What does it mean to be human? According to the Merriam-Webster’s medical definition of human, we are “a bipedal primate mammal of the genus Homo (H. sapiens).” But when it comes to the definition of what makes a human a human, to other humans, the definition may vary. According to the humans in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, a novel by science fiction author Philip K. Dick, humans are capable of empathizing with each other and with animals, which differentiates even the most “special” of humans from the story’s titular androids. And, while we as humans don’t currently have to differentiate ourselves from artificial intelligence, we as a species have had a long history of dividing ourselves in terms of our physical appearance, financial status, our orientation and identities, and our mental state. To list the number of times we as a species have deemed other groups of our kind as subhuman would certainly take a long time, seeing as our species’ disdain for others unlike us is prevalent even in theories on how the Neanderthals went extinct. But recent events such as the blatant racism and white supremacy exuding from the “alt right” neonazis behind the Charlottesville rally, or the continuous slaughter of people of color and LGBT individuals both in the police nation that is the United States, or even going back to the Holocaust and the Atlantic Slave Trade, is enough examples as it is. But how does Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep really hold up to how we as a species perceive one another? And what do we do to correct the flaws in our understanding? To answer that, we must look at the character John Isidore, and the concept of “inferior” humans in our society.
In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, John Isidore is labeled as a “chickenhead” (cite here) both by himself and by those around him. This is because he didn’t pass the exams that differentiate him from the other humans living on earth, and he is also unable to reproduce due to a physical disability caused by the radioactive dust that clouds the sky. John, while a capable human and a very empathetic individual, is considerably mistreated by those around him, simply for his mental disability. He is often called a “chickenhead” by the people around him, and it is often implied that the people at his work consider him to be very dumb and unable to perform simple tasks. But even as a “chickenhead,” without the privilege to have children or move off Earth like the other more “capable” humans around him, he is still treated much better than the androids who escape from slavery in the human colonies on Mars to Earth. And even amongst the “specials,” he is still considered much better off than others, known as “antheads,” in terms of what sections he passed in the test. Nevertheless, the mistreatment of John is a not-so-subtle comment on how we as a species often mistreat our disabled, in the name of eugenics.
Eugenics is “the science of improving a population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics,” as defined by the Oxford Dictionary. Those who agree with eugenics often believe in a “perfect” human standard that the entirety of the human race should achieve, and want to achieve that by eliminating unwanted traits. This was the primary motive of the nazis in World War II, and by association, the Klu Klux Klan and the “alt-right” neonazis who were present at the Charlottesville rally. The extermination of those with traits deemed undesirable, specifically those of Jewish or Romani descent, was one of many of the nazi’s goal in creating the perfect “aryan” race, as noted by the History Place’s article on Hitler and his wartime goals. And, while we as a human race claim to have moved beyond such violence, the continuous abuse and exploitation of disabled individuals simply because they are disabled, is still heavily ingrained in our society. A simple internet search will quickly provide multiple cases of disabled individuals being shot and killed by the police, all within the last few years. Just in September, a deaf man was killed by a police officer when he was unable to hear the requests to “drop” his “weapon,” a stick he carried to fend off wild dogs on walks. While John Isidore never experience such violence, it’s visible just through subtext that disability is seen as undesirable and less than human in the society Philip K. Dick has created in his short story. In a particular scene at the beginning of chapter 7, Isidore is bringing what he assumed was a false cat, to his work to attempt to get it repaired and returned to it’s owner. Upon learning that the cat was a real cat and is now dead, Isidore is requested to call the owners to deliver the news by his boss Mr. Sloat, all whilst Mr. Sloat and Isidore’s coworker Milt call him a chickenhead to his face. Isidore, while panicking, notes that Sloat is just as affected by radiation as he is, although not mentally, and he manages to make a rather professional call to the cat’s owner Despite being apparently more physically fit than both his boss and his coworker, he is still treated as rather incompetent due to his mental state..
Similarly, in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, androids are mistreated, often seen as property to be owned, or as slaves, despite being seemingly as intelligent as a human is. In the story, various androids are introduced as cold and calculated, and while they do present themselves as such, it is also noticeable that their reasoning for escaping from the colonies on Mars is entirely justifiable. On Mars, the androids are marketed as obedient and willing servants (citation needed). The character Rick, who is a bounty hunter tasked with the extermination of androids, is comparable with the primary police patrolling forces of the United States, which were all designated to capture escaped slaves.
The entire concept of slavery hinges on the concept that those who are enslaved are subhuman and are, therefore, allowed to be treated as beasts of burden. A well known example of this is the Three-Fifths Compromise, that determined that a slave, specifically a black individual, was to be considered as three fifths of a person as a way to rank up representation in the House of Representation. Despite showing just as many “human” traits as the europeans who enslaved them, africans were treated as property and horrible abused for hundreds of years. And while the condition of work on Mars with the androids is unknown, it is known that they are understood in a similar manner, as obedient machines that do not bear a consciousness, despite exhibiting a desire for self preservation like their human counterparts. Another comparison could be made between European countries and their current treatment of the thousands of refugees who fled areas of conflict in hopes of being spared. In chapter 14, Pris and her fellow androids note that Isidore is very compassionate and kind, seeing as he wanted to harbor them regardless if they were human or not, and mention offhandedly that neither human nor their own kind would be willing to perform this act of kindness. While the androids are rather nonchalant about it, this is comparable with how Europe, especially France, have treated their refugees. Accounts of tear gassing refugees hiding out in the city or refusing them housing, or even removing them from the country entirely, as is what happened in July of 2017.
This begs the question: what do we need to do? If we, as a society, want to be accepting and understanding of our members and of all their shortcomings, we should first remake the foundations on which our ableist, racist, and anti-immigrant actions are formed on. This would mean a rewrite of the judicial system, seeing as one of the largest racist and ableist institutions is actually our law enforcement. This isn’t calling for a total renaissance of the system, but rather, a return to the roots of our racist society, and to re-work things so that we may stop policing individuals on their mental state, disability, or race. Until we stop insinuating that disabled, non-neurotypical, or POC are inherently dangerous and treating every encounter with them as a threat, then we will never progress and truly realize our full potential.
Bibliography
Chrisafis, Angelique. “Police Remove 2,000 Refugees and Migrants Sleeping Rough in Paris.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 7 July 2017, www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/07/french-police-evict-2000-refugees-and-migrants-sleeping-rough-in-paris.
Dick, Philip K. “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.” Doubleday, 1968.
“The ‘Three-Fifths’ Compromise.” African American Registry, African American Registry, constitution.laws.com/three-fifths-compromise.
Hayes, Christal. “Oklahoma Cop Kills Deaf Man-Which Is What Happens When You’re Not Trained to Deal with Disabilities.” Newsweek, 21 Sept. 2017, www.newsweek.com/oklahoma-cops-kill-deaf-man-do-cops-know-how-interact-disabled-community-669071.
“Hitler Reveals War Plans.” The History Place – Triumph of Hitler: Hitler Reveals War Plans, The History Place, www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/triumph/tr-hossbach.htm.