“What’s on your mind?”: The New Human Condition

Christian Colon

Dr. Licastro

ENG 281

4 October 2017

“What’s on your mind?”: The New Human Condition

The human condition has perhaps gone through one of the most dramatic changes in human history recently with the creation of the internet. With humans now having the ability to transmit messages and insights at an instant to others from the around the world, we have allowed ourselves to open our minds to a larger community. A community not based on immediate surroundings, but a community based on international relations. It’s allowed us to feel a deeper connection with others from around the world, and has given us the ability to connect on a greater level. A lot can be said about social media, and how it’s allowed us to expand on our empathy. But, has it made us more human? Instead of finding solace in our immediate neighbors like we did before, do we resort to the internet to solve our problems? Parallels can be made about social media and the Nexus-6 androids from Phillip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? In this book, Earth is split between synthetic humanoid beings that are somethings mistaken for the real thing, and their human counterparts. To determine their existence, a test must be administered examine one’s empathy levels, since androids do not possess this trait. However, are all humans empathetic? Is the technology that we are using today making us more human? Social media has pushed humanity to becoming more empathetic by giving us a platform to share ideas with one another on a global scale, but if technology like this didn’t exist, our sense of feeling for one another would not be as great as it is today.

In the book, most androids that are living on Earth are fugitives of the law. Their existence threatens humanity, and most are set to be killed. In order to find these androids, the Voight-kampf test (fictional test from the book) is given to everyone living on Earth to see if they possess empathy, a trait only possessed by humans (Dick, 1968). Since these androids are not programmed to feel empathy, empathy is what humans use to separate themselves from these machines. But were humans ever empathetic to begin with? And why did it take androids to realize the importance of empathy to humans?

Much of the book is focused on Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter whose current mission is to “retire” (kill) Nexus-6 androids. Throughout the book, Deckard’s sense of morality and existence is challenged due to the humanistic nature of the androids living amongst humans. He’s dealt with numerous occasions in which questions arose about his existence, and the existence of these humanoid androids. The book also follows John Isidore, an individual who’d been deemed intelligently inept by the government body that runs the planet. His problems spawn from his inability to pass an intelligence exam that is administered to all humans. Isidore’s mind had been poisoned by the radioactive debris that fills Earth’s air from the aftermath of a nuclear war that occurred on the planet called World War Terminus (Dick, 1968). Isidore plays a huge role in the book, his contrast from Rick is greatly shown in much of the book. Rick plays a bounty-hunter, who’s main mission is to kill other androids, feeling no empathy in the process. While Isidore’s empathetic views towards these machines paints a different picture of how we should view humanity and technology.

What is empathy in relation to the book? According to Merriam-Webster, empathy is “the imaginative projection of a subjective state into an object so that the object appears to be infused with it” (Merriam-Webster, 2015). The ability to understand someone’s else feelings and personalities. “Putting yourself in someone’s shoes”, is the common term to describe empathy. But why is this trait so important to us? And why do some believe that empathy is what truly makes us human? Some believe that the globalization of our society and economy has allowed us to become more empathetic for one another. When European colonist first encountered African tribes, they viewed them as animals. They saw them as tools rather than humans. They stripped them of their culture, and shipped them to other areas of the world as slaves. It wasn’t until hundreds of years later that these individuals were considered to be equals by their white counterparts.

As technology advanced, so did our sense of empathy. One of the biggest problems we had in 2016 was the refugee crisis that plagued Syria and the Middle East. Between warfare and conflict, many refugees of Syrian descent fled their homes and country to escape bloodshed. Many were met with distaste and rejection, and some were even forced into internment camps as countries debated over what to do with this crisis. It had become such an issue, that many around the world argued over what to do with these refugees. Ultimately, some offered assistance while others stayed away from the issue. However, what was most interesting about the whole debacle was the world’s interest on the specific matter. Technology and social media helped to paint a dark and gruesome picture of the whole situation. Some say that without social media, many refugees would not have gotten the attention that it so rightfully deserved. Tim Recuber in his article, “What Becomes of Empathy?”, spoke on the issue of the refugee crisis and how westerners have a hard time closing the “empathy gap” with middle eastern cultures. We felt more for the Paris attacks than we did for the terror attacks that went on in some middle eastern countries. Our western ideology allowed us to feel more for westernized France than we did the middle East. As western societies battled with the notion of empathy with these individuals. Social media became a huge platform for these refugees. Giving them the ability to broadcast their message to a much larger audience.

Social media can be described as the platform that internet consumers use to electronically communicate to others from anywhere in the world (Merriam-Webster, 2015). Individuals use social media to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content. It has helped to fiercely change our world’s perspective on communication. One can even say that social media and the internet has made us more human than we were before this technology was introduced. According to Julia Levitan from the University of Guelph in Canada, “Social media has contributed a new dimension of communication, allowing users limitless access to social interactions with known individuals, strangers, and common entities,” (Levitan, 2017). This new device has tremendously affected culture and our society as a whole. Even human existence can be defined by social media. Our dependence on the internet has also grown monumentally. We have become a technology-based culture.

