In the world we live in today, one of the toughest questions to answer is what truly makes us human. There is no one particular action or belief all humans share. Each human is different with unique characteristics. These characteristics define each human as who they appear to be. Through Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep written by Philip K. Dick, it is our expressment of empathy, showing of judgement, and stance on personal ethics that ultimately define us as human beings on this planet. At the same time, I do believe that our faults are what make us human. Through the faults humans can possibly make in the showing of empathy, judging character, and practicing ethics is what makes us human.
For those who have not read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep written by Philip K. Dick, here is a brief description of the most important parts. The novel is set in San Francisco during the time of post-apocalyptica. It explores the life or Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter that kills machines. Throughout the book, he shows empathy toward having to retire innocent androids, especially those that are improving society. Rick tries to justify his actions by stating that the androids are not human, and that their lives do not hold any value because of this. The moral and empathetic issues begin when he realizes he can empathize with androids in the same way he empathizes with other humans. In turn, the androids in this novel are programmed in the sense that show they can feel empathy for him as well. Luba Luft, an android, shows empathy toward Rick when she talks with him about his love life. Luba knows about Rick’s involvement with Rachel Rosen, and this is what she has to say, “If it’s love toward a woman or an android imitation, it’s sex. Wake up and face yourself, Deckard. You wanted to go to bed with a female type of android — nothing more, nothing less. […] Don’t kill her—or be present when she’s killed — and then feel physically attracted. Do it the other way” (Dick 144). Whether or not these androids truly feel emotions the same way humans do could be turned into a debate of that of the presidential variety.
Rick is not the only important character in this novel. There is another crucial character, and his name is John Isadore. John is an unwanted, no good outcast in the society established in this novel based off of the fact that he is “special”. He is labeled as special because he failed an IQ test that would have allowed him to travel to Mars with the rest of the humans that passed. This seemingly foreign society values intellectual ability and the ability to empathize with others, specifically humans. John is the most interesting character in the novel in the sense that he is in basically the same situation as the androids. He shows the most empathy out of anyone in the novel because he genuinely cares for all humans, androids, and animals regardless of how they treat him. The novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep written by Philip K. Dick greatly illustrates why John is not “special” mentally.
If John Isadore is “special” in a bad way in their society, it is a societally I would personally never want to live in. He is the most empathic and supporting character in the novel. In chapter 16, Pris sees a spider for the first time. She wants to brutally cut off all of its legs. He begged and pleaded with her not to do any cutting. Simply, his mistake to her was, “Don’t mutilate it” (Dick 206). She did not listen to John, and the whole scenario was cringe worthy and difficult to read. After she did mutilate the spider, John said the spider, “crept about miserably on the kitchen table, seeking a way out” (Dick 207). I believe this whole scenario can best described in similarity to the avaristic greed from humans. Through this metaphor, it can be said that humans are so overwhelmingly greedy that most of us do not know when to stop. We tend to take what we want by any means necessary. Pris did not care if John was pleading with her not to kill the spider. Similarly, a landlord would not care or listen to a logical reason why a tenant of theirs is late on paying rent every month. The landlord decides to kick the tenant out anyway. He literally takes their roof above their head anyway from them. The landlord wanted the spider dead, and it died the moment the tenants left the building. Well done, Philip K. Dick, your foreshadowing has been recognized by your audience with pinpoint accuracy even to this day.
To continue, the novel does not include many details on what the IQ test was that he failed, but it is a safe bet to say that it was a bit slanted. Standardized tests such as this one do not show the true intelligence of most humans. I think it is disheartening the way a simple standardized test can determine the life or career path for an individual. It should be more than that. It should be based off of actions and reactions as opposed to handwritten answers. Not all humans can show their intellectuality and value to society on a piece of paper or a computer screen. In today’s society, standardized tests help shape the path of human lives in a huge way. These tests even group children at kindergarten-level ages. Before the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was initialized, only the parents who were willing to pay outrageous amounts for their kids to learn were getting the best education. Before, this caused a lot of segregation and separation amongst between schools, parents and their kids, and the faculty and staff at these schools.
Now, states are required to give standardized testing to students in reading and math in grades 3–8 and once in high school. All students are now expected to meet or exceed state standards in reading and math. If they do not, the state they are living in will provide them with educational assistance (No Child Left Behind Act). Living up to the name of the law, it truly ensures no child is left behind in the classroom. This relates back to the idea of all humans being unique with different characteristics.
