Human, Robot, and Animal Rights in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Makaleler > Tam Makale · 2022
Yazarlar: Firuze GÜZEL
Kültür Araştırmaları Dergisi, Diğer Kurumların Hakemli Dergileri, Uluslararası, Scopus, 2022, ss 53-68
DOI: 10.46250/kulturder.1173344
Özet
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick is a brilliant science fiction novel that tries to determine the thresholds of being human. In the book, the boundaries between being a human and an android almost do not exist except for one determinant: lack of empathy in androids. This alleged difference between humans and androids is the most important point of justification for destroying or “retiring” the latter. This brings out the discussion if these robots have any rights because they are portrayed as autonomous and sentient beings. In addition, the novel also questions if human beings can be deprived of their rights and if so in what cases this can happen. Measuring the worth of life then is one of the most significant discussions of the book because the author essentially forces the characters and the readers to contemplate the qualities that make one a human. Furthermore, animal rights also cover an important part of the novel. The difference between authentic and robotic animals as well as their symbolic connotations contribute to the novel’s main theme. In this context, this article aims to reveal how human, robot and animal rights are addressed in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?