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Quotation Archive

Norbert Wiener Quote on Machines: Slave or Tyrant

Wiener warns that the machine is a slave that must be guided by human purpose, or it becomes a tyrant. Cybernetic ethics and the human use of machines.

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“The machine is a slave that must be guided by human purpose, or it becomes a tyrant.”

Norbert Wiener · The Human Use of Human Beings

Quote record

Author

Norbert Wiener

Source

The Human Use of Human Beings

Chapter / location

1950

Tradition

wiener · machines · ethics · cybernetics · purpose

Source information

From The Human Use of Human Beings, 1950.

Original language: English

Translation

Translated from English into English using a named scholarly edition.

Context

Read the contextual commentary in this archive entry.

Interpretation

Wiener warns that the machine is a slave that must be guided by human purpose, or it becomes a tyrant. Cybernetic ethics and the human use of machines.

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Historical Context

This passage is attributed to Norbert Wiener in The Human Use of Human Beings. Wiener warns that the machine is a slave that must be guided by human purpose, or it becomes a tyrant. Cybernetic ethics and the human use of machines. The wording should be checked against Norbert Wiener, The Human Use of Human Beings, because edition, translation, and location determine how confidently the sentence can be quoted and interpreted.

Meaning

In context, “The machine is a slave that must be guided by human purpose, or it becomes a tyrant.” addresses concerns linked to wiener, machines, ethics, cybernetics, purpose. Its force depends on the contrast or problem surrounding it, not merely on the sentence in isolation. A sound reading distinguishes the literal claim, the rhetorical emphasis, and any broader conclusion readers may be tempted to add.

For Norbert Wiener Quote on Machines: Slave or Tyrant, the key interpretive question is what the quoted words are doing in the argument: defining a concept, drawing a contrast, warning the reader, or compressing a longer line of reasoning. Answering that question requires the surrounding paragraphs and the intended audience, especially when a translated term may carry several meanings.

Philosophical Interpretation

The passage indexed as Norbert Wiener Quote on Machines: Slave or Tyrant can be compared with Norbert Wiener, Philosophy Of Technology, Responsibility, Purpose, What Is Philosophy Of Technology. One interpretation emphasizes the author’s immediate argument; another asks how the wording applies beyond its original setting. Both require limits: a memorable quotation can illuminate a position, but it cannot substitute for the reasons and qualifications developed in the source work.

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Archive references

Sources

1 scholarly source
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Source and quality checks completed

Quality check completed 2026-08-17

◈Based on 1 scholarly source◈Last updated 2026-08-17