining how technology might be in the future, but
does it ever occur to them that maybe one day, technology can resemble to humans. In the article,
Empathy, Androids and Authentic Experience by Billy Lee, a British philosopher which has
study the interaction between androids and humans. As humans become more knowledgeable
about technology, technology as well will be as comprehensive as well. Lees overall purpose of
the article is to show that androids will be able to have emotions like humans in which it will be
difficult to tell them apart. Although, androids were not created as humans, they do have capacity
to feel because androids are smart enough to be like humans.
First, the article explains that androids were created to help humans do simple tasks in
which can lead them to form relationships with one another. By forming these relationships, it
will allow androids to learn the ways of humans such as empathy. For instance, in the article it
states that, communication is a joint enterprise, requiring interacting parties to experience
collective purpose. To do this, people use empathy (Lee 2). When communicating with one
another we actually have to use our brains and show emotions towards what the others are
saying. As humans we always feel, so if androids do become part of our world then it will be
necessary for them do the same thing. Another example, is a scientific study which declared that,

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both mimicry and synchronization are associated with increased levels of empathic accuracy
(Lee 2). The androids nowadays are made to mimic the humans, so that they can better
understand them. This proves that the human characteristic of empathy can be obtain by other
beings such as androids. The article written by Lee shows a way on how android can learn how
to feel due to experiencing relationships with humans.
Yes, I do agree with Lee that empathy can be gain from experience, however experience
isnt the only way for androids to be consider to feel such as humans. All these experiments that
are in the article shows just a couple possibilities on how androids could be consider human.
Experience is one thing in which a majority can learn from, but what makes humans different
than androids. Even though androids can be similar to humans, androids still cant replace
humans. The dictionary definition of a human being is a man, woman, or child the species homo
sapiens distinguished from other animals by superior mental development (Oxford). The
definition implies what is considered a human being in which excludes androids of ever being a
human.
I agree with the author in which androids will learn to feel when interacting with people,
which is a human characteristic, but they will never become or replace human beings. The article
emphasizes that relationships with humans and androids in which in the future they will be able
to have emotions. The author has research which has given the best possibilities on how the
androids may understand, yet it hasnt come true, so the audience does not for sure that they may
be able to feel. Everything that may depends on this society in which will allowed androids to
have empathy towards others.

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"Definition of Human Being in English:." Human Being: Definition of Human Being in Oxford
Dictionary (American English) (US). N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.
Lee, Billy. "Empathy, Androids and 'Authentic Experience'." Connection Science, 18.4 (2006):
419-428.