Aristotle understood freedom as the capacity to live well through the exercise of phronēsis , the practical wisdom cultivated by experience. To deliberate wisely, one must encounter situations, weigh alternatives, and learn from the consequences of one’s choices. Autonomy, in this sense, grows as habits of reflection are strengthened and withers wh... See more

Simulation still lets us act on our own judgment — the choice is ours — but it weakens the practice of deliberation. We don’t wrestle with problems from first principles. Instead, we are handed plausible answers that shape the frame of thought before we begin.

Technology extends human power into matter so that action and thought can be carried further than the body or mind would allow, while unlocking new forms of cognitive activity that were previously out of reach.