What would happen if humanity was driven entirely by logic and not emotions?

Question

Emotions are what make us who we are. If we were to take away that core aspect how would humanity work and what would life be like? Would it basically be an AI state lol?

abc3643 · Accepted Answer

It's actually impossible.

This is hard to explain to anyone who doesn't understand automatic control systems...

And since I don't have time, I will simply say this: Emotions are the weights in an optimal control system and are part of the decision-making process when you are about to act. Logic alone cannot establish the weights; emotions do that.

For instance, suppose you have this problem:

You need to travel from New York City to Los Angeles.

OK, there are lots of ways to do that...

Walking
Bicycling
Hitchhiking
Driving
Taking a train
Flying
Any combination of the above.

So, which do you take?

Well, that depends...

You may have constraints such as time or money limitations.

You need to prioritize things before you can best decide what to do.

So, we might reword the problem:

What is the "best" way to get to Los Angeles that minimizes time and costs?

Unfortunately, that question isn't problem isn't very well defined.

If you want to minimize time, you take a supersonic jet but there are no commercial supersonic jets anymore, so you have to buy one for several hundred million dollars... and that takes time to find and buy... assuming you can get someone to fly it.

So, you could just buy an airplane ticket on short notice. OK, that's $1000.

Then again, if you drive your car, it will take more time, but probably less than $1000 in gas.

So, we have faster time = higher costs, slower time = lower costs.

You can't minimize both. So, you need to choose a balance between time and costs before you select a travel method.

Each person is different, so the balance someone selects depends on their conditions in life and what their desires and needs are. And this is where emotions begin to come in. Emotions will drive how one sets their balance among conflicting alternatives. So, ultimately, emotions are an important part of the decision making process. Logic-alone is important, but emotions and a healthy understanding of statistics is also important.

ohsheeT · Accepted Answer

We would stop growing that's for sure emotions is what built this planet

Because with emotions you get passion you get every other type of feeling from the best of the worst

If nobody had emotion gag would go crazy how many guys would be saying asking questions how come this girl does not love me how come she doesn't like my dick how come this how come that how come she acts the way she acts..
How come she told me I f***** just like every other guy

We would be worse off than AI

Because. AI is smart and now for us not to have emotion that means no passion and dumb we're going to be in a world of trouble lol

provokeesmokee · Accepted Answer

We'd have less discrimination and hatred, because those aren't logically driven or productive.

Less war, less crime.

Because we'd just logically decide that solving problems as a collective is more efficient. Diversity would be valued because diverse perspectives and experts make for a better, more comprehensive view. If too many experts weigh in, the least useful would recuse themselves instead of getting angry.

Men wouldn't get upset by rejection, they'd understand and then be able to improve on themselves or identify a better pick.

Women wouldn't play mind games or try to hookwink themselves with unqualified partners, because they would logically know they will find love again.

It'd be a much better world, but it'd be a much blander one.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

If laws where made only by logic and no emotions then:

People with suvere disorders would be killed cause they cost more time, energy and money to take care off.
Anyone who doesn't benefit society that is in prison would be killed.
Most likely everything would be build like extreme socialism

Emotion with logic creates morals. So emotion doesn't need to be a bad thing, it depends how you control it.

richardcory · Answer

First - no reason to think AI won't have emotions if its trained off of human behavior.

I also wonder if it would be a nightmare. Without emotions - like caring for people, a sense of pride, duty etc - do we just get unlimited conflict over resources? Each AI trying to win, without any constraints whatsoever on its behavior?

Most humans still limit their behavior based on an emotional sense of right / wrong. No reason to do that other than emotion.

Maybe its even worse. Why do anything. In a few billion years the sun will burn out and in a few trillion the universe will be too cold and dark to be interesting. What is the point of any action at all?

Kaneki05 · Answer

A lot of emotions stem from logic. In other ways logic came before emotions in evolution.
Therefore we would just simply gain emotions again. Now if you stopped that we would still act a lot the ways the same just there would less radical differences I suppose.

A good example is, Logically it's safer for humans to not kill each other so murder would still be illegal. Though logically some of us will still kill because logically it makes sense to take care of your problems. So if a person causes you problems you might kill them.
But again logically murder will still be illegal.
So overall killing wouldn't change just we wouldn't have people killing for pleasure.

So I don't know it would be different but kinda samey, also depends if you are talking would everyone be logical and intelligent? Or would there still be idiots just trying to be logical? Lol. Because logically we would still all have different IQs.

jshm2 · Answer

It's a pipe dream, and what separates humans from animals.

