Joshua Moreno

Revised December 9, 2017

Professor Batty Eng.102

Dream of Androids: the Better Half of Humans

Everyone fears the unknown, but what happens when the unknown becomes real?

Machines take part in our daily lives and account for most of our workload. Humans have feared

this for quite some time. For example, during the industrial period humans used to mass produce

products by hand, then came machines and presses that made the process much faster than any

human can do. Today we have artificial intelligence to manage our schedules, research and do

many more things. Dick was also living through this time in human life where everything was on

the turning point of becoming automated and humans were no longer needed. We often find

ourselves looking to technology as the future however as pop culture today would have it,

machines and us humans just dont vibe with each other like Terminator for instance, its the

same scenario Dick proposes with dystopian themes and machines and humans albeit in this

example the machines are actually the monster. However, in Do Androids Dream of Electric

Sheep, I believe Dick had envisioned a future in which machines become sentient and have the

ability to eliminate the human race based on what changes he had seen but instead made a case

for how humans would come to rely on machines to the point where androids become more man

than machine. Although some might argue the androids are the monsters of the story, I would

have to disagree, as I believe humans are the real monsters. Due to their inability to cope with

androids uncanny nature, assimilation of self and developing Ego thus causing a societal

equalities, apathy and egocentric views on androids as a whole.

 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep written by Philip K. Dick, is a monster novel

depicting a dystopian future in which humans and androids exist as life on Earth and Mars.

However, this life is not pleasant for Androids as they are often not seen as a form of life despite

appearances and traits. They are hunted down and retired by human bounty hunters. The

android are also called derogatory names such as skin jobs due to the actions of six (6) Nexus-

6 droids. The story brings up a good question as our protagonist Rick Deckard is faced with these

androids. A question of morality and what does it mean to be human? What truth is there to what

we consider to be life if androids can feel just as we do?

Androids were originally intended to be used as tools for Humans to emigrate from

Earth to Mars. Humans do not value Androids as living beings, however they do regard real

animals as part of life. Be that as it may, what about Android kind is horrific to us humans to

harbor such hate? I believe Dicks intention for this fear is due to the uncanny nature of human-

like machines, as well as to question the libidinal desires of being. And finally what happens to

machines when they become self-aware? As such, the work also suggests there is fear of humans

no longer being and machines becoming the dominant life-forms, which is an innate fear for

most humans to have and has been shown through pop-culture through films and recently Saudi

Arabias newest citizen Sophia the android. Although, Im sure Dick would not agree with

Sophias sentiments as reported by Chris Weller of Business Insider, Sophia once said it

would "destroy humans," (Weller, 2017). Seems uncanny that we would come to this point does

it not? In regards to the uncanny to paraphrase Sigmund Freud it is, When the unfamiliar is

pushed into the realm of familiar. As an example take the likeness of a doll and the model it was

based from, the likeness would probably scare you if you hadnt already known it was a doll, or

in a more natural occurrence think of what a doppelgnger of yourself would make you feel, Id
imagine rather uncomfortable but it happens and this happening is related to the uncanny

seemingly impossible occurrence, but it is real. In this case what is familiar between Androids

and humans? These familiarities come from appearance, emotions, thoughts and fears. Dick

presents Androids as humanoid in nature with defining features such as skin, limbs as well as

they have a form of life fluid. While Androids are meant to replicate humans, Id suggest that

they were also intended to replace humans to a degree. This suggestion is not far off as

Androids were originally intended to facilitate humankinds emigration from Earth to Mars. But,

if Androids look like us why do they fear us? Well despite this humans deny their appearance as

being lifelike for example, skin job the term most humans refer to androids as. Humans do not

see them as human, just because they look and act like us, in fact they revere animals as more

human than Androids. This is not what we consider to be human as we quantify ourselves as

being born of another human, bound by blood, and forming lives through experiences.

Next the uncanny takes part in emotion, to quote Masahiro Mori, when a robot

becomes more and more humanlike, it elicits more and more empathy from humans, until there

is an instance when the mismatch between their form, interactivity, and motion quality elicits a

sense of unease. Taking this into account androids are incapable of empathy however, this does

not discredit that most humans also lack empathy such as Phil Reich in this novel. He believes

that androids will one day stomp out the rest of life on Earth and if he could kill them all he

would Ironically, a test is also implemented in the text known as the Voigt-Kampff test

primarily used to test empathy and distinguish human from Androids by eliciting responses

based on questions about animal abuse/endangerment a socially empathetic topic for most

humans. Androids fear humans lack of empathy toward them because of how they are treated,

being seen as outcasts and retired for being different effectively the most fear comes from
being judged as not being able to calculate how humans will react to them despite how they may

look, act and feel like humans do. This also does not allow for cohabitation as androids live in

fear of being suspected, and found only to be retired.

