Saturday, May 18, 2024

AI, Classical Greek Philosophy And Sex

So I posed yesterday's problem - use Spencer Klavan's summary of classic Greek philosophy to analyze an essay on the failures of the Sexual Revolution - to #ChatGPT and got some stunning replies.

ChatGPT is not intelligent in the human sense. It doesn't know what it's saying. However, you couldn't tell from its replies. It did a spectacular job analyzing the essay given Spencer's excellent work. It took only one round to get it to go in the direction I wanted and then it hit line drive after line drive. Here was my original prompt.

I want you to analyze one essay in terms of another. First, I will give you the essay the establishes ground truth, written by Spencer Klavan with great wisdom. Afterwards, I will give you an essay written by an unhappy young lady trying to understand what is happening to her. Then I want you to analyze the young lady's essay given the truth of Spencer's.

The first response was good, but it missed the foundational key. I gave it a nudge in the right direction with my next prompt.

Reroll. The sexual revolution denied the existence of any of these structures. Instead, it posited that each person defined themselves independent of anyone else. The one constant was the biological urge to mate, which the sexual revolution separated from the purpose of mating - the creation and nurturing of new life.

It's replies were outstanding.

Analysis of the Young Lady's Essay in Light of Klavan's Essay

Denial of Intrinsic Structures:

Klavan: Aristotle’s philosophy asserts that form and matter are intrinsically linked, and human beings have inherent purposes embedded within their nature.

Young Lady: The sexual revolution denied these intrinsic structures, suggesting that individuals define themselves independently of any inherent purpose or natural order. This led to a society that dismissed traditional values and norms regarding sexuality and relationships.

Separation of Biological Urge and Purpose:

Klavan: Human desires and actions, including the biological urge to mate, are purposeful and integrated into a larger framework that includes the creation and nurturing of life.

Young Lady: The sexual revolution separated the biological urge to mate from its natural purpose, which is the creation and nurturing of new life. By focusing solely on the physical act of sex without its relational and procreative purposes, the revolution undermined the holistic view of human sexuality.

Misalignment with Natural Purposes:

Klavan: Ignoring the natural purposes embedded in our physical forms leads to a misunderstanding of human nature, resulting in negative consequences.

Young Lady: The sexual revolution’s dismissal of the procreative and relational purposes of sex led to widespread societal issues, such as decreased reproduction rates and increased personal dissatisfaction. This misalignment with human nature has left many people feeling lost and unfulfilled.

Impact on Human Relationships:

Klavan: Aristotle’s view integrates the physical and metaphysical, suggesting that human consciousness and physicality are intertwined and that relationships are part of our natural design.

Young Lady: The sexual revolution’s emphasis on individual freedom and self-definition at the expense of relational bonds eroded the foundation of human relationships. The resulting lack of support and respect for both sexes contributed to the current state of societal disarray and personal misery.

Failure to Acknowledge Human Complexity:

Klavan: Human beings are a complex union of body and soul, and our desires and actions are rooted in this purposeful design.

Young Lady: The sexual revolution oversimplified human sexuality by reducing it to mere physical gratification, ignoring the deeper emotional, psychological, and spiritual dimensions. This failure to acknowledge human complexity has led to a generation struggling with the consequences of broken relationships and unfulfilled lives.

Consequences of Ignoring Traditional Values:

Klavan: Aristotle’s balanced approach respects both the material and spiritual aspects of human existence, offering a framework for ethical living.

Young Lady: The rejection of traditional values and the emphasis on absolute freedom without responsibility has resulted in societal breakdown. The young lady’s reflections reveal a longing for a return to values that honor chastity, marriage, and mutual respect, recognizing their role in fostering human flourishing.

Search for a New Equilibrium:

Klavan: Advocates for a balanced understanding of human nature that integrates our physical and metaphysical aspects.

Young Lady: Calls for a reevaluation of societal norms and a return to an integrated understanding of sexuality that respects both the biological urge and its procreative and relational purposes. This echoes Aristotle's call for living in accordance with our true nature and purposes.

In conclusion, the young lady’s essay highlights the failures of the sexual revolution in its denial of intrinsic structures and purposes in human nature. By separating the biological urge to mate from its natural purposes, the revolution created a societal framework that is misaligned with human nature, leading to widespread dissatisfaction and societal breakdown. Applying the insights from Klavan's exposition of Aristotle, we see that the path forward requires a reintegration of these elements, honoring both the physical and spiritual dimensions of human existence and aligning societal norms with our natural purposes.

It's not actually intelligent, but with nudging from someone who is decently well-read and has spent some time pondering these topics on his own, it can produce very good results.

All your tradwives are belong to us.

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