Comparing “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” to Blade Runner

A logical deduction when analyzing Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is to compare it to the film based off of it, Blade Runner. The first large difference when comparing the two is the existential debate that is proposed. As prior mentioned Mercerism is a religious philosophy that allows humans to use empathy to differentiate themselves from androids, thus created an interesting dichotomy. Yet in Blade Runner it is completely taken out and replaced with a more traditional androids morality plot basis. Thus making it’s moral impact inferior by not giving a human rational for android slaughter.

Another large difference is by causality removing Mercerism means the androids in Blade Runner can show empathy, which in turn gives humans less of a ethical excuse when slaughtering androids for bounty. Other major plot changes also come in that ruins the essence of the novel. for example an android that Rick Deckard had an affair with (Rachael Rosen) killed Rick Deckard’s sacred goat in the end of the novel out of spite. While in the film they grow passionate romance, removing the whole point of the subplot in the first place. ” I’m not going to kill you.” He steered the car in the direction of downtown San Francisco once again. “Your car’s at the St. Francis, isn’t it? I’ll let you off there and you can head for Seattle.” That ended what he had to say; he drove in silence.”Thanks for not killing me,” Rachael said presently.” ( P.K Dick, Ch 17)

Analyzing Rick Deckard in “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”.

The main protagonist of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep known as Rick Deckard is a contracted bounty hunter working for the San-Fran Cisco police department, specifically specializing in the retirement ( murder) of androids. Looking at his character throughout the novel a conjecture can be assumed, Rick Deckard by going through his morally questioning career is morally incorrect to “retire androids” due to his apathy for human interaction? Consequently how has their society has formed to be ego concentric and consumerist?

First to gain context on releasing a verdict on Rick Deckard’s consumerist tenancies must be postulated. Within the dystopian future of the novel Rick Decker’s after losing his sheep to tetanus he is obsessed with fitting in with the social standards of owning an animal. This is due to the nuclear fall out resulting in the remaining few non humanoid macro organisms to become extremely rare, thus causing owning animals to be a sign of social status. Rick Deckard’s main goal throughout the entire novel is to maintain animal ownership, when Deckard took ownership of a false sheep he took create shame in maintain this fraud. “Owning and maintaining a fraud had a way of gradually demoralizing one. And yet from a social standpoint it had to be done, given the absence of the real article. (P.K Dick ,36)”

To answer the question is it ethical to kill androids? No, specifically because in this scenario Rick Deckard used empathy for animals to excuse his rational yet empathy for animals is clearly consumerist to fit in and not a moral difference between humans and androids. Thus Rick Deckard is wrong

Existentialism, Artificial intelligence and the singularity in “Do androids dream of electric sheep?”

One large plot point in Do Androids Dreams of Electric Sheep is the philosophical discussion of analyzing the moral contrarianism of artificial intelligence. Meant as servants to martian colonists realistic organic androids are developed to provide a better assimilation experience. So in a situation where 6 escaped Nexus-6 brained androids are on earth is it ethical to retire (i.e kill) them for disobeying orders.

To answer this question first question a reference to the ideology of empathy in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep can be made. To Excuse the abuse of Androids ( known as Andy’s) humans use Mercerism to argue that androids lack empathy and therefore are equivalent to schizophrenic humans. This is later corroborated in a scene where the fugitive androids are mutilating a spider ( which after the apocalyptic event world war terminus all non human life has become extremely rare, in which spiders are worth $1000-$2000) this displaying apathy and removal from human emotion.

“Carrying the medicine bottle into the kitchen, Pris seated herself at J. R. Isidore’s breakfast table. She removed the lid from the bottle and dumped the spider out. “It probably won’t be able to run as fast,” she said, “but there’s nothing for it to catch around here anyhow. It’ll die anyway.” She reached for the scissors” ( P.K Dick, ch18 ). There P.K Dick is attempting to give an ethical dichotomy to the novel, in which androids do have a removed sense of reality from natural humans do humans have a right to remove android rights and turn their prime objective into human slavery? The answer is mainly that although they are perceived as lesser beings androids can still have ambitions. One android, Luba Luft had ambitions of being an opera singer that where alluded two throughout the novel. Taken away from her in the end when she was “retired” by Rick Deckard ( protagonist). Thus making the Murder of androids on that fundamental basis unethical.

Comparing “Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?” to Fahrenheit 451 and other dystopian novels.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is known as one of the most influential science fiction novels of the 20th century. Although it does display a futuristic setting and the existential philosophical problem of future technology the novel can also be viewed as a dystopian novel. One way of showing this trait is by comparing it to one of the most influential conventional dystopian novels Fahrenheit 451.

One made comparison that can be made between Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is the mindless consensus of the society, the self encapsulating selfishness of each of their surrounding societies. The difference between the two societies is that in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep the people of the society are introverted and self absorbed due to their current society being a post apocalyptic wasteland, as seen in the following passage.

“The legacy of World War Terminus had diminished in potency; those who could not survive the dust had passed into oblivion years ago, and the dust, weaker now and confronting the strong survivors, only deranged minds and genetic properties. Despite his lead codpiece, the dust—undoubtedly—filtered in and at him, brought him daily, so long as he failed to emigrate, its little load of befouling filth. (P.K.Dick , 31) ”

In contrast to the world of Fahrenheit 451 where the society is filled with mindless sheep due to the government trying to reduce freedom of thought. Thus Fahrenheit 451 takes a more conventional stance on conservationist introverted societies. Therefore the post apocalyptic setting of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep place sit closer to science fiction analyzing society than pure dystopian literature.

Religious Commentary in “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”

                Within Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep the strong science fiction futurism is really a form of dystopian literature. Within the novel certain aspects are clearly displaying an isolated and dilapidated society that prioritizes immediate self-satisfaction, ignorance than freedom of thought and societal awareness. This can be displayed by their isolated society and the use of an apparatus known as an empathy box. This fictional apparatus acts as a mental represent, while said residents use this apparatus to fuse with an ambiguous omnipotent being known as Wilbur Mercer.

The real utilization of this device can be seen in the end of the novel when a competitor of Mercerism The Buster friendly show released an expose revealing Mercerism to be a synthetic controlled recording that is played when fusing with prior mentioned empathy boxes. “We may never know (who created the hoax). Nor can we fathom the peculiar purpose behind this swindle. Yes, folks, swindle. Mercerism is a swindle!” (18.54. P.K.dick). Yet it can be seen later within the novel that the protagonist Rick Deckard can still fuse with him even when not connected to the empathy box.

The main analyzes of the religious commentary is that humans created empathy boxes to differentiate themselves from androids, androids can’t empathize. Deckard also uses this rational to excuse his retirement (murder) of androids. So to answer the question Is religion created by it’s followers or is the omnipotent being actually creating a enlightening experience in Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep created Mercerism and use it as a pardon for abuse of other sentient being. So religion is therefore created and formed by faith, this also being corroborated with Buster friendlies expose. So therefore when Rick Deckard was fusing with Wilbur Mercer outside of the empathy box this was really just his subconscious attempting to rectify the crime he was about to commit ( murder androids).