Translation/Organization: MetaCat

As two revolutionary technologies, AI and Crypto have attracted widespread attention from all walks of life. They not only promote innovation in the technical field, but also trigger a lot of thinking at the philosophical level. Different philosophical minds have different attitudes towards AI and Crypto, ranging from the rational thinking of Western philosophy to the intuition and free ideas of Eastern philosophy, providing a rich lens to examine these two technologies. The following is a discussion of the views of several Western and Eastern philosophers on how they view AI and Crypto.

Western philosopher’s view of Socrates: AI (but be wary of sophistry)

Socrates promotes philosophical thinking through his question-and-answer method and focuses on the core of reason and morality. Regarding AI, he may appreciate its potential, but he may also be wary of its excessive focus on instrumentality, which may lead to sophistical misuse of technology. AI systems can simulate human thinking, but their nature is unethical, which may violate Socrates' requirements for the pursuit of morality and wisdom. Therefore, he would prefer AI to produce in-depth reflection on the moral and philosophical levels, rather than becoming an instrumental "sophistry" tool.

Aristotle: Crypto (RLHF against AI)

Aristotle’s ethics advocates cultivating virtue through practice and reason, and his “golden mean” theory emphasizes balance and natural order. He may be opposed to AI, especially AI trained through reinforcement learning (RLHF). Aristotle emphasized the combination of "practical wisdom" and "rationality." However, if the AI ​​training process relies too much on manual intervention (such as RLHF), it may deviate from the balance and wisdom of nature, and instead affect its morality. Therefore, Aristotle may be more supportive of Crypto’s decentralized nature, which is in line with the admiration of “natural laws”.

Descartes: AI (trained by RLHF)

Descartes’ “I think, therefore I am” regards reason and thinking as the basis of human existence. He may be supportive of AI, especially its ability to imitate human thinking and cognitive processes through RLHF training. Descartes believed that rationality and the ability to think are the keys to defining human beings, and if AI can learn and evolve by simulating this rationality, then it will be an extension of human existence and cognition. Therefore, Descartes may believe that AI is a natural extension of reason and thinking and is worth pursuing.

Voltaire: Crypto (like its polemical and countercultural nature)

Voltaire was known for his criticism of authority and his advocacy of free thought. He may be attracted by Crypto’s decentralized, anti-establishment qualities. As a challenge to traditional finance and systems, Crypto has a strong counter-cultural and liberal flavor, which is exactly in line with the spirit of personal freedom and opposition to autocracy advocated by Voltaire. Although AI can also promote social progress, its centralization and control may not be in line with the freedom and independence expected by Voltaire.

Leibniz: AI (which acts as "God")

Leibniz's philosophy emphasized the harmony and purpose of the universe. He may be interested in AI, especially how AI can handle complex problems through efficient logic and algorithms, thereby making the world more orderly. Leibniz proposed in "Monadology" that the universe is composed of monads (microscopic entities), and each monad has its own inherent purpose and behavior. The existence of AI may be seen as an extension of human "monad" intelligence. It helps humans "live according to the assumed concept of the future" and is consistent with Leibniz's teleology.

Kant: Crypto (rejecting AI’s neglect of the universal sublimity)

Kant’s ethics emphasizes “practical reason” and “moral law.” He may be wary of AI, especially when it ignores universality and high moral imperatives. Kant believed that moral behavior must conform to universal principles, and AI algorithms and decision-making may not follow this universal law, especially when they rely on data and utilitarian decision-making. Therefore, Kant may be more inclined to support Crypto, especially its decentralized nature, which can better safeguard moral principles and human freedom.

Nietzsche: Crypto (formalization of eternal recurrence)

Nietzsche’s philosophy of “eternal recurrence” emphasizes the constant rebirth and transformation of life. He advocates transcending traditional morality and human limitations and pursuing individual freedom and creativity. For Crypto, Nietzsche may have been attracted by its decentralized nature and believed that Crypto was a complete subversion and reshaping of traditional values, in line with his understanding of the philosophy of "eternal recurrence." The artificiality and rationality of AI may not be enough to satisfy Nietzsche's admiration for life force and creativity, so Crypto may be more in line with his values.

Wittgenstein: AI (Automation and Rotation of Language)

Wittgenstein’s philosophy of language emphasizes the use of language and the construction of meaning. He believes that language is not only a tool to reflect the world, but also creates the meaning of the world. AI advances in semantic understanding and language processing, especially the automatic generation and rotation of language models, may have interested Wittgenstein. AI can "rotate" words through automated language generation, changing the way the world is expressed, in line with its understanding of language dynamics. Therefore, Wittgenstein might support AI, especially in its ability to drive innovation in human thought and language.

Oriental Philosopher’s Perspective Laozi: Crypto (Governing by Doing Nothing)

Laozi advocates “governing by doing nothing” and emphasizes the philosophy of nature, freedom and non-desire. He may be cautious or even opposed to AI, believing that its centralization and excessive intervention may violate the concept of "inaction". In contrast, the decentralized nature of Crypto is more consistent with the "natural laws" and "freedom" ideas emphasized by Laozi. Crypto allows individuals to be more free by removing intermediaries and authoritative control, which is in line with Laozi’s philosophical proposition. Therefore, I am more inclined to support Crypto.

