When would cybernetics no longer make a person be human?

[Michael Jackson]

When all arms and legs are replaced?
When the torso is replaced?
When the heart is replaced?
When the brain is replaced with a computer that is able to download the person's personality on it?

[The Butt Witch]

When the brain is replaced by a computer.

I'm sorry but I don't buy into this nonsense that says the more synthetic parts you have, the less human you are. There is really only one thing that defines a being as human: the brain. As long as the brain continues to function as a human brain, then it's a human no matter if everything else is synthetic.

[Shadowferal]

If the brain is gone...so is the person.

Although I can't imagine living like this example from RoboCop:

[Endus]

When the brain is replaced by a computer.

I'm sorry but I don't buy into this nonsense that says the more synthetic parts you have, the less human you are. There is really only one thing that defines a being as human: the brain. As long as the brain continues to function as a human brain, then it's a human no matter if everything else is synthetic.

This is emotion, not reason.

Replace a neuron with an artificial neuron. Is it no longer a human being? It's one neuron. It probably doesn't affect anything, really. Hell, it could not work at all, and probably wouldn't be that big an impact.

Now, make it two. Has it changed, yet?

At exactly which neural replacement count does someone go from "human being" to "soulless robot"? I need a precise number.

There's nothing magical about the lump of fatty tissue inside our skulls. No reason to think it's not replaceable, if out of our technological reach at the moment.

[Rustedsaint]

When we are no longer capable of emotions ,illogical actions or hope.

[Trassk]

The brain obviously. You can't replicate human personality with a machine. A personality is organic, something the complex neurons a living brain functions as.
You can replace a person's arm with a machine. They will not have as feeling anymore because the arm is gone. They are still human just propped up by a machine.

Can a computer function without a cpu? Of course not, if you put a hamburger in place of a cpu you won't have a computer, just an empty shell with a hamburger inside it.

- - - Updated - - -

If the brain is gone...so is the person.

Although I can't imagine living like this example from RoboCop:

Holy crap, that's all that was left of Murphy? RoboCop is a straight up horror movie

[Shadowferal]

Holy crap, that's all that was left of Murphy? RoboCop is a straight up horror movie

That was closer to how the book depicted him.
They make mention (in the book) of certain biochemicals that were deemed unnecessary like testosterone and semen, and respective glands and such were cut away and tossed.
Definitely made me wonder what the "being-ness" is in the human "being."

[Tabrotar]

Read Battle Angel Alita both the first and the second manga series, that´s basically the theme going on trough all of it.

[Shadowferal]

Read Battle Angel Alita both the first and the second manga series, that´s basically the theme going on trough all of it.

I admit the movie gave me the weirdest boner...and I liked it!

[Queen of Hamsters]

If I can see a profane Teddy Bear as a person, then I could do the same with a robot.

Bring on Westworld IRL!

[Unholyground]

Sentient machines are the next step in human evolution, we as a species can now choose the shape in which they take and what they care about.

[Shadowferal]

Sentient machines are the next step in human evolution, we as a species can now choose the shape in which they take and what they care about.

...and when you're proven wrong...

[Sorshen]

Ghost in the Shell and other works are trying to tackle this, apparently there's no easy answer?

[Trassk]

Ghost in the Shell and other works are trying to tackle this, apparently there's no easy answer?

Oh the one where they take the spirits of children and fuse then into sex bots?

[Unholyground]

...and when you're proven wrong...

Humanity is the womb of the technological future.

[Shadowferal]

Humanity is the womb of the technological future.

I'm a firm believer that human evolution will prove we won't need technology.

[Unholyground]

I'm a firm believer that human evolution will prove we won't need technology.

There is no longer any other life forms that challenge us to evolve beyond our current forms, we will get smarter but beyond that our forms will remain largely the same.

[Shadowferal]

There is no longer any other life forms that challenge us to evolve beyond our current forms, we will get smarter but beyond that our forms will remain largely the same.

You've a remarkable lack of imagination.
That's a shame.

[Kokolums]

There is no longer any other life forms that challenge us to evolve beyond our current forms, we will get smarter but beyond that our forms will remain largely the same.

Humanity is still feeling evolutionary pressure. We are still evolving. The evolutionary pressure comes from war. Every time we have a huge war, the most aggressive and confident humans kill each other off. We are slowly weeding out aggression and confidence. This makes sense because highly intelligent creatures can get nightmarishly efficient at killing members of its own species and the entire environment. So the ONLY way for highly intelligent creatures to survive without going extinct is to weed out aggression and confidence. If you compare modern human anatomy to humans from 40,000 years ago, you see this in action. Modern humans have shriveled up bodies. Modern humans are weaker and puny. We look like the Withered from blood elf lore.

If alien life ever visited us, I think they would have to be incredibly meek and humble. They would also be very put off by our aggression and confidence.

[Sunseeker]

When they're no longer a person or a human? The idea that you need to be a human to be a person is silly and short-sighted. We will either encounter other sentient life from elsewhere in the galaxy, it will evolve, or we will create it (either on purpose or on accident, likely both) or if you buy into the whole God idea, He will make some more for *reasons*, I mean technically most major religions already suggest if not outright state there is a myrid of other sentient life.

As for being human I'd argue that it's pretty darn close to having no organic organs remaining, particularly the brain. Then you're basically just a flesh robot. Not that a flesh robot can't be a person, but not a human.