Is Mary Shelley's Argument Of The Advancement Of Technology And Drone Warfare
The advancement of science can become an alarming yet wonderful idea and in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, she creates the argument that technology can become monstrous. When describing such a powerful piece of science as evil or devilish, the creations needed signify a huge impact on society, even if the creation served as evil or good. Shelley’s argument specifies that overusing the knowledge of science and making inventions is a monstrous implication. A specific controversy of technology that impacts the aspects of life and freedom is drone warfare. Although drone warfare is a vigorous proposition for the military and for war, it can get into the wrong hands or the scientists could make these weapons so powerful that it can be harmful to
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our modern world. If Shelley were to live in this modern world, she would view drone warfare as an extremity and wish that someone was to get rid of this advancement of science. War has been a part of the human society ever since 2700 BCE, and since then, technology has developed much further than anyone had believed. In today’s world, technology has done most of the fighting while humans merely pilot them. Drones are mainly used in war for stealth and reconnaissance missions, but they have the tendency to cause terror and death among innocent civilians in enemy countries. When drones were first introduced by the government, they were automatically piloted and no human ever controlled them during missions. As the months past, drones started to cause mayhem to bystanders that the automated drones believed were hostile. The drones had, “Attempts to kill 41 men resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1,147 people,” (Ackerman) and many people in America were unhappy with these conditions. There became riots and protests on banning drone warfare because it is killing families in enemy countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Syria. The problem caused mass hysteria in America and convinced Barack Obama to cease down the drone project for a while until they made it safer to use. Although that was the plan, many people believed it was unjust for people who have done nothing to suffer from meaningless war. People said the government was evil and created monsters which shows similarities to how Shelley makes Victor, the creator of a monster that he has put onto the world causing mayhem. Moral questions were brought upon Obama as the people disagreed with the rejuvenation of the drone project. Citizens believed that rebooting these terrifying machines were immoral and unjust because they had the perception that innocent people can die from being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Attaching these moral comments from society, Obama claims, “to uphold the highest standards in defending the nation’s security”(Peterson). Obama believes that although these deaths are just by mistake, the government will fix these issues so fewer people can be hurt by these machines and he will keep America safe by all means necessary. Relating these statements to Frankenstein, Shelley makes the main character, Victor Frankenstein, very selfish and egotistical when he decides to recreate a human being from death. When Victor was growing up, he says that, “My father was not scientific, and I was left to struggle with a child’s blindness, added to a student’s thirst for knowledge.”(21). Coming from a family that never had a full desire for science, Victor had a fascination for philosophy and the advancement of technological science. When he had the drive to become known in history as the man who can reanimate the dead, he worked with great desperation and obsessive behavior while not really understanding what he is about to unleash onto the world. His obsession in trying to become well known in the field of science has turned him into a monster because he does not see through the consequences he will overcome if his project turned wrong. He becomes very selfish in the nature that he wants people to remember him for the reanimation of humans after death. After he creates this creation, he looks at it with horror and disgust that he runs away and leaves his creation to roam the earth with no leash around his neck. This creates similarity to the proposal of drone a benefit, whether it being for himself or society. The government spends many years and billions of dollars making technology that seems like a good idea until they test it out and notice the overwhelming power it can unleash upon the world. Although Obama says that it is supposed to help our nation become more secure and benefits our soldiers that they can go into battle without suffering a huge loss of men during firefights. However, they cannot control these drones to their full expectations and if the drones start to malfunction and go rogue, then Obama will become responsible for the deaths he has caused to all civilians that are killed and the property that the drones have destroyed. Majority of people in America are not very supportive for drones because of the fact that it is very unstable and the technology that the government is using for them is highly advanced and the human mind will need more time in order to fully understand the science behind making them. The government is moving too quickly for this science that it would rather be much safer to proceed this kind of project in the next couple hundred years. Although our modern world is based off new technology and advanced science, the human mind needs time to be able to work out how certain inventions can be made. Trying to push the limits and create drones for war in the military is a very big step and it is a very risky and dangerous step because it can hurt people if used incorrectly. Despite Shelley’s argument of the advancement of technology and science being monstrous, Drone warfare is a very beneficial program in order to make war easier and to help create world peace among other nations.