Empathy is something that can be taught, but it is up to the individual whether or not they want to grasp their minds around the concept. Human that are empathetic are generally valued more highly in today’s society. Now, in the society that has been built in the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep written by Philip K. Dick it is valued even higher. There are several key factors in determining whether or not one is empathetic. Most times, if someone fail an empathy test, they are deemed androids, and will thusly be retired. This sort of empathy test is known in the novel as a Voight-Kompf test. The test essentially measures empathetic responses to purposely provocative and insightful statements.
Sometimes, a Voight-Kompf test can be inaccurate. For example, Rachel Rosen says that anyone who grew up outside of what is recognized as a normal society could be flawed in the way they judge and interpret empathy. Thusly, the human/android taking the Voight-Kompf test may fail because they have been conditioned to respond the same way any other person would that was raised in their particular society. Another example from the novel is how animals are consider sacred in their society, so most of their Voight-Kompf test questions revolved around the killing, eating, and dissecting of animals. Since animal killing and consumption is so popular in our society today, all the humans of our society that eat meat would be considered androids, according to the Voight-Kompf test’s logic. This means that Rick would have to retire all of us just over a detail as small as that. Crazy, right? Hell, even a person that has suffered emotional, physical, or cranial trauma may not be able to empathize in a way that is considered normal in modern society. Cranial trauma can be especially devastating for those that do not get it properly treated when the trauma originally occurs.
In the video “An Examined Life” Judith Butler and Sunaura Taylor walk around the streets of California in search for a rainbow bagel. On this journey, they speak about the differences between the limitations, gender expectations, and mental and physical disabilities put on an individual. Judith Butler is a successful philosopher and gender theorist, while Sunaura Taylor is a wheelchair bound woman with limitations on the use of her body and her other extremities. I believe the main point of this video is to inform the audience that physical separation leads to a lack of social acceptance in today’s society.
To continue, Taylor was born with arthrogryposis. Taylor explained to Butler in great detail the lengths in which she had always been an outcast and typical bully subject of her fellow peers. Because of this, Taylor moved to California in search of a better life, and in hopes to finally be treated as an equal human being instead of being continually looked down upon by her peers. Taylor went on to say that she felt as though there was less of a stigma about people with disabilities in the state of California. A large majority of places in America have limited access for those with disabilities. They are seemingly unwelcomed where those without disabilities can freely roam (Butler 1). It all revolves around the judgement of human beings to judge another human that cannot visualize, communicate, or associate with things a typical human being does. Social norms are about as subjective as the political hierarchy that has taken over this country. If those in power think something is a good idea, then it will be implemented. It may take some time to get that something finished, as it cannot happen overnight. But it will happen, and I believe this is the saddest truth all of us humans living in the United States have to wake up to everyday.
It is uncomfortable for “normal” human beings to be around those who are not normal. We as human beings should not be afraid of change, and we should be willing and accepting of everyone with a good heart and good intentions. Good does not come from the physical appearance of a person. Rather, it comes from their actions and willingness to help others. The definition of normal is constantly being changed. There is no longer a set norm for all societies anymore. This is because all societies and cultures are so unique in their own ways that often times a norm in one society is not a norm in another. Some of these actions or norms can be frowned upon or judged harshly by other cultures. Lennard J. Davis said it best by describing the constant changing of the definition of normal by saying we live in a world of norms that is constantly being critiqued and construed by others. Davis talks about the how harshly those with disabled bodies are treated in the world today. To illustrate back to An Examined Life by Judith Butler, physical separation leads to a lack of social acceptance in today’s society (Butler 1). The construction of normalcy is set by mankind themselves. Davis says the problem is not the person with disabilities; the problem is the way that normalcy is constructed to create the problem of the disabled person (Davis 3).
To conclude, I think society has a lot of changing to do before it can be justifiable in my eyes. It seems to me that our society is filled with judgmental hatred and anger toward those who publically express their opinion. I think our society as a whole needs to learn to be more empathetic. This starts by teaching kids at a very early age that empathy is valued as high as money in our society. Whether you agree with an opinion or not, mine included, let us all agree to disagree that our country was formed on the basis of free speech and equality for all. To judge a man’s character based on personal beliefs says a lot about the judger in and of them self. Through Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep written by Philip K. Dick, it is our expressment of empathy, showing of judgement, and stance on personal ethics that ultimately define us as human beings on this planet.
Works Cited
Butler, Judith. An Examined Life – Judith Butler & Sunaura Taylor Sunaura Taylor. 6 October 2010. Interview.
Davis, Lennard J. Constructing Normalcy . Binghampton : Verso Publishing, 1995. Book.
Dick, Phillip K. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Del Rey, 1968.
No Child Left Behind Act. 27 January 2011. Document. 8 October 2017.
