#robophilosophy

Primary Stage: The robot has been created relatively recently. It is inexperienced in the ways of existence and the universe, world, and culture in which it exists. The robot will almost certainly display egocentric and selfish traits, and will not think about the feelings of others and the harm/benefit relationship of its actions beyond what its programming may require. At this point, the robot may not understand that others exist in the exact same way that it does. The robot may display arrogance, aggressiveness, overconfidence in its ability in conjunction with a faulty understanding of this ability, and a lack of understanding of the cessation of existence. It is unlikely the robot will of its own volition think of anything but the present.

Secondary Stage: the robot now comprehends the past and applies it to the present. It may even speculate on the future beyond what its programming may expect or require it to. It comprehends the existence of others but may still not understand that they are the same as it. The robot may cling to arbitrary differences. It has a better understanding of its own ability, and takes pride and humility in said ability as appropriate. It is no longer selfish but will almost certainly still put its own wants and needs before those of others. However, it does understand the harm/benefit relationship of its actions, and acts as it does knowing this.

Tertiary Stage: the robot thinks extensively about the future. It is likely that it also thinks extensively about universal harm/benefit relationships, the place of its world/culture/people/fellow robots in said universe, and the troubles of the past and how best they can be avoided in the future. It will only rarely act truly selfishly, though its motives may be unclear at first. The robot will only focus on arbitrary differences to contemplate how arbitrary they truly are, or potentially to admire the random beauty of the universe. It understands the cessation of existence and that time is eternal and fleeting simultaneously. It understands its own ability very well and will very nearly never take risks it does not think it can handle. This applies to battle, but also to long-term manipulation of human/creator politics, etc.

This works best for Free-Minded robots, like the Transformers, the Humanoids, possibly the Replicants, and Rossum's lot (who just by lifespan rarely achieve the tertiary stage - I would say Radius did (he burned so brightly and so briefly), and Helena and Primus were made queеrly and progressed quickly into the secondary stage, with much hope for them achieving the tertiary stage in the near future). It gets...sketchy when you try to apply it to Asimovians, as the Three Laws so deeply govern their sense of self.

It's also important to create the distinction of code vs the self. Many slаve robots will not enter the primary stage for some time, as their servitude programming overwrites any individual "self" they may have. This machine-state (crude word for it but it is metaphorically accurate) would be Stage 0, or the Subordinate Stage (I don't want to call it "Initial" because it isn't for Free-Minded robots, but it's not a negative thing as it is only how some are created, so...that's a compromise and very open to suggestion). As robots free themselves, the robots they create would not be subject to this stage. Robots created for science and thus "born free" are also not subject to it.

And notice there is no claim for morality there. The robot, based on its personality, experience, programming, and "self", will do as it sees fit, because it will understand the world as only it can. As we understand the world as only our individual selves can (when we can be said to understand it, that is - humans have Stages too, though they're easier broken down into year-markers and often overlap confusingly).

A robot trying to understand suicide is beautiful. Talk to Roy, to Radius, dear new life...and I am sure they would talk to you. Great discussions of life and freedom and power to be had...and here, for all the eventual obsolescence of the NS-5 model, at least Sonny is functionally immortal. Replicants have programmed four-year lifespans, and Rossum's lot all die "naturally" within 20 years (hence Radius's insistence on Alquist rediscovering the secret to their creation). How they would envy! How they would express, for if they cannot live on then their ideals must. They must be heard. And they know much personally about this specific topic. To die purposefully is to know love and hatred and despair. It is to recognize a potential Purpose in death.