These machines destroy many enemy camps that contain the Al-Qaeda in places such as Somalia and Afghanistan. Drones also “have done so at little financial cost, at no risk to U.S. forces, and with fewer civilian casualties than many alternative methods would have caused.” (Byman). In the face of the riots all around the nation, Obama has called the reduction in America’s reliance to these machines even though they will still remain the government’s main weapon of choice for international warfare. These machines have done the task of killing the main leaders of the terrorist organization that has haunted us for many years and have denied the life of many of their sanctuaries. Knowing that this information was spread around the world, the citizens of America became more accepting of keeping the production of this new technology alive and to make it as strong as ever. Although it has not been the most approved program the military could use, the biggest advantage is that it actually works and it is the most efficient program for terminating enemy troops that the military has ever invested billions of dollars for. Many politicians and regular civilians “think it fair to say that the targeted killing program has been the most precise and effective application of firepower in the history of armed conflict.” (Hayden). From this quote, the reality of war has brought upon the competition of seeing which country’s military can create the strongest weapon possible. Since Al-Qaeda has started the War on Terrorism with America, Obama and the government have worked for many months on created these drones to help reduce the risk of terrorists towards the civilians. According to Michael Lewis, Drones used for war is actually the most humane forms of warfare that could
have been ever introduced to the world. These drones have the ability to save more soldier’s lives and help pilots that have PTSD so they do not have to physically be in the battle and use the drones instead. Using the drones for missions is like using a virtual reality videogame for the pilots and it will decrease the death rate for pilots that usually fly over enemy territory and are shot down by the terrorists. The soldiers will be able to use these machines more frequently because they do not cost that much to make rather than creating a whole new airplane that is easier to be destroyed. Lewis points out that Mark Bowden, a drone operator for the military says, “His descriptions and takeaways on most aspects of the drone program are consistent with my own experience in military aviation”. He describes that out of the many years of experience of military navigation of air experience, he has been amazed at the new program the military has implemented for aviation. These programs that are newly made for these drones have been supported to prevent risk of civilian casualties and promote the idea of precise execution of the terrorist leaders. Lewis also states that “[. . .] I have gathered from human rights organizations, drone operators, military lawyers, senior military, and CIA personnel who have run the drone programs, as well as from senior military policy advisors who were involved in changing the way drones are used.” Lewis explains in this quote that after having a conversation with multiple authorities in the military, he has gained a large sum of knowledge as to how concise and beneficial this program will become when the full drone program is complete. This brings upon the alternative point of view to what Shelley argued about scientific advancement in ways that the new technology can help humanity become peaceful and make life easier for many people around the world. Shelley wants people to realize that scientific advancement, whether it be for personal gain or supposedly for a beneficial purpose to society, is monstrous and should not be used. Although it may be true to some, no one person can rid the curiosity and fascination of a human’s mind for it is common and looked up upon to become a thinker in society. Many of the scientists in Frankenstein are apparently well-known for the inventions that have benefited the world, but as soon as Victor began to dream like them and wanted much more fame than the other scientists have achieved, he started to try to make something that should not be made.
Works Cited
Ackerman, Spencer. "41 men targeted but 1,147 people killed: US drone strikes – the facts on the ground." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 24 Nov. 2014. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.
Byman, Daniel L. "Why Drones Work: The Case for Washington’s Weapon of Choice | Brookings Institution." Brookings. Brookings, 28 July 2016. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.
Hayden, Michael V. "To Keep America Safe, Embrace Drone Warfare." The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 Feb. 2016. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.
Lewis, Michael W. "Drones: Actually the Most Humane Form of Warfare Ever." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 21 Aug. 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2017.
Peterson, Matt. "Is Obama's Drone War Moral?" The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 18 Aug. 2016. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2009. Print.
our modern world. If Shelley were to live in this modern world, she would view drone warfare as an extremity and wish that someone was to get rid of this advancement of science. War has been a part of the human society ever since 2700 BCE, and since then, technology has developed much further than anyone had believed. In today’s world, technology has done most of the fighting while humans merely pilot them. Drones are mainly used in war for stealth and reconnaissance missions, but they have the tendency to cause terror and death among innocent civilians in enemy countries. When drones were first introduced by the government, they were automatically piloted and no human ever controlled them during missions. As the months past, drones started to cause mayhem to bystanders that the automated drones believed were hostile. The drones had, “Attempts to kill 41 men resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1,147 people,” (Ackerman) and many people in America were unhappy with these conditions. There became riots and protests on banning drone warfare because it is killing families in enemy countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Syria. The problem caused mass hysteria in America and convinced Barack Obama to cease down the drone project for a while until they made it safer to use. Although that was the plan, many people believed it was unjust for people who have done nothing to suffer from meaningless war. People said the government was evil and created monsters which shows similarities to how Shelley makes Victor, the creator of a monster that he has put onto the world causing mayhem. Moral questions were brought upon Obama as the people disagreed with the rejuvenation of the drone project. Citizens believed that rebooting these terrifying machines were immoral and unjust because they had the perception that innocent people can die from being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Attaching these moral comments from society, Obama claims, “to uphold the highest standards in defending the nation’s security”(Peterson). Obama believes that although these deaths are just by mistake, the government will fix these issues so fewer people can be hurt by these machines and he will keep America safe by all means necessary. Relating these statements to Frankenstein, Shelley makes the main character, Victor Frankenstein, very selfish and egotistical when he decides to recreate a human being from death. When Victor was growing up, he says that, “My father was not scientific, and I was left to struggle with a child’s blindness, added to a student’s thirst for knowledge.”(21). Coming from a family that never had a full desire for science, Victor had a fascination for philosophy and the advancement of technological science. When he had the drive to become known in history as the man who can reanimate the dead, he worked with great desperation and obsessive behavior while not really understanding what he is about to unleash onto the world. His obsession in trying to become well known in the field of science has turned him into a monster because he does not see through the consequences he will overcome if his project turned wrong. He becomes very selfish in the nature that he wants people to remember him for the reanimation of humans after death. After he creates this creation, he looks at it with horror and disgust that he runs away and leaves his creation to roam the earth with no leash around his neck. This creates similarity to the proposal of drone a benefit, whether it being for himself or society. The government spends many years and billions of dollars making technology that seems like a good idea until they test it out and notice the overwhelming power it can unleash upon the world. Although Obama says that it is supposed to help our nation become more secure and benefits our soldiers that they can go into battle without suffering a huge loss of men during firefights. However, they cannot control these drones to their full expectations and if the drones start to malfunction and go rogue, then Obama will become responsible for the deaths he has caused to all civilians that are killed and the property that the drones have destroyed. Majority of people in America are not very supportive for drones because of the fact that it is very unstable and the technology that the government is using for them is highly advanced and the human mind will need more time in order to fully understand the science behind making them. The government is moving too quickly for this science that it would rather be much safer to proceed this kind of project in the next couple hundred years. Although our modern world is based off new technology and advanced science, the human mind needs time to be able to work out how certain inventions can be made. Trying to push the limits and create drones for war in the military is a very big step and it is a very risky and dangerous step because it can hurt people if used incorrectly. Despite Shelley’s argument of the advancement of technology and science being monstrous, Drone warfare is a very beneficial program in order to make war easier and to help create world peace among other nations.
