Tag: provocation

Retiring or Murder

Rick and Resch search the Edvard Munch exhibit at the museum for Luba Luft while Resch worries over whether he is an android. Resch’s eye is caught by The Scream painting which he believes expresses what androids must feel. They find Luba looking at a different painting and escort her to Rick’s car. On the way, Luba confesses that she’s an android and says that she’s always wanted to be human. She harasses Resch for being an android and he retires her almost immediately. In dismay over her death, Rick feels that Luba’s vocal talents could have been of use to the world and she didn’t need to be retired. He calls in a patrol car to transfer her body to the station for a marrow test and Resch agrees to take the Voigt-Kampff. Rick is certain that it will read that Resch is an android, but the results confirm that Resch is human. Rick suggests a defect in Resch’s ability to empathize with androids. Resch notes that it’s not strange since they don’t test for that type of empathy. Rick decides to take the test himself and realizes that he is able to empathize with certain types of androids. Resch suggests that it’s just sex and Rick simply wanted to get Luba Luft into bed. For the first time ever, Rick wonders whether he’s a good bounty hunter. Rick notices “I rode down with two creatures, one human, the other android…and my feelings were the reverse of those intended” (Dick 132).

My question is this. Are androids always a threat to Earth’s society? Do they always need to be “retired”? Also, would you consider it retiring or killing when an android is put down?

Am I Rachael?

In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Rick Deckard is sent to the Rosen Corporation to determine if the Voigt-Kamff machine can determine whether someone is a human or a Nexus-6 andy. Rick explains that the the machine tests for involuntary bodily reactions to specific phrases that would invoke empathy in any human. If one does not have these empathetic responses, then they cannot possibly be human. This implies that the defining difference between human and machine is our ability to empathize. When he administers this test to Rachael Rosen, she almost makes him believe she is human. This shows that she did have some empathetic responses.

Since we have recently discussed that millennials are less empathetic than than prior generations, this brought me to two questions: Do you feel any less human because we are considered less empathetic? How far off are we from being Rachael?

 

 

What Does Mean To Be Human?

Perhaps the most interesting part of the story so far, is the situation that rose as Rick was analyzing Rachel.  Despite her human backstory programmig, and her very precice responses to the questions, she failed the exam.

The Voight-Kampff test is a way the characters identify a human against an “andy,” or android. But the situation with Rachel proves an interesting point; Even though she was an android, Rick was convinced, through her “backstory” and from the test results, that she was just a human unaccustomed to life on earth. Going down this line of thought, some humans who are unaccustomed to being around others or with mental illnesses, may not past the test. Does this make those who are mentally ill subpar to the “neurotypical” characters? Even in Isidore’s situation, as a “special” individual, he’s still treated as a human. Would he be able to pass the Voight-Kampff test? Or would he fail just like the andys?

 

The overall question I’m asking is this: What makes human intelligence and reactions, purely human? And is a human who doesnt exhibit the “right” response considered subhuman?

Provocation – Dystopoia

What I found to be the most interesting so far about the book is the dystopian society that Rick is currently living in. A post-nuclear society governed by a totalitarian form of government. Free thought does not exist, radiation if rich in the air caused by the weapons used during World War Terminus, “mood” altering devices, synthetic creatures, thought control, etc.

The moment that really spoke to me about the conditions that the protagonist is currently living in was when the book spoke about John Isidore and his “Time-Reversal Faculty”.

It’s awful to hear that these characters are refrained from using any sort of this ability. It was especially hard to swallow when you began reading about the treatment that John received for using this gift. The totalitarian government that runs this society used specific treatments involving radiation to help banish away the use of “Time-Reversal Faculty”.

Not to get too political. But it’s especially scary to hear about these treatments because I fear one day our society will continue to further push ourselves into a society run by socialism. Again, not to get too political, but I am strong believer in free enterprise and free thought. When we as a society push to have our government control more means of life. We began to take away what makes us special and unique. We lose ourselves to security and safety.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”

I am a strong believer in such a quote. Once we give up our sense of freedom for more security. We will lose both. And my biggest fear is that one day. We will all become Ricks living in a society that he currently lives in.