Zhuangzi: Crypto (freedom and detachment)

Zhuangzi emphasizes freedom and detachmentand Wuwei, whose philosophy pursues the "Tao" free from external constraints and preconceptions. Zhuangzi may be dissatisfied with the centralization and regularity of AI because it limits human freedom and nature. On the contrary, Crypto’s decentralized and anti-traditional nature is more in line with Zhuangzi’s pursuit of freedom. Therefore, Zhuangzi tends to support Crypto, believing that it can help humans break away from traditional constraints and return to nature.

Confucius: AI (focus on morality and harmony)

Confucius advocated "benevolence", emphasized love and care between people, and paid special attention to social order and moral norms. In Confucius’ view, AI is beneficial if it can promote the harmony and moral development of human society, enhance individual moral cultivation and wisdom, and enhance social responsibility. He believes that education is the key to human moral progress. If the application of AI in this area can help people improve their moral cultivation, it will be in line with the spirit of "benevolence". However, Confucius is also wary of the ethical risks that AI technology may bring, especially its over-emphasis on efficiency and utility while ignoring the emotional and moral relationships between people. If AI development ignores humanistic care or destroys social relations, Confucius will question this. Therefore, Confucius supports the application of AI, but only if it can provide support for human moral growth and social order, rather than simply pursuing efficiency or profit.

Zen (Huineng): Crypto (Inner Freedom and Intuition)

Huineng of Zen advocates enlightenment and intuition. He believes that through inner freedom and awareness, one can transcend the constraints of the outside world. Zen emphasizes irrationality and direct experience, and the rationality and regularity of AI may conflict with the philosophy of Zen. In contrast, Crypto, as a decentralized technology, allows people to escape the constraints of traditional power structures, in line with Zen Buddhism’s pursuit of freedom and liberation. Therefore, Zen may be more inclined to support Crypto.

Buddhism (Nagarjuna): Crypto (the concept of emptiness and decentralization)

Buddhism’s concept of “emptiness” emphasizes the impermanence and selflessness of everything, and is similar to the decentralized idea of ​​cryptocurrency . Crypto's decentralized mechanism eliminates the centralized power structure and is in line with the Buddhist understanding of "emptiness", which believes that everything is fluid and impermanent. The centralized character of AI and its quest for control may conflict with core Buddhist ideals. Therefore, supporters of Buddhist philosophy, especially Nagarjuna, may be inclined to support Crypto.

Indian philosophy: AI (supporting the progress of wisdom and self-knowledge)

"Wisdom" and "self-knowledge" occupy an important position in Indian philosophy. Ideas such as "yoga" and "meditation" emphasize understanding oneself and the universe through inner practice and awareness. In this philosophy, the potential of AI can be used to accelerate human self-knowledge and the exploration of inner wisdom, especially in the fields of psychology, meditation and spiritual development.

AI can provide personalized learning and psychological support, help individuals better understand themselves, thereby promoting the process of "wisdom" and "liberation". In addition, AI is analyzingAspects of human consciousness and cognitive structure may also provide new perspectives on the "I" and "not-self" issues in Indian philosophy.

Wang Yangming: AI (Unity of Knowledge and Action)

The core of Wang Yangming's philosophy is "Unity of Knowledge and Action". He advocates the unity of knowledge and action, and emphasizes inner awareness. Under this concept, AI may be regarded as a tool to help people better understand themselves and improve their behavior. AI can help individuals gain wisdom in practice through deep learning and feedback mechanisms, thereby achieving the unity of knowledge and action.

Wang Yangming’s thought emphasizes moral cultivation in practice. If AI can play a role in promoting this process and help people better understand and implement moral behavior, he may think that AI is in line with “knowledge and action.” "One" application. At the same time, the application of AI in education, psychology, ethics and other fields can help individuals continue to reflect and grow in action, which is in line with Wang Yangming's philosophical spirit.

Conclusion

Whether it is rational thinking in Western philosophy or the concepts of freedom and nature in Eastern philosophy, AI and Crypto, as two current hot topics, have a profound connection with traditional philosophical thought. Western philosophers such as Socrates, Aristotle, Leibniz, etc. support AI more based on its potential for rationality and wisdom, while Voltaire, Nietzsche, etc. tend to support the removal of Crypto. Centralization and anti-system characteristics. Eastern philosophers such as Laozi, Zhuangzi, Zen, etc. are more inclined to support the freedom and nature of Crypto, while Confucius, Wang Yangming, etc. may recognize the role of AI in improving rationality and wisdom.

In any case, the development and application of AI and Crypto are the result of the intersection of technological progress and philosophical thinking. In different cultural and philosophical backgrounds, the social changes and moral impact they bring are worthy of our in-depth discussion and reflection.