Help!!!!!

[Morning Star]

ok this is due tomorrow..and its almost done..... but i need to relate it back to RELIGION i though i would talk about what is a soul...or "in his image" or something.... but i can seem to figure out where i should put it!!!

help?




What makes a man?

Man has always questioned his own existence. Although he thinks of himself as a sentient being, it is unclear to him why this is so. Man is struck by this same curiosity in reference to his peers. It is possible that feeling, and possession of a soul are answers as to why man is sentient. However, it is difficult to analyze this because there are other beings that have feeling, and possess a soul that are not human. These so called accomplishments of feeling, emotions and possession of a soul may not be prerequisites to the existence of a sentient being. It is possible, then, that one must alter them selves in order to dub a being sentient, or human. According to Valentine Wiggin, in her essays as Demosthenes in Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card, “The difference between raman (sentient) and varelse (alien) is not the creature judged, but in the creature judging. When we declare an alien species to be raman, it does not mean that they have passed a threshold of moral maturity, it means that we have.” Her quote suggests that it is we as the sentient beings that must see the “soul” in the other being.
In Speaker for the Dead, there is a character called Jane. Jane has no physical form. She lives in the philotic web of computers throughout space. Jane’s voice is heard only by Ender Wiggin (Valentine’s younger brother and protagonist) through the jewel he carries in his ear. Jane is Ender’s friend; she has feelings and a personality. To all of the other characters in the book, however, she is merely computer that could be switched on and off and her only purpose is to access information for humans. Ender, however knows differently, he talks to her as a person, and teaches her what her computer access cannot. Through Ender, Jane learns human nature and want. She learns what it means to be human, and is therefore seen as human in Enders eyes.
Toward the end of the “Ender Series” Jane is in danger of being lost forever in the philotic web. Because Jane is not considered human to most, her life does not matter to them. However, when a plan to save her is put into action and Jane is given a limiting human body, their attitudes change. Jane herself has not changed except that she can simply be seen now. This proves that it is just our perception that deems people worthy of raman status.
The relationship between Ender and Jane in Speaker for the Dead is very similar to that of Geordi and Data in the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation. Data is an android, while Geordi is a human. An android is defined as an “automaton made to resemble a human being… designed to serve human needs.” To everyone on the crew of the Starship Enterprise, Data is basically a highly intelligent computer. To Geordi, however, he is a friend. Much like Ender and Jane, Geordi teaches Data what he can about human nature, and although Data is unable to “feel” emotion he does his best to emulate certain mannerisms of human feeling.
In the episode “The Measure of a Man”, the human’s capability to evaluate those who are clearly varelse (alien) is stressed. A trial takes place to prove whether or not Data is sentient or property. Bruce Maddox and Riker make a frightening prosecuting argument. How can Data be sentient, if we are able to remove his arm and even turn him off? How can he have a soul if he is essentially a computer? Captain Picard, with a great comeback on the defense, refers to the exact scientific definition of sentient. “ A being possessing intelligence (the ability to learn and understand, and to cope with new situations), self-awareness (consciousness of one’s existence an actions; awareness of oneself and ones ego), and consciousness.” As Picard asks Data if he is capable of all these aspects of the definition, it is proved that Data is indeed considered sentient rather than a mere computer.
During the hearing, Data did no transforming, physical or mental. This lack of changing on Data’s side proves Valentine’s theory that it is us, who changes, not the beings we are studying.

[Morning Star]

thank you

but i dont quite follow what you are saying..i mean i understand..but how would i incorperate this into the paper..... (sorry i have been staring at the computer screen all day..... )

[garbagenite]

haven't finished reading this essay yet (and i will) but is this book the sequel (or prequel) to Ender's Game, by any chance?

[garbagenite]

man i don't really know what to say to help you out. =\ but what Byte Inferno said is good.

[Morning Star]

SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD is the sequel
XENOCIDE comes after that
CHILDREN OF THE MIND is the one after that

yay!


i think i know where i am going with this! thanks guys!

[garbagenite]

man i want to read all of those! Ender's Game was the ONLY book i actually enjoyed reading in school. i always wondered what happened to Ender and Valentine after that...


i hope your paper turns out well, hon. good luck

[Morning Star]

Originally posted by garbagenite
man i want to read all of those! Ender's Game was the ONLY book i actually enjoyed reading in school. i always wondered what happened to Ender and Valentine after that...


i hope your paper turns out well, hon. good luck

*sigh* the series is oh so good!!

thanks babe!