Just like in the book, our society is half machine, half human. We rely so heavily on the machines that help run our society. We even have allowed ourselves to become dependent on our social media platforms. When you log into your account, you sign yourself in to the global audience. A person living in Asia can post a message online and have someone from the America’s respond. Someone going through struggle can find relief in their online peers and online chat rooms. Individual’s in crisis situations can post about their problems and have it seen from the entire world. Social networks provide for many of us a very public window on our emotions, and gives us incite on how sensitive we are to other’s influence (Young, 94). Technology has made us more human. Without technology, we would still be in the dark about so many issues. Our empathy with the rest of the world would decrease dramatically. Before these resources, individuals focused on what was in their immediate surroundings. So, are we any different than the humans that Phillip K. Dick describes in his book? Androids pushed humans to focus more on empathy. Just like social media has done the same for us in our reality. It took technology to realize how empathetic humans truly are. Although the two situations are different in context, their meaning is equal. We as humans need technology to feel for one another. Without it, we will still be living on the old notions of immediate community, and disregarding global issues. Our ignorance to the world will blind our empathetic feelings.

The book tackles the issue of humanity and empathy in many different instances. Referring back to John Isidore, the individual with an “inept” brain, we’re reminded of how easy it is to cast someone out who is different. Due to his low intelligence, Isidore is forced to live by himself within a huge, abandoned apartment complex. When walking one day, he comes across an individual living in an apartment near him named Pris. Not knowing that this individual is in fact, an android. He develops emotions for this individual, and neglects the fact that this person is a fugitive of the law. He feels empathy for the situation that Pris is in. We can relate this to individuals living in today’s culture, and see many instances in which relationships happen through technology. We have many relationship-based social platforms that humans can use to find connections. Some who believe that they are chastised in their own community can find association and likeness with others from around the world. This technology has given us the ability to expand our social relations with different cultures and backgrounds. A culture now based on global and multicultural influences. “[a]… critical aspect of the social relations of the new technologies is the reformulation of expectations, cultures, work and reproduction… with the masses of women and men of all ethnic groups.” (Haraway, 299). Before this technology, many of our industries were concentrated on specific regions and cultures. Aimed at targeted audiences and cultures based on separate beliefs. Using social media, we have allowed ourselves to feel for our global neighbors more than ever before. Just like Isidore, some will look past stereotypes and focus on the substance of the individual and their specific situations.

However, not all humans are on board with the new technology. Many are against the changes, and still rely heavily on the old traditions they were brought up on. Much of the problems that we deal with today are due to old traditions coming in contact with progressive changes. Humans are becoming more globalized in nature. And some disagree heavily with the changes. Rick struggles with his own existence and the existence of other humanoid machines. His job is to hunt these machines, sticking to a guideline that meant total annihilation of these androids. But when placed in unique battles, Rick begins to question empathy and morality in general. Sometimes we humans have a hard time coming to terms with issues that are plaguing our world today. Many turn a blind-eye to catastrophes that us. Some even fear globalization, as identity with one’s culture begins to diminish due to outside influences. The fear is that others will take away familiar feelings and traditions that made individuals unique. Although globalization has made us more empathetic amongst the entire world, we sometimes forget how influential others can be.

Social media has pushed society to becoming more empathetic with others. Just like in the book, humanity needed technology to remind themselves of how our emotions and feelings is what truly defines our humanity. We can try to relate to others from around the world, pushing ourselves beyond our close-knit societies. However, nothing broadcasts us further beyond our communities than social media. Phillip K. Dick painted a dark-gruesome future, a future in which humanity has destroyed much of what made us human. We used technology to assist our lives, not realizing the influence it would begin to have. Unaware to this, we used social media like individuals in the book used androids to question what it truly meant to be human. Technology is as much a part of us as the blood running through our veins. If it wasn’t for technology, empathy wouldn’t be as influential as it is today.

Image result for social media and humans

 

Works Cited

Dick, Phillip K. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Double Day, 1968

“empathy” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, 2015. Web. 8 May 2015.

Haraway, Donna. “Cyborg Manifesto: Science, technology and socialist-feminism late twentieth century.” Routledge, pp. 291-316, faculty.georgetown.edu/irvinem/theory/Haraway-CyborgManifesto-1.pdf. Accessed 11 Oct. 2017.

Levitan, Julia. “Social Media Use as a Predictor of Personality.” International Journal of Health, Wellness & Society, vol. 7, no. 3, Sept. 2017, pp. 77-89. EBSCOhost

Recuber, Tim. “Cyborgology.” What Becomes of Empathy?, The Society Pages, 20 July 2016, thesocietypages.org/cyborgology/2016/07/20/ what-becomes-of-empathy/. Accessed 11 Oct. 2017.

