Fuzzy Future: From Society and Science to Heaven in a Chip
Bart Kosko
(Harmony Books, 1999)

Fuzzy Future is a book about science, technology, and a vision of where the world is headed in the next few years. For church leaders, Fuzzy Future is a book about ethics, values, and the meaning of life. Bart Kosko paints a picture of what humankind will be able to do within the next few decades. It remains to be seen whether we should do something just because we can. The Christian church will need to adopt some position in response to the technological change that is imminent.

The position we adopt will determine whether or not we can continue to have an impact on our greater culture. Rigidity in the face of such monumental change may result in our demise. Too much accommodation may render us meaningless. Our ultimate credibility depends on how honestly we help others wrestle with these issues as we struggle with them ourselves.

Kosko helpfully points out that there is virtually no such thing as an absolute. The lessons of physics and mathematics from the past century have shown us that all our truths are essentially approximations of truth. Things —and ideas—are not simply true or false; they are all true and not true, false and not false, to some degree. Human nature drives us to draw clear lines, to cast things into black-and-white dichotomies. Day-to-day living shows us that we live in a world of shades of gray. Often we will ask someone if he or she is a Christian. What does this really mean? Is there a distinct line that a person crosses that moves him or her from zero percent Christian to one hundred percent Christian? When we speak in terms of discipleship, is someone either zero percent a disciple or one hundred percent a disciple? More accurately, all who follow Christ follow to different extents. We are all Christian and not Christian to some degree. Hence, we continuously stand in the need of God’s grace, regardless of our piety and devotion.

Hard lines differentiating good from evil, sacred from secular, acceptable from unacceptable, may help us make decisions; but they also inspire argument and division. We claim to know something as fact, and we strive to make others accept or reject this fact. Either/or, all or nothing. Science and technology offer an alternative—the power of "and."

Kosko speaks of "conceptual anarchy" (p. 11), the condition that exists when different people use the same words, phrases, symbols, and images to represent very different things. I say "church member" and mean a person who attends worship weekly, is a member of a Sunday school class, helps with fellowship events, and volunteers in the community. You say "church member"" and you may mean someone who took vows at confirmation, but who hasn’t been back since. Often, our discussions dissolve into trying to decide which church member is the real church member—either/or. In reality, both church members are church members. The first is (perhaps) a church member eight-five percent and not-a-church-member fifteen percent; the second is fifteen percent and is-not, eighty-five percent. Fuzzy logic helps us think in terms of spectrums of reality rather than dichotomies.

This thesis paves the way for a discussion on the technological advances that are quickly leading our society to a day where machine intelligence (computers) exceeds human intelligence. Science is moving toward a time where "the mind" of an individual can be uploaded into data chips and micro-processors. The Promethean passion for immortality may finally be within the grasp of humankind. The question remains: Just because we can do something, does that mean we should do something?

The church has engaged in ethical discussion, dialogue, and debate in every generation. There are strong feelings about God’s will for humanity. We wrestle with the definitions of right and wrong, sin and sanctity. There is widespread unease in arenas where men and women play God. And yet, this imposes values on a valueless proposition. For every argument, there are two sides. For every cost, there is a commensurate benefit. Fuzzy logic reminds us that every decision, every belief, every act is right and not-right, good and not-good, true and not-true.

This is not speculative posturing. This is the world that is emerging, and it is the world in which the church offers the presence of God. Many people will turn to the church for guidance, for perspective, for interpretation. It is not an option for the church to adopt a black-and-white stance—to ignore or deny our evolving technological advances. It is important for the leaders of our churches -- in our conferences and congregations—to build awareness and create understanding around the issues that are emerging. Much of the information seems more like science fiction or a Frankenstein film, but it is science fact, and it is shaping the future.

For further reading, I also recommend Neil Gershenfeld’s When Things Start to Think (Owl Books, 2000), and The Age of Spiritual Machines by Ray Kurzweil (Penguin Books, 2000). A somewhat bloated portrayal of the future where machines become something more is the Touchstone Film Bicentennial Man, starring Robin Williams.

Discussion Guide for Fuzzy Future

Session One -- Chapters 1-7

1. What are some of the hard lines we draw in the church to deal with "fuzzy" issues?
2. Look at the fuzzy spectrum illustrated on page 29 of Fuzzy Future. How would you change the labels on this spectrum to apply it to the church?
3. What are the benefits of the "rewards for research breakthroughs" system Kosko lays out? (pp. 69-72) What dangers are inherent in such a system?
4. What do you truly and completely "own"? Who should have the right to make decisions that govern your personal needs and desires? Why?
5. How does the application of fuzzy logic influence your thinking or feeling about such issues as abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia, cloning, or other "hot topics"?
6. Who should decide whether people have the capacity to make intelligent decisions for themselves?
7. As we come to understand and control gene prints and complete gene maps, what are some of the potential benefits? dangers?
8. What are your thoughts and feelings about cloning and genetic manipulation? Why would you support or oppose them?
9. How does the phrase "randomness differs from vagueness," (p. 102) apply when we speak of conversations of faith? What are some ways we can "defuzzify" disagreements and disputes within the church?
10. What are some implications for the church concerning the rising demand for cheaper, smarter weapons? How can we respond as market forces move us to a less stable, more violent and volatile world?
11. As the power to destroy increases and spreads, political powers will have less ability to control violence and terrorism. What role can the church (both as an institution and as individual congregations) play in influencing the way people choose to wield such power?
12. Reflect on your feelings as you read Part One (pages 21-134). What have you found exciting? alarming? distressing? hopeful? comforting? What others words or phrases would you use to describe your reactions to Part One?

Session Two -- Chapters 8-11

1. How do we experience the "curse of dimensionality" (p. 147) in our church's organizational structures?
2. As "precise" science is exposed to be inexact and speculative, what lessons may we in the church learn about discussing what we "know," what we "believe," and what we "think"?
3. How does a better understanding of the brain and how the mind works help us when we discuss the Christian faith?
4. A central thesis of Fuzzy Future is that truth is relative insofar as the level of precision we can attain. Things are true to the extent they are also not-true. What are the intrinsic problems and benefits when fuzzy logic is applied to matters of faith?
5. Reflect on your feelings as you read Part Two (pages 137-196). What have you found exciting? alarming? distressing? hopeful? comforting? What others words or phrases would you use to describe your reactions to Part Two?

Session Three -- Chapters 12-15

1. As machine intelligence and creativity increase, many people will struggle more and more with the question, "What does it mean to be human?" What are some ways that the church can support people in this struggle?
2. What are your feelings as you read about computers composing Beethoven's symphonies, producing Van Gogh's art, writing Dickens's novels, or evolving to create new art forms never known before?
3. What ways do you envision making machine intelligence work for you in the future?
4. How do you respond to the statement that "privacy may be doomed in the digital age"? (p. 233)
5. What are your thoughts and feelings about digital immortality?
6. How does the human ability to control or conquer death support or contradict your beliefs about God's will for humankind?
7. What are the pros and cons to uploading the "data" from our brains into a chip or microprocessor? Speculate on ways this could change our world.
8. In the future, the questions concerning scientific and technological advances will shift from "can we?" to "should we?" What will be the role of the church as this shift occurs?
9. Reflect on your feelings as you read Part Three (pages 197-256). What have you found exciting? alarming? distressing? hopeful? comforting? What others words or phrases would you use to describe your reactions to Part Three?

Dan R. Dick is a former staff member of the General Board of Discipleship.

(originally posted February 10, 2000)

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