Significance of the Study
Philip K. Dick’s 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is set on post-apocalyptic Earth in the Bay Area of California. World War Terminus has devastated the population of Earth and left it nearly uninhabitable, forcing survivors to emigrate to Mars or one of the other unnamed colony planets. As incentive, emigrants are given free android servants to accompany them on their voyage and serve them on Mars. The androids are extremely sophisticated and are nearly indistinguishable from human beings. The novel explores the moral implications of enslaving a human-like biological machine, but more centrally uses the invention of a humanoid replica to critique and define the essence of humanity; whatever qualities distinguish humans from androids become the essential aspects of humanity. Rarely, an android slave will kill its master and flee Mars for haven on Earth. Bounty hunters are employed by the remaining police agencies to protect the small but determined communities of humans who refuse to emigrate and those who are prevented from emigrating because the degenerative effects of living in a radioactive environment have drastically lowered their IQs. The novel examines the psychology of bounty hunter Rick Deckard as he “retires” escaped androids. In this essay I am interested in analyzing the way in which technology is described in the novel and what the relationship is between humans and technology. The essay will also investigate the novel’s representation of human psychology confronted with the near extinction of its species and the stratification of the human population across the colony planets.
Literature Review:
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick is a dystopian science fiction novel set in a post-apocalyptic future where Earth is devastated by nuclear war, and most of the population has emigrated to other planets. The story follows Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter tasked with “retiring” rogue androids that have escaped to Earth. The novel explores themes of empathy, identity, and the blurred line between humans and artificial beings. As Deckard hunts down the androids, he grapples with the ethical implications of his actions and questions the nature of humanity. The narrative dives into the psychological and philosophical aspects of what it means to be alive, raising profound questions about the essence of empathy and the consequences of technological advancements on the human experience.
A catastrophic world war has left Earth radioactive and barely habitable. Animal life has nearly been wiped out. To encourage people to move to other planets, the U.N. supplies each emigrant with a lifelike android servant. Most people have taken the offer, but a few remain on Earth. The “regulars” can marry and travel freely. The “specials” (people who are damaged by radiation) are not allowed to reproduce or to leave Earth. Ownership of an animal is a status symbol. Some people own real ones, but others have to settle for lifelike fakes. Both regulars and specials participate in a ritual called fusion, which involves “empathy boxes” and a mysterious figure named Mercer. Through fusion, people share in Mercer’s physical sufferings and also transmit feelings to one another. Those who come to the ritual happy leave sadder, weighed down by others’ burdens. Those who enter the ritual sad have their spirits boosted by others’ happiness. The beliefs and moral teachings associated with this practice are called Mercerism.
Out on the colony planets, life is much less pleasant than advertised back on Earth. The android servants find their existence especially bleak. Some of them murder their owners and escape back to Earth, where the androids try to pass for human beings. Police departments employ bounty hunters to hunt these androids down and kill them. Before killing an android, however, a bounty hunter must use a psychological test to confirm that the target is an android. The test is believed to be reliable, but with each new model, androids are getting harder and harder to distinguish from real people.
The idea that a machine could pass as a human by fooling us leads naturally to the suspicion that machines are capable of thinking. We’ve even begun talking about computers as though they have minds (e.g. “the computer is thinking.”) “Can machines think?”
In Philip K Dick’s novel “ Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” the line between human and machine is blurred as characters struggle to determine who is real and who is not. In many ways, this struggle mirrors the current debate around the rise of artificial intelligence (A.I.) and its potential impact on critical thinking.
Plot Summary
The Situation
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? takes place in the year 1992, after World War Terminus has spread a cloud of radioactive dust across the globe. Many plant and animal species are extinct, and many of the surviving humans have emigrated to colonies on Mars. The remaining humans are divided between regulars and “specials,” people who are either too stupid or too affected by radiation to be allowed to reproduce. As a result of these combined factors, cities are underpopulated and ownership of animals is considered both a status symbol and a sign of righteous empathy. Both real and imitation animals are expensive, with price lists updated monthly. In demand by Martian colonists are androids, manufactured to be as much like humans as possible, both in flesh and in emotion. Colonists are offered custom designed androids when they emigrate, and the androids serve as slaves. Discontented androids can escape from servitude by killing their masters and then returning to Earth to hide. Bounty hunters from Earth’s various police forces are sent to locate these escapees and “retire” them. As the androids have become more human-like, retiring them has become more and more like killing.
The novel opens in the apartment of bounty hunter Rick Deckard and his wife, Iran. As he leaves for work, she tries to decide what mood to “dial up” for herself with their Penfield mood enhancing machine. Going to his car on the roof, Deckard stops to feed his electronic sheep. He takes a moment to admire his neighbor’s real, living, horse. Upon hearing that the horse is pregnant, Rick’s frustration surfaces and he admits to his neighbor that his sheep is false.