Young, Emma. “I Feel Your Pain.” New Scientist, 2017 Special Issue, pp. 94-97.

“social media” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, 2015. Web. 8 May 2015.

 

 

 

Empathy, Human vs. Machine

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, a novel by Philip K. Dick demonstrates a dystopian society in which humans and machines are indistinguishable due to a lack of empathy shown by the main human characters in the book. The main theme in the novel regards empathy, and how that emotion makes us human, and what we are without it. It focuses on empathy, the ability to sympathize with and understand the pain and suffering of others as the most basic and vital of human feelings. The society displayed in the novel has many similarities to the society we live in today for multiple reasons; the lack of empathy displayed by the human characters in the books are often displayed by people in today’s young American society, and the constant rapid advancement of technology in the 21st century is also a very familiar reality to those living in this current time period. Androids or robots that look and feel very “human” have already been created, it is very possible that in the near future they will be mass produced for profit. The events that have occurred recently and throughout human history have also created many people who do not feel very empathetic during tragedies or the struggles of others. Social injustices, natural disasters, and acts of terrorism have all become so constant in our society that a majority of people have become unempathetic when these situations arise.

In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep there the society displayed demonstrates a contrast between human beings and their feelings vs. the lack of feelings that androids have. A few characters in the novel do not seem to have any empathy at all, even a few androids seem to have a higher capacity for that emotion than their human counterparts. For example, Pris shows an admiration and care for John’s safety although she is an android. Similarly, Roy also seems to have certain human affections towards another android although he is a machine as well. Then there are human characters such as Phil and Rick who do not seem to show empathy at all towards androids, they kill them throughout the story uncaringly as if they were insects. This pattern of a lack of empathy is also displayed in our society today in many contexts. Should those who do not react to tragedies with emotion be considered less human? For example, recently an extreme hurricane tore through the Caribbean islands, all but destroying some. Very little Americans reacted to this news with sadness or empathy to the situation. The average person you knew did not create any fundraisers, or donate money to any of the Caribbean islands to help them rebuild. The president of America, Donald Trump has even spoken words condemning Puerto Rico, pointing out that they owe the US government money and the hurricane that hit the island is costing the government even more. In his Fox News interview he states how important it is that the debt in Puerto Rico be “wiped out.” It has been a topic that has been overall ignored by the general population in America. Is this because those in the Caribbean our not considered our fellow countrymen? Is it acceptable for people to not empathize and desire to help with such a tragedy just because those affected are not native to their home country? Many say that the damage done by the hurricanes are not as tragic because it happened in the Caribbean which is expected. Is it acceptable that some people believe that places where tragedy is expected or unsurprising that those affected by these tragedies deserve a less empathetic response from others? Overall, the destruction that was inflicted on the Caribbean was not given much attention by your average American apart from a few words of acknowledgement. This lack of caring is directly relatable to the society depicted in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, where massive environmental destruction was caused by uncaring humans.

In the article “Empathizing 101,” Allie Grasgreen argues the change in emotion in those living in the 21st century describe the exact phenomenon of lack of empathy as time passes for humans. She discusses how the new generation of “millenials” is said to be the “least empathetic generation yet.” It is stated in the article that “College students today are 40 percent less empathetic than those who graduated two or three decades ago” (Grasgreen). As time passes, it seems that generations are growing less and less empathetic. This could be due to the fact that we have become numb to tragedy; we are now too used to hearing and seeing about bad things that happen around the world and to other people. The advances in media may have contributed to this as well. The news is now rolling 24/7 on TV, the negative stories get higher views and ratings. Death, tragedy, and social turmoil are regular topics on news networks. Social media makes videos of many tragedies readily available for viewing within minutes of them occurring. Shootings can be live streamed, natural disasters as well. Movies and video games are now saturated with violence and violent topics. It is nearly impossible to watch a movie or play a video game that does not involve some type of violence, blood shed, and especially death. All of these factors that involve advancement in technology could very well contribute to the way that millennials have become numb to tragedy. When something is displayed or seen too much, it becomes the norm and it is harder to feel emotion towards something that is or seems so common. In terms of the context of the novel, this makes us seem a lot like how we would consider machines or “androids” to behave.

