Compare And Contrast Essay On Androids
In the premise of the novel, empathy emerges as the defining characteristic of humanity. Deckard tests possible androids for empathetic ability, because androids supposedly lack empathy. The androids exhibit other trademarks of humanity, however. Each android has a separate personality, as evidenced by Pris and Rachael, two literally identical androids. Although they are alike in every biological and mechanical way, their mental makeup differs greatly. Pris appears moody, socially awkward, and unpredictable, while Rachael is portrayed as calm, rational, and smart. The obvious personality differences between the identical androids reveal the striking fact that the androids, although they are technically machines, have separate personalities. Androids are thus equivalent to humans in this area. In other arenas, androids even eclipse some humans; they possess a degree of intelligence that surpasses several classes of human specials (30). Androids have emotions just like humans, Luba Luft‘s anxiety, (100) or Rachael‘s feeling of victory (199) over Deckard, or Roy Baty‘s cry of anguish (223) when Deckard kills Irmgard all supply just a few of the many examples of androids‘ emotions. Why, then, if the androids meet all these qualifications of humanity, are
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they not considered human?
The answer lies in empathy.
Because the androids allegedly have no ability to appreciate the existence of another, i.e., they lack empathy, the world condemns them as inhuman. But a closer examination of androids reveals that they do, in fact, have empathy, but not for humans or animals, only for each other. Rachael, for example, risks her life numerous times for other androids; her position as test model for Rosen Associations is perfectly safe, yet she puts her life on the line to prevent bounty hunters from retiring more androids (201). Roy Baty loves Irmgard (223), and Rachael had been very close friends (199) with Luba Luft. This supports the conjecture that androids do possess empathy, at least for each
other.
But suppose empathy is a valid definition of humanity, and androids are thus inhuman. Do they then have no inherent value? Rick Deckard ultimately grapples with this problem, the question of the intrinsic worth of androids. He has no easy way out; if Deckard maintains that androids have no worth because they are not human, it follows that anything that is not human has no worth. If he admits that androids do possess fundamental significance, he essentially acknowledges that retiring androids his livelihood is morally wrong because it consists of destroying a valuable life form solely because it exists. Just as Rick Deckard struggles with the consequences of different philosophies, the reader must also examine his beliefs and reflect on their logical ends. Dick highlights the importance of the consequences of ideas through his portrayal of the grim outcome of the Voigt-Kampff definition of humanity.
In the Bloom’s Taxonomy, this question would go under creating, because the reader can analyze and from their personal views on what a human is, and create their point of view on the subject, and see if the androids are truly humans. It requires all the steps on the pyramid to fully grasp this question, requires our own philosophy on our humanistic qualities, and just because humans made them, doesn’t mean they can’t mimic our emotions among their own kind, like we do.
they not considered human?
The answer lies in empathy.
Because the androids allegedly have no ability to appreciate the existence of another, i.e., they lack empathy, the world condemns them as inhuman. But a closer examination of androids reveals that they do, in fact, have empathy, but not for humans or animals, only for each other. Rachael, for example, risks her life numerous times for other androids; her position as test model for Rosen Associations is perfectly safe, yet she puts her life on the line to prevent bounty hunters from retiring more androids (201). Roy Baty loves Irmgard (223), and Rachael had been very close friends (199) with Luba Luft. This supports the conjecture that androids do possess empathy, at least for each
other.
But suppose empathy is a valid definition of humanity, and androids are thus inhuman. Do they then have no inherent value? Rick Deckard ultimately grapples with this problem, the question of the intrinsic worth of androids. He has no easy way out; if Deckard maintains that androids have no worth because they are not human, it follows that anything that is not human has no worth. If he admits that androids do possess fundamental significance, he essentially acknowledges that retiring androids his livelihood is morally wrong because it consists of destroying a valuable life form solely because it exists. Just as Rick Deckard struggles with the consequences of different philosophies, the reader must also examine his beliefs and reflect on their logical ends. Dick highlights the importance of the consequences of ideas through his portrayal of the grim outcome of the Voigt-Kampff definition of humanity.
In the Bloom’s Taxonomy, this question would go under creating, because the reader can analyze and from their personal views on what a human is, and create their point of view on the subject, and see if the androids are truly humans. It requires all the steps on the pyramid to fully grasp this question, requires our own philosophy on our humanistic qualities, and just because humans made them, doesn’t mean they can’t mimic our emotions among their own kind, like we do.