A Future Of Humanity Beyond Plain Sight

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Why do humans have a desire to create objects that produce outcomes beyond their capability of managing? There are endless answers to this question, with one including that we are riveted by the unknown. The tendency to gravitate towards something that could become extraordinary is a distinct part of human nature. Curiosity keeps us driven to go beyond ordinary means in the pursuit of discovery, but at what point should there be a limit on this search? In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Philip K. Dick uses a combination of science fiction and technology to lure readers into his captivating version of a future in which the advanced use of machinery and skills creates a world that challenges natural human existence.

Firstly, the novel takes place in 2021 where Earth is nearly inhabitable after the nuclear invasion of World War Terminus where the radiation is so deadly that “sun ha[s] ceased t0 shine on the earth” (16). Only those deemed intelligent and qualified enough to leave earth and recolonize to Mars are given permission to do so. Individuals who have disabilities and who fail to pass the minimum mental faculties test are immediately excluded from the elite category and remain amidst the toxic compounds embedded in the darkness of what is left of the planet. On this new colony, citizens are owners to subjects that provide aid “either as body servants or tireless field hands, the custom-tailored humanoid robot- designed specifically for [their] unique needs, for [them] and [them] alone” (17). Although “the U.N had made it easy to emigrate, difficult if not impossible to stay” (16), the requirement to successfully pass an IQ test signifies that Dick envisions the future as a place that is exclusive to a select group of people and ideally the best of the best individuals are the only ones who are deserving of partaking in such high-quality means of living. Throughout the novel, Dick places an emphasis on the radioactive war which serves as the primary source of human extinction from planet earth. This alludes to the fact that his prediction of the future involves a revolution of some sort that will result in similar consequences which are reflected in those of World War Terminus.

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The concept of advanced technology and its ability to threaten natural human existence is portrayed again through Dick’s use of the Penfield mood organ which gives individuals the opportunity to regulate and stimulate the emotion of their choice. Dick introduces an intriguing concept of there being a lack of raw emotion in the future diminishing the capacity of humans to have their own intellect. While using this mood organ, Iran states her complicated opinion about it as ‘[her] first reaction consisted of being grateful that [they] could afford a Penfield mood organ. But then [she] realized how unhealthy it was, sensing the absence of life, not just in this building but everywhere, and not reacting … but that used to be considered a sign of mental illness; they called it ‘absence of appropriate affect ” (5). This machine is an obvious threat to organic human emotion as it is capable of eradicating reactions that are naturally viewed as the reactions of humans extinct. Similar to the androids present in their neighboring colony, the humans present on earth have the ability to experience a flat effect. They can also control their levels of wakefulness and reduce or even completely abolish sentiments such as empathy and sadness creating false feelings of happiness to override the feelings that are unpleasant. By having the ability to produce emotional states such as feeling angry, depressed, and sympathetic, we as humans can survive by using these feelings to connect to one another. Dick’s establishment of a machine as such arises the following question, if humans are capable to add and remove emotions as they please, how are they any different from synthetically programmed objects such as the androids?

One of the most important aspects in Dick’s version of the future includes the uprising of androids which are robots designed so absurdly similar to humans that it is almost entirely impossible to differentiate between the two at merely a glance. It is in fact so difficult to distinguish between a human and an android that the Voight-Kampff test must be used to do so. Although unreliable, the test is widely used as the only source of confirmation to prove if someone is classified as an android or not. This is done by monitoring the movement of the eyes as well as their answer response time by asking questions that are supposed to evoke an “empathic response. In a variety of social situations. Mostly having to do with animals” (110). The reason this test causes problems is that it is quite easy to accidentally mistake a human for an android as there are variations in empathy levels amongst humans, with the possibility that some humans may not show any emotion at all in regards to animals. Androids, specifically the Nexus-6 are considered to be criminals on earth as they are only meant to remain on Mars where they act as slaves to the human population. Dick’s clever placement of androids in the novel playing such superior and threatening roles makes us return back to the theory that human existence may very well be challenged in the near future. What causes greater fear than the existence of the androids themselves is Dick’s implantation of the Voight-Kampff test and the fact that regardless of it being considered unreliable, it is still trusted to produce accurate results. The idea of there being a test to separate humans from robots and having that test being faulty is a frightening thought, especially if there is a chance of killing innocent humans in search of androids. It is clear that Dick argues that because of advanced and innovative technological discoveries, it will be beyond ordinary human means to isolate their own creations from themselves without dealing with terrifying consequences such as possibly killing those of their own species.

All in all, Philp K. Dick envisions a future in which humanity is threatened by forces of destruction created by humans themselves. Dick’s construction of the future not only highlights that the sacred planet of the earth will eventually become inhabitable, but it also alludes to the perception that not everyone who will fall victim to an apocalypse such as World War Terminus will be competent to relocate to a planet to escape the dreadful conditions on earth. Humans themselves will develop characteristics of robots and vice versa, such as having the ability to not feel empathy. Distressing but strikingly similar, Dick’s version of the future which is near present-day runs closely parallel to current world conditions. With global warming drastically increasing over time, it is already suspected amongst scientists that relocation to a different planet is highly probable, and some predict that World War III may actually be a result of global warming as resources such as fresh water will be universally fought over. Another accurate aspect of Dick’s prediction of the present day is the rapid growth of technology in which forms of robots have already been invented, so it will seem as no surprise if robots such as androids walk amongst humans soon. Considering that Philp K. Dick was high on drugs, specifically LSD and amphetamines, his representation of the future would have possibly been viewed as absurd and extreme in a sober state, but it is ironic that his ideas are not too different than the reality of today.

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