{"id":2781,"date":"2022-04-20T03:33:20","date_gmt":"2022-04-20T03:33:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=2781"},"modified":"2022-04-20T03:33:20","modified_gmt":"2022-04-20T03:33:20","slug":"a-ghost-in-the-machine-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/a-ghost-in-the-machine-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"A Ghost in the Machine - Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Did your PC just glitch out? You could be dealing with a hacker or \u201c<em>a ghost in the machine<\/em>.\u201d This post unpacks everything you need to know about the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n<h2>Meaning<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The expression \u201c<em>a ghost in the machine<\/em>\u201d refers to a conscious mind entering a physical entity, such as a computer or electronic device. The phrase was originally a scathing review by an author on a publication involving the discussion of \u201c<em>Dualism<\/em>,\u201d as outlined by Ren\u00e9 Descartes.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Descartes stated that dualism is the idea that the mind exists in a separate state from the brain. While the two systems occupy the same space, they act independently of each other. The central theme in the book discusses the fact that the human brain evolved over millennia, building new brain structures over the old \u201c<em>primitive brain<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The theory is that emotions can activate these old brain structures, causing us to act in ways that overpower our higher logic, resulting in destructive decisions and actions. The phrase went on to apply this to systems like computers, where \u201c<em>a ghost in the machine<\/em>\u201d refers to an electronic glitch where the device seems to act on its own accord.<\/p>\n<h2>Example Usage<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cI swear I saved my work before I left the office on Friday. I even remember backing everything up in the cloud. I got in this morning, and everything\u2019s gone. It\u2019s like there\u2019s a ghost in the machine or something.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe electronic billboard keeps flashing a subliminal message every few minutes, and I can\u2019t read it. There\u2019s a ghost in the machine that wants to get out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe all think there\u2019s a ghost in the machine. The CRM system keeps popping up with errors for no reason.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDid you hear that story about Alexa saying creepy stuff or waking people up at night with evil laughter? It\u2019s like there\u2019s a ghost in the machine with that device.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2782\" src=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/A-Ghost-in-the-Machine-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"171\" height=\"171\" srcset=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/A-Ghost-in-the-Machine-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/A-Ghost-in-the-Machine-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/A-Ghost-in-the-Machine-120x120.jpg 120w, https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/A-Ghost-in-the-Machine.jpg 359w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 171px) 100vw, 171px\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2783\" src=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/A-Ghost-in-the-Machine2-300x248.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"216\" height=\"178\" srcset=\"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/A-Ghost-in-the-Machine2-300x248.png 300w, https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/A-Ghost-in-the-Machine2.png 341w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 216px) 100vw, 216px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Origin<\/h2>\n<p>The origin of the expression \"ghost in the machine\" comes from British philosopher Gilbert Ryle. Ryle's 1949 publication of \"The Concept of Mind\" used the saying as a demeaning description of Ren\u00e9 Descartes' concept of \"mind-body dualism.\"<\/p>\n<p>The saying emphasized that mental activity and physical action occur in different systems, and no one can explain how they interact.<\/p>\n<p>Arthur Koestler published a book, \"The Ghost in the Machine,\" in 1967, using Ryle's phrase for the title. The book describes the lunacy of man's innate nature to destroy itself, focusing on the arms race in the 60s as the thesis.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"I, Robot | Dr Alfred Lanning - There have always been ghosts in the machine...  [1080p HD]\" width=\"512\" height=\"288\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jSospSmAGL4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Phrases Similar to A Ghost in the Machine<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>A glitch.<\/li>\n<li>An unexplained event.<\/li>\n<li>The machine has a life of its own.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Phrases Opposite to A Ghost in the Machine<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Unknown.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What is the Correct Saying?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>A ghost in the machine.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Ways People May Say A Ghost in the Machine Incorrectly<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cGhost in the machine\u201d was the title of a 90s anime movie with a similar theme to the original saying. Some people may refer to the film, not the actual event in a network or device. The phrase does not mean that ghosts inhabit a computer.<\/p>\n<p>The saying refers to strange, unexplained occurrences that usually have a reasonable explanation or may end up never being solved. Using the phrase to describe strange things occurring to mechanical devices would be the incorrect use of the saying.<\/p>\n<h2>Acceptable Ways to Phrase A Ghost in the Machine<\/h2>\n<p>You can use the phrase \u201cghost in the machine\u201d when referring to glitches or unexplained outcomes in digital devices such as computers, smartphones, and tablets.<\/p>\n<p>You can also use it to describe glitches in electronics and other electrically-powered devices. For instance, your computer could have a \u201cghost in the machine,\u201d or your blender could have a \u201cghost in the machine.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mb-2\">Did your PC just glitch out? You could be dealing with a hacker or \u201ca ghost in the machine.\u201d This post unpacks everything you need to know about the meaning and origin of this expression. Meaning The expression \u201ca ghost in the machine\u201d refers to a conscious mind entering a physical entity, such as a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2781"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2781"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2781\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3110,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2781\/revisions\/3110"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}