At work, his superior explains Deckard’s new mission to him: eight androids have escaped from Mars, and San Francisco’s lead bounty hunter, Dave Holden, has been shot down after retiring two. Deckard’s first step is to go the androids’ manufacturer, Rosen Association, to learn about this newest, most realistic model, the Nexus-6. The company’s president, Eldon Rosen, doubts the accuracy of the “Voigt-Kampff” empathy test that the police use to distinguish androids from humans. His niece, Rachael, takes the test, and when it concludes that she is not human they assume that the test is flawed. The Rosens then attempt to bribe Deckard by offering him a real owl. Following a hunch, Deckard asks one last question that proves that his test results were accurate: Rachael Rosen is indeed an android.
Alternating with Deckard’s story, the novel follows the day of John “J. R.” Isidore, a “special” laborer with a low I.Q. who works for a veterinary clinic that cares for artificial animals. Isidore is a devotee of Wilbur Mercer, the religious figure that most people, including the Deckards, believe in. They relate to Mercer via “empathy boxes”: they watch video images of him climbing a mountain, pelted with stones by skeptics, and when a stone hits Mercer the viewers who have real empathy for him will also bruise or bleed. Isidore is also a fan of Buster Friendly, the cheerful show business personality who somehow hosts talk shows on both radio and television simultaneously for twenty-three hours a day. On this morning, Isidore comes across a strange woman, Pris Stratton, in one of the empty apartments in his building. She is mysteriously cold and factual, but the idea that she is an android does not occur to Isidore, both because he is desperately lonely and because of his limited mental capacity. Later that day, Isidore picks up a cat for repair and it expires in his van. Only later does he discover it was actually a living creature.
Plot Summary
Electric Awakening
Rick Deckard’s morning routine
Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter, wakes up to a world where mood organs dictate emotions. His wife, Iran, is discontented, and their electric sheep symbolizes their hollow existence. Rick dreams of owning a real animal, a status symbol in a post-apocalyptic Earth. The world is desolate, with most life extinct, and humans have emigrated to off-world colonies. Rick’s job is to “retire” rogue androids, and today, he faces a new challenge: the advanced Nexus-6 models.
The Android Hunt Begins
Rick’s mission to retire androids
Rick receives a list of six Nexus-6 androids to retire, starting with Polokov, who has already injured another bounty hunter. The Nexus-6 models are nearly indistinguishable from humans, posing a significant challenge. Rick’s journey takes him to the Rosen Association, where he meets Rachael Rosen, an android who almost deceives him. Despite the difficulty, Rick is determined to complete his mission, driven by the promise of a real animal.
Empathy and Illusions
The struggle with empathy
Rick’s encounters with the androids challenge his understanding of empathy. He meets Luba Luft, an android opera singer, and feels conflicted about retiring her. The androids’ ability to mimic human emotions blurs the line between human and machine. Rick’s internal struggle intensifies as he questions the morality of his job and the nature of his own humanity. The empathy box, a device used to connect with the mythical figure Mercer, offers little solace.
The Nexus-6 Challenge
Testing the limits of detection
Rick’s task is complicated by the Nexus-6’s advanced capabilities. He administers the Voigt-Kampff test, designed to measure empathy, but finds it increasingly unreliable. The androids’ intelligence and emotional mimicry make them formidable opponents. Rick’s interactions with Rachael Rosen reveal the complexities of android psychology and the potential for androids to develop genuine emotions. The line between hunter and hunted blurs as Rick grapples with his own feelings.
The Mercer Revelation
Buster Friendly’s exposé
Buster Friendly, a media personality, reveals that Mercerism, the dominant religion, is a fraud. This revelation shakes the foundation of society, as Mercerism provided a sense of unity and purpose. Despite the exposé, Rick finds himself drawn to the empathy box, seeking connection and meaning. The revelation forces Rick to confront the artificiality of his world and the constructs that define his identity. The androids, too, are affected, questioning their place in a world without Mercer.
The Final Confrontation
Rick’s showdown with the Batys
Rick tracks down the last of the Nexus-6 androids, Roy and Irmgard Baty. The confrontation is intense, as the Batys are aware of Rick’s presence and prepared to fight. Rick’s encounter with Mercer on the hill, where he experiences a vision of unity and suffering, gives him the strength to continue. The battle tests Rick’s resolve and forces him to confront his own humanity. In the end, Rick succeeds in retiring the androids, but at a great personal cost.
The Cost of Humanity
Rick’s existential crisis
After retiring the androids, Rick is left to grapple with the emotional toll of his actions. He questions the value of his work and the meaning of his existence. The loss of his goat, killed by Rachael Rosen, symbolizes the futility of his pursuit of status and fulfillment. Rick’s journey has changed him, leaving him disillusioned and weary. He seeks solace in the empathy box, hoping to find connection and understanding in a world that feels increasingly alien.
A New Beginning
Rick’s return to Iran
Rick returns home to his wife, Iran, who comforts him despite the loss of their goat. The couple’s relationship is strained but resilient, and they find solace in each other’s presence. Rick’s experiences have altered his perspective, and he resolves to find a new path forward. The story ends with a sense of ambiguity, as Rick contemplates the future and the possibility of redemption. Despite the challenges, there is hope for renewal and a deeper understanding of what it means to be human.