In the article “What Becomes of Empathy,” by Tim Recuber it is discussed how empathy can also have a negative impact in today’s society and Recuber provides examples of this. He discusses how we are unable to have true empathy for anyone who is not like us, or who we cannot relate to in some way. This ties back to what was discussed earlier, as many Americans did not empathize with hurricane victims in the Caribbean because they are not necessarily Americans like them. Recuber calls this the “empathy gap,” which describes the difference in reactions that people have when someone like them is going through a tragedy or hardship than when someone who is different or unrelatable is going through the same type of tragedy or hardship. The latter always gets less to no empathetic response. “This same empathy gap has also been used to describe the relatively low level of public attention paid to the recent terror attack in Istanbul, compared with the dramatic outpouring of emotion in the West devoted to last year’s attacks in Paris” (Recuber). This is one of many examples that show that there may be certain limitations to empathy and how much/when humans can genuinely experience the emotion for the suffering of others. Why would a reaction to terrorism in Paris be greater than a reaction to the same occurrences in a non-western country? It is not that the people in Istanbul are less human, it is that people are often unable to deeply sympathize with the suffering of those unlike them, living in a place unlike theirs. It could be argued that empathy is a selfish emotion that can only occur when people can relate suffering to themselves. If it can happen to people like you in a place like yours, who is to say it won’t happen to you yourself? It is these questions that seem to spark an empathetic response in humans overall. Every emotion is often driven by self-preservation and safety concerns more than an actual passion for others. This is once again a common theme in Philip K. Dick’s novel. The humans in the novel are unable to empathize with the androids, and vice versa. The two are just too different from one another to relate to the tragedy of loss on one side.

The mass advancement of technology today also makes the mass production of ultra-realistic humanoid machines very possible, as a few robots comparable to this description have been created already. It is very possible that Philip K. Dick’s interpretation of society could have been a peek into the future, as we are very close to a reality such as this. Even the post-apocalyptic feel of the novel with the earth being destroyed by human weapons and irresponsibility is a possible outcome of the future at the rate we are moving as a human race. Weapons of mass destruction exist and are in the hands of opposing countries who constantly use them to threaten one another regardless of their knowledge of what it would do to the environment if used. The novel is not that far from a very real reality/future that humans may have to face in the near future.

Overall, the novel and the two articles are an arguable description of today’s society or a possible future society for many reasons. A lack of basic human emotion is becoming increasingly severe as tragedies become more and more common and available for viewing in the world. Rapid advancements in technology are also starting to make it seem as if a robot species will also be possible very soon. These articles and this novel could very well be used as a warning sign to the human society as to what direction we are headed in if we keep up at the rate we are with our technology, entertainment, and news outlets. This empathy gap can easily be reversed if we made sure the media takes a more sensitive approach when discussing topics of suffering such as death, natural disaster, and violence. Although it should not be sensored, this content should be circulated differently and less. We also must be careful of who we elect to be our leaders. If those who lead us do not show empathy, how can we? 

Works Cited

Dick, Philip K. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Doubleday, 1968.

Fox News. 4 Oct. 2017, www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/10/03/
trump-on-puerto-ricos-debt-were-going-to-have-to-wipe-that-out.html.

Recuber, Tim. “What Becomes of Empathy.” Cyborgology, 20 July 2016, thesocietypages.org/cyborgology/
2016/07/20/what-becomes-of-empathy/.

Grasgreen, Allie. “Empathizing 101.” Inside Higher Ed, 24 Nov. 2010, www.insidehighered.com/news/
2010/11/24/empathy.

Human Lives Matter.

Black Lives Matters is an organization that was created in 2012, not long after the death of Trayvon Martin. He was murdered in his neighborhood by George Zimmerman (Estrada). Black Lives Matters started off as a simple sentence, and to this day that is exactly what it remains to be. The organization was created because nationally and globally this statement is still not accepted by a large number of people. Black Lives Matters did not become a big movement until people noticed there were more killings of black people that were swept under the rug. Most of these killings were done by police officers. There have been many cases where black men, women, and even children were murdered by police and majority of these cases were acquitted and ignored. According to Kimberly Kindy of the Washington Post, there have been over thousands of shootings yet only 54 officers have been charged. The organization wants to get the message out that black people are all human just like everyone else. It is hard for some people to accept that these things are happening because they do not understand what it is like to be a black person in America.

I believe that Black Lives Matters can be better understood if some people were to read “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep”. I recently read this book for an English course at my university. This book was very interesting because it made me realize how we as humans are quick to believe that someone can be lesser than us. We all have the same 24 hours in a day and we all breathe the same air. When I finally completed the book, the only question that came to my mind was “What makes you a human?” After several class discussions, I paid very close attention to some of the questions our professor asked us. I paid even closer attention to what some of the students were saying. It amazed me how some of the students made one group of people more important than the other. One particular example that stood out to me was when our professor compared the attacks in Paris to the ones in Syria. On Facebook there were posts from all over the world and people were praying for both place. Some students deemed Paris more important than Syria because they were already a “war zone”. However, both of these places were victims of attacks they had no control of. There were men, women, and children in both places that mattered to someone. Yet, Paris was more important because they were not a war zone. So I had to take the time out and ask myself, do these lives in Syria not matter? What makes these people less human than the ones in Paris? I can apply this same thought process to Black Lives Matters. Instead the question is, are Black people less human than other races?

