"Moxon's Master" by Ambrose Bierce. Question and Answer Analysis.

Exercise:
Question no 1.
Answer: Moxon's definition of a machine is taken form a popular dictionary. According to this definition a machine is "Any instrument or organization by which power is applied and made effective, or a desired effect is produced". Moxon extended this definition to man too. he also says that by virtue of the fact that machine is created by man, it absorbs something of man's intelligence and purpose. Thus making it sentient, living, feeling, conscious being.
I agree with the definition from the dictionary. I believe that machine in terms of being an automaton is a device operable by man. However I do not believe with Moxon's extension of the definition to automatons as being alive, feeling, conscious beings.

Question no. 2.
Answer: Moxon is developing a sentient conscious machine, one that can think and possesses intelligence.
Moxon believes that no matter is inert or dead. It is ll instinct with force; actual and potential. He believes that all matter is sensitive to the same forces in environment as man himself. When matter comes into contact with man: when he is fashioning it into an instrument of his will, it absorbs something of his intelligence and purpose. This absorption is greater and depends upon how complex the resulting machine is. Based on this theory, Moxon is developing a machine which he believes will be capable of thinking, acting and possessing consciousness- a robot or automaton which will be able to perform actions independent of it's creator.

Question no. 3.
Answer: Plants have a mechanism for performing different activities. They show movement under the influence of light. Some plants are sensitive to touch. Some can trap insects to meet their nutritional needs. However this does not mean that plants can think. plants do not have a nervous system. If they did their faculties would be comparable to either animals or humans. They would then have been able to perform actions like higher animals. Thus, there is no space on an argument on the question whether the plants can or cannot think.