The Conflict Between Science and God in Do Androids
Dream of Electric Sheep
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by Ann Y. Mous
__The genre of Science Fiction often mistakenly is viewed as only
frivolous or violent. Although it is true that Science Fiction is strewn with advanced
weaponry and funny little aliens science fiction also has the unique characteristic
of taking the important issues of today and situating them in a different setting
from a different viewpoint. This disassociation of issues allows certain ideas that
were before obscured to come to light. Therefore, science fiction is both entertaining
and thought provoking.
__Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is an example of a science fiction novel that
both provokes thought and entertains. The novel focuses on the character of Rick
Deckard and his struggle to reconcile his conscience with his work as an android
bounty hunter. It is essentially a futuristic science fiction novel but it also manages
to explore a number of important and intriguing themes. One prominent theme is that
of control or more precisely over control. Man is attempting to control those functions
usually preserved for God or Nature.
__They are trying to control/define life ( and by association) death. The society
in the novel has created a race of androids so sophisticated that it is almost impossible
to tell them apart from humans. Androids, though outwardly similar to humans , have
been engineered to be different from humans, specifically in their emotions. Emotions
are an integral part of life but the androids' designers do not allow this part of
life. Androids are not supposed to have any emotions or thoughts besides those which
were specifically programmed into them. AS a result, the androids have inappropriate
emotional responses. For example Pris's reaction to Isadores welcoming gesture. Isadore
says of her ,."Now that her initial fear had diminished, something else had
begun to emerge from her. Something more strange. And, he thought , deplorable .
A coldness...it was not what she did or said but what she did not do and say."[
Dick p.67] The most obvious difference is that of empathy. Androids do not have empathy
for anything unlike humans who can have empathy for other humans, animals or , in
Deckard's case even androids. This lack of empathy does makes the androids dangerous
to assimilate with humans because it prohibits normal social development of ethics
and morals. For example Pris mutilates the spider for a purely logical reason ; a
kind of experiment too see if the spider could function as efficiently with two legs
as it could with eight. Another example is Rachel's murder of the defenseless and
innocent goat. However, it is it is not just the purposely designed characteristics
of the androids that make them dangerous but the unforeseen attributes that independently
develop. Among other functions the androids were created to provide what amounts
to slave labor for off world colonists. An ad in the novel describes their presence
as " duplicates of the halcyon days of the pre-Civil War Southern States!"
The androids that were slotted for slavery on the colony world obviously developed
a need for freedom. This human characteristic is s not supposed to exist in them
but it does. In fact it exists in enough force to provoke them to kill to obtain
their freedom. Since it is illogical to program an instinct for freedom into objects
that function as slaves this attribute must have developed independently. The androids
programmers have lost their control of them. Actually, the amount of control deteriorates
until their positions are reversed; the androids no longer serve man but man serves
them. Deckard compares the androids to artificial animals, " ... within him
an actual hatred once more manifested itself toward his electric sheep, which he
had to tend , had to care about , as if it lived. The tyranny of an object he thought.
..Like the androids, it had no ability to appreciate the existence of another .He
had never thought of this before the similarity between an electric animal and an
andy."[ Dick p. 42] Isadore literally starts serving the androids; he becomes
their servant, informer, and protector. The androids are no longer exactly what the
programmers intended; furthermore they have become so dangerous that they must be
hunted
__Ironically, it is Deckard , the hunter, who feels empathy for these androids. Deckard
has to try to understand the nexus - 6 android to hunt it . This study of the androids
makes him the perfect character to empathize. Deckard becomes the moral and ethical
medium in the book. Morals are the driving force for Deckard to continue hunting
even after he has doubts about killing the androids. He realizes they are dangerous
but he wonders if they deserved to be killed. At one point in the novel he literally
questions the correctness of his continuing to hunt. He asks Mercer to answer the
question. [p. 178-179]
__Mercer is another strong moral influence in the novel. Mercerism is a society wide
religion a form of collectivism that began with a man named Wilbur Mercer. There
are two important tenets of Mercerism: the moral duty to own and properly care for
an animal ( all life is sacred ), and the ability to empathicly experience what others
are feeling. Part of this empathic ability- practiced through empathy boxes- involves
experiencing with Mercer an endless and futile climb up a hill while being pelted
with rocks. This scenario demonstrates suffering. Mercer suffers for and with the
people ,in this way he becomes a Christ figure. At the end of the novel there is
a scene were Deckard ( who symbolizes mankind) believes he has become Mercer ( who
symbolizes God or Christ). He believes he has found a toad an animal which is reported
by Sydney's to be extinct. If the toad were real this would be Deckard's triumphant
moment ;the instance when his life made sense ; when he could say ," yes man
can be God. He can control life and death " Then his hunting the " half-sentinent"
," non-empathic" androids would make sense. Unfortunately for Deckard,
the scene represent s mans futile attempt to become Godlike and beget life; futile
because in reality the toad is artificial.
__Do Androids Dream of Electric is an example of a superb science fiction novel ;
it allows one to exercise ones intellect as well as entertains. In addition to the
theme discussed in this paper it explores many others. Dick investigates many aspects
of being human. One aspect is man's tendency to push his limits; man's yearning to
rival God ( Nature ).