Many people believed that the Black Lives Matters movement would not last because it was taken as a joke. Some people believed it was a group of terrorists seeking attention from the public. Most of their coverage is captured when there is a case that blows up in the media. Most recently, when there is a suspect killed by police. Some of the bigger cases that Black Lives Matters have been involved with have come and gone. However, they are still heavily involved in the cases that may not have as much media coverage as the others. Some of Black Lives Matters biggest cases include Mike Brown, Freddie Gray, and Walter Scott (Yan). These cases were the biggest because of the footage that was captured during the incidents. On August 9, 2014 was the fatal shooting of Mike Brown (Yan). There was no footage of Mike Brown until after he was lying on the ground. However there were many witnesses to attest to what happened during the police shooting. Many witnesses said that Mike Brown was surrendering to the police, but he was still shot 12 times even though he had his hands up. The organization started from just a hashtag after the killing of Trayvon Martin. After many people began using the hashtag, the organization was formed and has spread to many cities across the U.S..

The Black Lives Matters movement does not cover each individual death as something tragic that has happened in our country. They want to create a message on what it is like to be a black citizen in America. They have supporters of all races and religious backgrounds that may have witnessed how black citizens are treated. Some people from these groups may have experienced some kind of unfair treatment at some point in their lives as well. Black Lives Matters has coverage of incidents that have happened after Martin’s death up to this day. Alicia Garza, one of the Black Lives Matters founders, says, “When we say Black Lives Matters, we are talking about the ways in which black people are deprived of our basic human rights and dignity” (Howard).

Something that is greatly misunderstood about Black Lives Matters is that it is a hate group, which it is not. Even though the organization has been around for a few years, some still do not understand what Black Lives Matters stands for. There are people who believe that Black Lives Matter is trying to create a race war and a war against police officers. This is where Blue Lives Matter came from and they are in support of police officers and how they are not wrong in any of their killings. There has also been other groups likes White Lives Matter, All Lives Matter, and there are many others. These other groups believe that Black Lives Matter is trying to become the superior race. That is nowhere near what they want to do. Their main message is to educate people on violence and incrimination against black people and how they are intentionally left powerless at the hands of the state.  Black lives are sometimes deprived of basic human rights and dignity. Black Lives Matter can’t be a hate group if we allow other races and groups to join us. There have been many marches where Whites, Asians, Hispanics, and more have united with blacks to defend the race. They have witnessed what these people have been through and realized it is wrong. I have experienced this with a few of my father’s colleagues and even at my university. My father has served in the military for over 22 years and is still currently doing so. Some of his fellow soldiers have witnessed what black citizens go through and have even heard stories from my father. They see no color in the military and believe all people should be treated the same, especially in a country where they are fighting for freedom.

Sometimes Black Lives Matter activists have been described as terrorists because of some incidents where black people have attacked people, destroyed homes and neighborhoods, and more. These people may have acted out but they do not do it to kill or put terror in anyone. It is more so a cry of frustration of what is going on with our people. There have been riots where people have destroyed their own neighborhoods but this is because these individuals do not know how to peacefully protest. They are not official members for Black Lives Matter they are just angry people who just so happened to be black. One group of people does not represent for our whole black community. There is always going to be someone from each race, religious group, culture, and so forth that will misrepresent a group. Therefore we cannot assume they are all going to be the same just because those people may have acted out.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep was an interesting book about humans versus androids. Androids look just like humans on the inside and outside. They are actually slaves on Mars to humans. Some of the androids escape and come back to earth. There is also a big corporation on earth, the Rosen Corporation, which builds an advanced type of android called a Nexus-6. These are the androids that are hard to distinguish from humans. The main character Rick Deckard is a bounty hunter that basically hunts for androids living among humans. In the book we get a look at what happens during one of Rick’s assignments. Rick is assigned to kill a few fugitive androids, or as they say in the book “retire”. In order to tell who is android or not, Rick has to administer a test called the “Voigt Kampff”.

In our book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep you can relate the androids to Black Lives Matters . The main character Rick Deckard has a moment of realization when he comes in contact with an android named Luda Luft. Some of the androids may have tried to attack Rick and even his colleague, Dave Holden, was in the hospital because an android attacked him. Rick realized that Luda Luft just wanted to be human and do human things. She was nothing like the other androids he had come across. He knew that all androids were not the same and some just had bad intentions and that there were good androids too.

The main question after comparing the two is, What Makes Us Human? In the book androids had to take a test based off of their empathy towards situations. Everyone has their individual level of empathy. Some of the students in my English class believed that if we all as humans were to take the Voigt Kampff test today, we would pretty much fail. We all react to certain situations differently. So the Voight Kampff test was not reliable to determine if you were a human or not. Black Lives Matters does not have a test to determine why their lives are less important than others. Yet they are still disregarded as if they are not human sometimes. There are many questions that this book makes you think about. I believe it all depends on how you process things as a human. Some people scratch the surface of topics but may not go deep into detail to figure out the message. This book helps you look at people’s existence and their qualities of life in a new light. In your head you may think to be considered a human you have to have two legs, two arms, two eyes, a brain, and so forth, but then you have to realize not everyone has those things. For example, a Vietnam veteran may have 1 leg, no arms, and 1 eye. Then he could have a pet at home with 2 legs, 2 arms, and so forth, but does that make the dog more human than him? You can think of all the things that human bodies may have but then you have to realize that this can apply to animals as well. So are they human too? What really makes you a human?