Our innate ability is to work by emotion, animals are driven by pure logic. It's why you never see obese animals in the wild. Animals know when to hunt, wash, and when to sleep or how to use their environment - all without a school. Whereas even some of the best educated humans can struggle with washing and cooking.

Humans would be worse than wild animals, if they were to be driven by only logic. The reason being not only would humans give into their nature, but have the capacity to enjoy it.

Guanfei · Answer

We would disappear, simply. Or at least, a huge part of us would. Any useless life would be eradicated, any being would have a chosen role, and those who don't have one would be disposed of.

No disabled people, no poor, no rich. Those are things that are logically useless. No entertainment, sex only for controlled reproduction only, limited number of kids, and probable sterilization of those who reached that limit.

Kids would be raised normally until a certain age, then immediately taught their assigned roles, and nothing else.

Old people wouldn't exist, they'd be too weak and old to have any use, and they'd probably disposed of.

Basically, we'd be just disposable parts of a self-sustaining "machine" society, using us to function, functioning to breed us, and breeding us to help it function. Like a big circle, until resources to make it work are depleted and the "machine" just can't function anymore.

Berethor · Answer

Men tend to be more logical than women anyway, so it not have much effect on men.

soe11 · Answer

Dear we see every day and night constantly without any kind of emotions, in fact we live in Robots world, no kindness, no emotion, no humanity, no love, and nothing whatsoever.

That's why majority of folks are depression, anxiety, mantle brakedown, and suicide rate is getting rocked.

We should go by flow.

Screenwriter · Answer

Well, think of Mr. Spock. The only reason t o have sex would be to keep the race alive. We wouldn't have unwanted children or accidents. Everything would be planned.

Bet we'd have excellent machines. Work would be goal oriented. But there wouldn't be any fun, spontaneity or excitement.

Dull world.

TooHot2Care · Answer

Read the three body problem and find out what Trisolarans are.

Contrary to the belief of intellectuals, logic isn't a great principle to live by on its own.

Take away poetry, art, love, romance, subjectivity, sadness, sadeness, aggression, fervor, and all of those beautiful emotions and all you have is a cyclic spiral of breeding with no substance to it but multiplying for the sake of multiplying.

Juxtapose · Answer

With no emotions and only logic you would have no reason to do anything.

Why do you want to live? What is your logical reason for wanting to live? You don't have one, you want to live because of instincts but instincts are not a logical reason.

genericname85 · Answer

we'd just go extinct, cause living is not logical.

inhua · Answer

humanity would've colonized Mars and multiple other planets by now instead of worrying about how many genders there are

DryGermanGuy · Answer

Let old Data demonstrate it:

mstbooblover · Answer

Very bad idea to only act on logic only, although I can think of some logical reasons ;0)

MementoMori777 · Answer

yes you said it perfectly, damn i was gonna say that

Unit1 · Answer

We would be organic robots. Or empty shells. There won't be any love. Just like me. I am a product of such an example.

Friendlybro79 · Answer

We wouldn't have hunger or homelessness, they're wouldn't be Uber rich billionaires, and we'd all learn to share better.

Nik1hil · Answer

Yes, we would practically be an A. I Civilio

Sammy786 · Answer

Reply and I'll answer. That's not likely to happen.

kellytheman · Answer

Yeah I think everybody will be kinda robotic and not sure the human kind would live very long with out emotions of love and passion.

MysticDevice · Answer

We would be called Vulcans then. Embracing the teachings of Surak. Live long and prosper. 🖖

collie22 · Answer

People probably wouldn't vote for New taxes..😊

motownplayer2000 · Answer

Society would run more efficiently on logic. But no one would care about each other.

Catguy92 · Answer

We would be like vulcans; and kind of boring.

BLP11520 · Answer

Human will is very strong , unfortunately people will want to take advantage of the regular people. Power and money> politicians

In_Trance · Answer

we'd be fucked because most people's sense of logic is non existent

Anonymous · Answer

We wouldn’t have chicks with dicks.  🧠

SawerBrown · Answer

No one would ever fall in love

strateguy632 · Answer

no wars ever.

Ciel7889 · Answer

It will become endless void.

jahaims · Answer

Everyone would commit suicide

msc545 · Answer

Things would be very boring.

Tim-loves-it · Answer

Would be interesting yet boring as hell

Anonymous · Answer

Depends on situation

jimmy2 · Answer

Be a different world

What would happen if humanity was driven entirely by logic and not emotions?

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