[westoncb]

It may be useful to consider either metaphor—humans as robots / humans as monkeys—as just giving some insight into what it means to be human, rather than defining what a human is.

When it's pointed out that our minds are computer-like, it's because they include aspects which resemble computers: e.g. when some subset of its behavior is describable by an algorithm that could in principle be executed by a computer (even if that algorithm is just an approximation).

Same with the idea that we're monkeys: it's true that we have shared characteristics with other animals, that while we're unique in some ways we are not totally apart from the rest of life on earth.

> I like being a monkey

Unfortunately the only option is to be a human: part monkey, part computer :P

[nineteen999]

> because they include aspects which resemble computers

Other way around, these computers we use resemble us (however not particularly closely) because we created them, not vice-versa.

[westoncb]

If A resembles B, it’s implied that B resembles A—or at least that was the usage I intended.

The fact that we took inspiration from ourselves in developing computers only strengthens my original point.

[nineteen999]

Oh yeah, I wasn't disagreeing with you about the resemblance, just kind of pushing the "who-made-who" point.