We also have to realize, at one point during the Jim Crow Era, a black man was considered to be three-fifths of a white man. This was less than 200 years ago. Some people are still alive from the most recent generations of whites and blacks that were racially segregated. There is still no definition of what makes someone a human, and even more interesting what makes you only part of a human. Black Lives Matters fears that we are heading back to that Jim Crow Era because of the way that people disregard black lives as if they are not important. I believe that Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep makes you look at these issues. This book really gives you a different perspective on what you value as a human. These humans in the book based their empathy off situations dealing with animals. If you care for animals then that makes you human. We have people in our world today who purposely abuse animals that are considered humans but if they were to take the Voigt Kampff test, they would automatically be treated as an android. So in conclusion, this book, if analyzed correctly will make you ask some very tough questions. What makes you human and Does your life really matter?

The Desire to Extend Who we Are

"Free Image on Pixabay - Cranium, Head, Human, Male, Man." Free Vector Graphic: Cranium, Head, Human, Male, Man - Free Image on Pixabay - 2099115. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Oct. 2017.
A data chip print of a human mimicking the biology of a cyborg.

The factors that make us human are finite. We are organic creatures with complex cognitive abilities and we are able to feel empathy. From the time we evolved from apes until now humans have been on an upward climb towards success. People disagree about what is considered a success. The technological advancements humans make every year are a testament to our cognitive ability and desire to be better. In modern medicine we have made huge advancements such as pace makers and prosthetic limbs. These are inorganic pieces being implanted in the body, making that part inorganic. These biological differences are what make humans believe Androids and cyborgs to be lesser beings. Androids are slaves to humanity because they were created to serve. The fight for Android civil rights is very similar to that of the American civil rights movement.

Scientists are constantly trying to improve our body and fix the things that are a hindrance to daily life. In modern U.S society that may mean helping the paraplegics be able to walk again with prosthetics. In his novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Philip K. Dick explores the concept of humanoid robots and their ability to feel empathy. He envisions a world with more than just physical enhancements, a world in which people are entirely inorganic. With every new prosthetic it becomes more realistic and highly functioning. Dr. Stevens Dikas states, “We now have computerized legs, knees, ankles and upper extremities… that can provide constant feedback so that the artificial limb can adjust to the activity being performed,” indicating that prosthetics are becoming a full extension of the body (Puzic 2017). Human muscles naturally respond to internal and external stimuli. Upon creating prosthetics that can respond to stimuli humanity is one step closer to creating a real android. The Rosen Corporation creates the Nexus-6 Androids as slaves for the humans on mars. However, the corporation may have made the Android race a little too close to human. They are nearly indistinguishable and have dreams and aspirations of their own. Androids were created to improve our living standards, but their strong will to survive prevents them from accepting the life of a slave. They simply wish to live integrated with human society. They want to have jobs and contribute to society, some even wish to be married. They want to be human.

Another point in Dick’s novel is that humans are not the perfect view of an empathetic organism. Bryant, Rick’s superior officer, states, “a small class of human beings could not pass the Voigt-Kampff scale… you’d assess them as humanoid robots. You’d be wrong, but by then they’d be dead,” indicating that there are faults within the identifying test they rely on (Dick 38). Humans that have trouble perceiving empathy and those from differing cultures will not be able to pass the test. For example, humans in the United States may not feel empathy for a cow because it was raised to be eaten. Humans in India however, hold the cow as a sacred symbol and would never dream of eating it. In the current Indian society, United States residents would fail India’s Voigt-Kampff test. Rachel Rosen is a Nexus-6 Android that nearly passed the test, her grandfather tried to pass her off as human. Eldon states, “your empathy delineation test failed in response to my niece… I can explain the she scored as an android might,” illustrating the low reliability the test may have (Dick 52). Due to the fact that she was apparently isolated from society, and could only learn of human life through videos and text, her empathy levels were off. At least that is what Eldon Rosen is telling everyone. If most Nexus-6 Androids like Rachel Rosen can nearly pass the test and a certain percentage of humans fail, what then distinguishes humans from an Android?

There is no significant difference between the Androids in Dick’s novel and the humans of modern society. Androids express emotions similar to that of humans. They may not be identical, but they are very similar. Androids feel empathy for each other as well as humans. Humans feel empathy for all forms of life except for those they view as lesser beings. In reality, empathy is a thing of the past. According to research by the University of Michigan, college students are “40 percent less empathetic than those who graduated two or three decades ago,” suggesting that humans are losing their ability to feel empathy (Grasgreen 2010 ). Social media and daily news broadcasts desensitize humanity from the horrors that occur. News outlets are constantly bombarding us with horrifying events such as bombings in Syria and slavery in West Africa. Unfortunately tragedies such as these happen often around the globe. There are children in developing nations that are starving and dying of disease. In Mauritania slaves are born into their situation and have no way of getting out. Social media provides an outlet for concern and a forum for discussion about said tragedies. People may not even realize that slavery is still prevalent in developing countries. Humans are becoming less and less empathetic while the Androids are becoming more and more empathetic. Furthermore, the article discusses the ability to teach empathy. Humans and Androids cannot become more empathetic without motivation just as how a student cannot learn. Sara H. Konrath states, “they have to have the desire to change,” emphasizing that the person must be willing to learn empathy (Grasgreen 2010).