These machines destroy many enemy camps that contain the Al-Qaeda in places such as Somalia and Afghanistan. Drones also “have done so at little financial cost, at no risk to U.S. forces, and with fewer civilian casualties than many alternative methods would have caused.” (Byman). In the face of the riots all around the nation, Obama has called the reduction in America’s reliance to these machines even though they will still remain the government’s main weapon of choice for international warfare. These machines have done the task of killing the main leaders of the terrorist organization that has haunted us for many years and have denied the life of many of their sanctuaries. Knowing that this information was spread around the world, the citizens of America became more accepting of keeping the production of this new technology alive and to make it as strong as ever. Although it has not been the most approved program the military could use, the biggest advantage is that it actually works and it is the most efficient program for terminating enemy troops that the military has ever invested billions of dollars for. Many politicians and regular civilians “think it fair to say that the targeted killing program has been the most precise and effective application of firepower in the history of armed conflict.” (Hayden). From this quote, the reality of war has brought upon the competition of seeing which country’s military can create the strongest weapon possible. Since Al-Qaeda has started the War on Terrorism with America, Obama and the government have worked for many months on created these drones to help reduce the risk of terrorists towards the civilians. According to Michael Lewis, Drones used for war is actually the most humane forms of warfare that could
have been ever introduced to the world. These drones have the ability to save more soldier’s lives and help pilots that have PTSD so they do not have to physically be in the battle and use the drones instead. Using the drones for missions is like using a virtual reality videogame for the pilots and it will decrease the death rate for pilots that usually fly over enemy territory and are shot down by the terrorists. The soldiers will be able to use these machines more frequently because they do not cost that much to make rather than creating a whole new airplane that is easier to be destroyed. Lewis points out that Mark Bowden, a drone operator for the military says, “His descriptions and takeaways on most aspects of the drone program are consistent with my own experience in military aviation”. He describes that out of the many years of experience of military navigation of air experience, he has been amazed at the new program the military has implemented for aviation. These programs that are newly made for these drones have been supported to prevent risk of civilian casualties and promote the idea of precise execution of the terrorist leaders. Lewis also states that “[. . .] I have gathered from human rights organizations, drone operators, military lawyers, senior military, and CIA personnel who have run the drone programs, as well as from senior military policy advisors who were involved in changing the way drones are used.” Lewis explains in this quote that after having a conversation with multiple authorities in the military, he has gained a large sum of knowledge as to how concise and beneficial this program will become when the full drone program is complete. This brings upon the alternative point of view to what Shelley argued about scientific advancement in ways that the new technology can help humanity become peaceful and make life easier for many people around the world. Shelley wants people to realize that scientific advancement, whether it be for personal gain or supposedly for a beneficial purpose to society, is monstrous and should not be used. Although it may be true to some, no one person can rid the curiosity and fascination of a human’s mind for it is common and looked up upon to become a thinker in society. Many of the scientists in Frankenstein are apparently well-known for the inventions that have benefited the world, but as soon as Victor began to dream like them and wanted much more fame than the other scientists have achieved, he started to try to make something that should not be made.
Works Cited
Ackerman, Spencer. "41 men targeted but 1,147 people killed: US drone strikes – the facts on the ground." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 24 Nov. 2014. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.
Byman, Daniel L. "Why Drones Work: The Case for Washington’s Weapon of Choice | Brookings Institution." Brookings. Brookings, 28 July 2016. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.
Hayden, Michael V. "To Keep America Safe, Embrace Drone Warfare." The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 Feb. 2016. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.
Lewis, Michael W. "Drones: Actually the Most Humane Form of Warfare Ever." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 21 Aug. 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2017.
Peterson, Matt. "Is Obama's Drone War Moral?" The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 18 Aug. 2016. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 2009. Print.