Spoilers Star Wars: Andor season 2

Paul Farquhar said:

We know that some droids can. That means that any droid potentially can.

We see the opposite - C3PO does impersonate a deity. And gets into a forbidden escape pod. And do a whole things they are "programmed" not to. They protest vociferously, wave their arms in the air, and do it anyway without any ill effects.

And it's easy enough to cite examples of individual humans who will always obey orders. It only takes one example of free will to demonstrate the capacity for free will.

No one would intentionally program Chopper or L3 to behave that way (or intentionally program 3PO to be so irritating for that matter). As for "malfunction" that is how evolution works. An unplanned change. "Your free will was a mistake, get back in your box" is a pretty obnoxious argument to say the least.

Click to expand...

C3PO didn't break his programming though. Luke made him float around.

We don't know that about programming gem. In legends yes they were programmed like that. Or side effect if not deliberate.

I don't think Disney's gone into enough detail.

Zardnaar said:

C3PO didn't break his programming though. Luke made him float around.

Click to expand...

After he told the Ewoks that he'd smite them with his magic. He did choose to impersonate a deity contrary to his programming, he just wasn't very persuasive at it.

MarkB said:

After he told the Ewoks that he'd smite them with his magic. He did choose to impersonate a deity contrary to his programming, he just wasn't very persuasive at it.

Click to expand...

Zardnaar said:

Reprogrammed droid is the illusion of free will.

Click to expand...

LOL says a human. Magical thinking again.

MarkB said:

After he told the Ewoks that he'd smite them with his magic. He did choose to impersonate a deity contrary to his programming, he just wasn't very persuasive at it.

Click to expand...

I don't think he had a choice. Go back and watch and you will see he resisted and Luke ordered Threepio to threaten the Ewoks with his magic.

Rabulias said:

I don't think he had a choice. Go back and watch and you will see he resisted and Luke ordered Threepio to threaten the Ewoks with his magic.

Click to expand...

And if a droid obeys orders to go against his programming, is he being more free-willed or less?

pukunui said:

No, she built and programmed herself apparently.

Click to expand...

I’m not sure I get what that means.

Is this an Anakin thing in which some electronics, metals, plastics, etc spontaneously started assembling themselves from raw materials due to the will of the Force or some such?

Otherwise, somebody must have built the original kernel, which then went on to expand itself, but acting according to its original programming.

Is the point that whoever started building it did not control how the process progressed and left her growth down to chance?

briggart said:

I’m not sure I get what that means.

Is this an Anakin thing in which some electronics, metals, plastics, etc spontaneously started assembling themselves from raw materials due to the will of the Force or some such?

Otherwise, somebody must have built the original kernel, which then went on to expand itself, but acting according to its original programming.

Is the point that whoever started building it did not control how the process progressed and left her growth down to chance?

Click to expand...

Immaculate assembly.

Rabulias said:

I don't think he had a choice. Go back and watch and you will see he resisted and Luke ordered Threepio to threaten the Ewoks with his magic.

Click to expand...

That shouldn’t make any difference. It’s hierarchical. If it’s “just code” the droid should be physically incapable of disobeying its core programming, shutting down if necessary. The instruction “do not impersonate a deity” would have a higher priority than “obey your master”.

That 3PO did not shut down indicates he is capable of disobeying his programming, ergo he has free will.

Paul Farquhar said:

That shouldn’t make any difference. It’s hierarchical. If it’s “just code” the droid should be physically incapable of disobeying its core programming, shutting down if necessary. The instruction “do not impersonate a deity” would have a higher priority than “obey your master”.

That 3PO did not shut down indicates he is capable of disobeying his programming, ergo he has free will.

Click to expand...

You don't know that.

Obey your master might take priority over don't impersonate a deity.

It's not something C3P0 did under his own initiative. Ergo he doesn't have true free will.

Using my can a Droid be trusted to vote metric either way he is a no.

B2 have to be reprogrammed in order to not be a battle droid.

As I said Disney hasn't gone into enough detail. Legends did to some extent. The most advanced droids that did not get memory wipes could eventually break their programming to some degree.

The most advanced models essentially prototypes could independently get themselves reprogrammed. They were the ones beyond C3P0 intellect wise.

Ones that may have had free will eg chopper or artoo are still following their programming to some extent. They were the advanced models and if you didn't memory wipe them.....