Empathy is an ability that can be taught. Infants watch their parents interact with the world and copy what they see. Adults still imitate things they believe to be beneficial. In workforces that demand aggression or strong leadership, empathy is not a useful skill. Doctors and lawyers cannot be too empathetic. If doctors are too emotionally attached to their patients, then it will be harder for them to deal with patient deaths. If a patient is not healing well, the doctor may not be able to do the job properly. A prosecutor in the court of law cannot be empathetic towards the defendant. They must remain rigid and truthful as they attempt to prove the defendant’s guilt. This is a possible factor in why modern society is not prominently empathetic; empathy is just not needed. On the other hand, psychologists are still working on ways to teach empathy. According to research published in the Trends of Cognitive Science, reading can teach people empathy. Fictional literature has the ability to create social situations that allow the readers to imagine themselves as the character. Keith Oatley, a novelist and psychologist states, “People… show greater empathy when they read fiction,” suggesting that if people, or even androids, read fiction books they can learn to be more empathetic (Surugue 2016). In Philip K. Dick’s novel, empathy is the only thing that can distinguish a human from an android. Without that single quality there is no difference.

Fiction books provide the reader with an opportunity to better understand the characters and life situations. Reading Philip K. Dick’s novel allows the reader to question himself or herself. Readers may realize that they are not as empathetic as some characters within the text, such as John Isidore. John is a special, a societal outcast, who empathizes with animals, insects, humans, and even androids. The readers can empathize with him during the video-call scene. Isidore is nervous to call the owners of the real cat and inform them of its death. Isidore states, “I’m hairy, ugly … and also I feel sick from the radiation; I think I’m going to die”, illustrating John’s low self-esteem and reluctance to partake in social responsibilities. (Dick 78). Feeling relatable to the characters within a story can allow the readers to not only enjoy the story, but change a few habits also. John’s successful video call may cause some to take on their own social reservations in the real world. After reading Do Android’s Dream of Electric Sheep readers may attempt to change the way they react towards the world; they may become more empathetic.

Androids are killed after escaping slavery similarly to the way African American’s were slaughtered. On Mars, the Nexus-6 androids served the humans the advertisement on the T.V states, “Either as body servants or tireless field hands, the custom-tailored humanoid robot—designed specifically for your unique needs,” indicating that the Rosen Corporation have been creating replicas of the pre-civil war slaves (Dick 17). These slaves are then forced to do whatever their masters require them to do, no matter how horrid. When they escape, their former masters consider them disobedient and non-productive. Humans see the androids as lesser beings due to the fact that they were created to be used as tools. Regardless, Androids and humans alike should have free will to do as they please. Slavery in the United States was classified as chattel slavery. The chattel classification is the legal institution of buying and selling African Americans as commodity. People were treated as property just as the Androids in Dick’s novel. They were born and raised to be slaves and Androids were created and programmed to serve. Gradually people began to see slavery as a horrifying institution and began to fight for the freedom of slaves. The Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 was an attempt to end slavery by President Abraham Lincoln; however the 13th amendment to the constitution in December of 1865 formally outlawed chattel slavery. In Dick’s novel the enslavement of Androids could be outlawed with a revolution. Androids can do more than serve humans. They are incredibly smart and talented beings, not just tools for human pleasure. Slaves in the United States were used to cook, clean, and work in a field. Some slaves were even raped by their masters. They were never given a chance to do more with their life or receive an education.

Escaped slaves were considered fugitives and were hunted down by bounty hunters and regular civilians. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 provided these African Americans with no protection in the court of law. Escaped slaves were beaten, burned at the stake, and branded. An android in Dick’s novel, Luba Loft, was an amazing opera singer. She was involved in the production of The Magic Flute and was rehearsing for a lead role. She was a productive member of society by contributing to the culture on earth. She had created a life for herself. The bounty hunter, Rick Deckard, despite his true wishes was still required to “retire” her only because she was an escaped slave. He had felt as though she was harmless. Many African Americans were hunted down in their new lives and killed for escaping. If Luba Loft had a life and a self-proposed purpose, then why was she unable to live freely in society?

