Logos refers to the strength of the support for an argument and the argument's consistency. In Bill Joy's article, "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us", Joy theorizes that the rapid progress of technology will threaten the existence of the human race. Joy supports this theory through the use of quotes from credible sources and statements regarding the danger of the nature of human beings.
In "Why the Future
Doesn't Need Us", Joy refers to several people who have opinions supporting
his theory that the future can happen without human beings. In the beginning
of his article, Joy says that he can "date the onset of [his] unease [about
the future] to the day [he] met Ray Kurzweil" (Joy, 238). Joy feels that
Kurzweil, the inventor of a reading machine for the blind, has the ability to
accurately predict the future. Kurzweil envisions that in the future humans
will become immortal through the use of robot technology. Whereas Kurzweil
feels that the immortality of humans will create an ideal society, Joy is frightened
by the prospect of robotics taking over for human beings. Joy thus uses
Kurzweil's intelligence to support his own argument; Kurzweil has a vision of
the future that Joy finds realistic yet frightening. Kurzweil allows Joy
a place to begin his argument by offering his vision of where the developments
in technology are taking the human race. Joy also supports his argument
through statements made by Hans Moravec in his book, Robot: Mere Machine
to Transcendent Mind. Moravec is a leader in robotics research, and
is therefore a credible source of support for Joy's argument. Moravec
states, "biological species almost never survive encounters with superior competitors"
(Joy, 240). Moravec is referring to the human race, and his belief that
humans will not survive an encounter with intelligent machines. Moravec
is credible because his work places him in the vortex of technological change.
Joy's use of Moravec's work, therefore, increases the strength of his argument.
Joy uses the nature of human beings in his article in order to prove that the
human race could possibly face extinction. Human nature is well known
to human beings. It is logical for Joy to use human nature to support
his argument, since it is information that his readers will understand.
Joy calls attention to "our bias toward instant familiarity and unquestioning
acceptance" (Joy, 240). He feels that humans in general have a tendency
to rush headlong into new scientific discoveries without considering the consequences.
The tendency to ignore the possible results of our actions is what Joy feels
could eventually lead to our extinction. Joy's statement on human nature
is one that most people can understand, since most of human beings have experience
with not considering the consequences of their actions. Joy also calls
attention to the fact that "it is always hard to see the bigger impact while
you are in the vortex of change" (Joy, 243). He is pointing out yet another
aspect of human nature; the tendency we have to not notice the results of our
actions until it is too late. Joy feels "that our societies need to develop
a stronger notion of universal responsibility and of our interdependency" (Joy,
258). His statement calls attention another aspect of human nature; people
often do not take responsibility for their actions, and often do not realize
the affects that they have.