“Dialing” Different Moods

At the beginning of the book, Rick Deckard and his wife, Iran, wake up and begin a discussion about which mood they are going to “dial” for the day.  When Iran awakens, she is very irritable and moody and Rick suggests setting her dial to a different setting to prevent the moodiness and sluggish feelings.  The two of them get into an argument about which mood they should be choosing for the day, and if choosing the mood you plan to be in for the day is worth it to them or if it is a waste of time and energy.  Iran discusses how one day she was sitting in their home, watching television and a commercial she did not care for came on and she turned the tv off.  Sitting in the silence, she began to realize how, since she had just dialed up a mood, she mentally noticed the quiet, but it did not change her feelings and she began to think how unnatural that fact was.  She decided that she was going to schedule her mood twice a month to allow her to be upset about this fact.

While I was reading this part of the book, I could not help but imagine what it would be like to control my own moods.  While reading the rest of the chapters we had assigned, this question kept buzzing in my head.  So, if you could, would want to be able to control your moods and feelings? Why/Why not?

Voight-Kampff

As time progresses towards the future, do you believe that the Nexus-6 Androids will be able to pass the Voight-Kampff test?

Rick Deckard heads to Seattle to administer the Voight-Kampff empathy test to a group of random people. Within this random selection of people, the Rosen Association places androids in the group to test the validity of the empathy test. Upon arrival, Rick figures out that the Rosen’s changed what their initial plan was and suddenly learns that he will be testing Rachel Rosen who is one of the representatives of the association. After completing the test on Rachel, Rick determines that she is an android. While coming to his conclusion, Eldon Rosen informs Rick that his niece is in-fact not android but, grew up on a ship that left her empathy skills underdeveloped and different towards animals. Rick was in disbelief which allows him to confront Rachel again and ask her to answer one more question to completely verify his conclusion. This question did the job, by confirming that she is an android and that the Rosen Association was lying about Rachel.  As rick is leaving he realizes “they came awfully damn close to undermining the Voight-Kampff scale, the only method we have for detecting them” (Dick 60). Rick now understands that he can administer this test and he will have to begin hunting for the six Nexus-6 androids that injured his colleague.

Provocation Assignment

Throughout the semester you will notice “provocation” assignments built into our syllabus. They are often broken into groups and correspond to longer readings. Provocations are meant to provide context and support for your student-led discussions in class. In order to complete these assignments you must:

  • Read the assigned text very closely and annotate it thoroughly.
  • Choose one section of the text you found most interesting/problematic/controversial/stimulating and summarize it in 5-7 sentences.
  • If you use a direct quote in this summary you must have an MLA citation.
  • Construct a complex ∫ for your classmates to answer about that section of the text that will spark a lively debate.

On the blog, you will post your provocations BEFORE class time as indicated on the syllabus. ONLY post when your group is listed on the syllabus. Use the category and tag provided by your professor for each post.

These posts will be graded on the following scale:

  • A = An engaging, thought-provoking post that shows attention to detail and comprehension of the text. Grammar and mechanics must be practically perfect (edit carefully!). Direct evidence from the text with a citation must be included.
  • B = An accurate summary and well-composed question that may contain a small, but not catastrophic, misreading or errors in grammar and mechanics.
  • C = A sloppy post that shows little effort and does not include the elements listed above.
  • D = A post that is a day late, or difficult to read, or phrased in a way that students would be unable to respond.
  • F = A post that is a week late, contains numerous errors, and does not contribute to the conversation. Or the post does not exist.

Please create these summaries and questions yourself: DO NOT STEAL OTHER PEOPLES WORK. If I find you have plagiarized these posts you will be reported. If you are struggling please come see me or email me with questions.