After the abolishment of slavery, some African Americans were given opportunities to better themselves if they had talent. Jazz singers such as Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald were changing jazz. Ira Gershwin called Ella the first lady of song when he had heard her sing his compositions. Billie Holiday was referenced as the most influential jazz singer due to her distinctive articulation and incomparable style. Both women made amazing contributions to the music world. If Androids were able to live freely they could greatly improve human lives and culture. Given the chance, Androids could make breakthroughs in not only music, but also medicine and technology. Androids could think of innovative ways to solve human health issues by replacing body parts. Modern medicine already places inorganic materials inside of patients to restore bodily functions. Androids could perform steady handed transplants with inorganic material.

Androids, Cyborgs, and Humans are all interrelated. In a society where the only goal is to travel up towards success there is no difference between humans and other creatures. Humans are one hundred percent organic. Cyborgs are partially organic. Androids are one hundred percent inorganic. All three creates have the desire to live and evolve. According to Kurzweil, “We will transcend all of the limitations of our biology… That is what it means to be human—to extend who we are,” indicating that cyborgs and Androids could be considered human (Vance 2010). Cyborgs are literal extensions of who we are biologically. They are pushing the limitations and evolving into something else entirely. Skin color plays a vital role in biological limitations in American society. People of color struggle for equality even to this day. They are not given the same opportunities as Caucasian people, or are passed up for jobs because of their skin color. Androids and cyborgs alike are facing or will face the same struggle. Their desire to extend their limitations is met with barriers. It will be especially hard for Androids who are not designed as a Caucasian male or female to succeed in life after slavery. Androids are modeled after humans physically and are programmed to be human; therefore, androids and cyborgs should be treated as equally as humans.

Equality is an ongoing struggle in modern society around the globe. Those who are holding on to past behaviors treat people of color as lesser than white people. What makes us human will never have a clear distinction. Cyborgs and Androids are human by definition; the desire to become something better is what makes us who we are. We feel empathy for each other and wish to be treated equally. We all want peace and prosperity to come to the society in which we live. There is not a difference between us, although fear is what causes the physical differences to cause violence. Humans are beginning to see all races as equal; the end of racism is dire. There cannot be equality if people of color and inorganic organisms are treated differently. If humans, cyborgs, and androids could look past the slight physical differences there could be a utopian society in which all live happily. When every human, cyborg, and android of every race imaginable are treated the same, humanity will then have reached the peace it so desires.

 

 

Works Cited

Dick, Philip K. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. New York: Random House, 1996. Print.

Grasgreen, Allie. “Empathizing 101.” Inside Higher Ed. Capital University, 24 Nov. 2010. Web. 09 Oct. 2017.

Puzic, Sonja. “How Modern Prosthetics Are Changing Canadians’ Lives.” CTVNews. CTV News, 28 Sept. 2017. Web. 09 Oct. 2017.

Surugue, Léa. “Reading Books and Watching Films Makes You Kinder in Real Life.” International Business Times UK. N.p., 19 July 2016. Web. 09 Oct. 2017.

Vance, Ashlee. “Merely Human? That’s So Yesterday.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 12 June 2010. Web. 09 Oct. 2017.

 

 

Midterm Assignment

We have the privilege of shaping our midterm essays to fit a real publication. Cyborgology, an academic, peer-edited blog, has agreed to work with our class to contextualize and format this assignment for submission to their publication. This publication takes issues presented in literature and contextualizes their overarching questions by relating the content to relevant political and cultural events. Therefore, you will take the themes we have discussed regarding Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and present them to an educated audience in terms of a current event you consider parallel in some significant way. The goal is to shed light on both the novel and our society by pairing them together.

Using the audience, format, genre, and style of a typical Cyborgology post (see list of examples here) as your model, you will craft a ~2,000-3,000 word blog post that answers the question “What Makes Us Human?” with a particular emphasis on the concept of empathy. In order to address this question you must frame it in terms of the texts we have read. Every paper must use Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep as the primary example, and use at least two of the articles we have read as secondary evidence. You are also welcome to include up to two additional sources from either our course readings or reliable outside sources that you consider essential to make your point. (In other words, you must have a minimum of 3 sources, and a maximum of 5 sources.) All sources must be integrated through summary, paraphrase, or quotation with proper MLA formatting (use OWL at Purdue for guidance).

Please see the Cyborgology submission guidelines for further information. You can and should include hyperlinks to your sources as indicated in this guide. You are also encouraged to use images, videos, or infographics that demonstrate your point (with captions and citations). Also, read this post on writing for a public audience by editor David Banks.

Sample outline: *From Cyborgology editor David Banks*

  1. Introduction to X
  2. Sentence telegraphing at the possibility that X is better understood with Y.
  3. Summary of coverage of X
  4. Why summary is wrong/incomplete/misunderstood by 3rd parties.
  5. Introduction of theory Y
  6. Application of theory Y
  7. Synthesis of X and Y
  8. Prescriptions and conclusions

Two printed copies of your draft in TNR, size 12, double spaced are due on 10/4 in class. Your final essay must be posted to our site under category “midterm” and tag “cyborgology” by 10/9.

Here is the rubric.