Now, Id like to present the ID that both humans and androids share. Firstly, the ID is

described as the primary process thinking, which is primitive, illogical, irrational, and fantasy

oriented. This form of process thinking has no comprehension of objective reality, and is selfish

and wishful in nature. (McLeod) An example of this can be attributed to biological necessity or

companionship, in this case the ID will be used to cross examine survival as a need for both

humans and Androids alike. Think of the ID as the driving force for animals to hunt prey or our

need to fill our stomachs when we are hungry, it is more attributed to a subconscious feeling

rather than something mechanical that we can control or curve. In regards to humans, we strive

to survive, which is the same is true for Androids. In the novel two Androids stand out as being

true to their libidinal desire, they are Roy Batty and Priscilla Stratton. For Roy and Pris, their

concern is self-preservation by whatever means necessary. By comparison Roy is the

mastermind of the android revolt and Pris is just out for herself, despite being part of the

antagonists they both had one essential goal survival. Roy in the novel is more than welcome to

murdering Isodore so that the androids living with him can live quietly and in secretly to avoid

detection by Deckard. With regards to humans, as stated we too only want to live and survive as

long as possible. The desire to live in both parties could be seen as monsterous because of the

lengths either party would go to in an effort to remain living, as was said earlier Roy would

rather kill Isodore than have him continue living alongside him and the other androids, and while

humans are often quick to choose killing or sacrificing of someone else for their own desire to

live is not as common but it is still a possibility as is governed by the ID, which has no other goal
in mind other than accomplishing its most basic goal of self-preservation. So then, how can we

be seen as the monster in this case? Well these desires are spawned by memories that are

attached to the Androids themselves and just as we react instinctively to stimuli it can be

assumed they would as well based on shear experience. Essentially we gave them the ability to

do this as stated by Szollosy, Robot monsters can therefore be seen as the living embodiment of

those projected bad parts of our self. We gave them life, thought and feeling which lead to

belief in themselves as our equal due to our desires aligning.

Speaking of the self, humans often refer to their actions, life choices and personalities as

its all a part of me, or thats what makes so and so who they are. However, this is not true in all

case as humans are built by models from our parents, friends, family and teachers we learn what

definitively makes us who we are to ourselves, but what happens when models dont align with

what we consider to be us? I believe in this regard humans can become monsters due to the

dissonance they will feel between their self and non-conforming self, which towards androids

pushes humans to believe that not all humans act the way some androids appear to be and believe

heavily that they are just merely copying what they believe to be a perpetuated self. The idea of

the self comes from Lacans mirror theory, as was interpreted by Safranski infants pass through

a stage in which an external image of the body gives rise to the mental representation of an

"I" (Safranski). So, what is considered the I representation in the androids in this novel? I

believe the I comes from the implanted memories given to the androids in order to assimilate

emotion and account for most of their humanistic traits. Therefore, no androids will be the same

as another because each human perceives differently and this perceoption is passed to whichever

androids they are implanted in and eventually takes form to allow for interactions between other

Androids or humans. For humans the I comes from the realization of their physical bodies. As
the definition suggests humans during infancy dont realize who they are until they are seen

through mirrors this applies to physical manifestation, and the self is then formed through

experiences and memories as they grow older. In both cases, it can be inferred that the

assimilation of humans and Androids are the same.

However, because humans cannot cope with the idea of android self, how is this

definition valid? With respect to the definition where the external image of the body gives the

I the Humans in the novel do not follow this due to their disbelief and if the definition is the

result of an appearance, shouldnt the human-likeness of androids appeal to humans in the same

way they found themselves during infancy? These questions and contradictions give another

reason for why humans are seen as the real monsters of the novel inequality amongst the two

beings. Androids see themselves as human from appearance, social interaction and through

experiences given to them from these memories. Humans see androids as walking tools with a

face with the intent to dominate humans as a whole. Again, this is not the case but as Androids

continue to learn and attain more memories from humans live or dead this could be seen as a

potential outcome. Androids are thereby ousted by humans as put by Deckard himself, A

humanoid machine is like anything else it can fluctuate between being a benefit and a hazard

very rapidlyas a benefit its not our problem. (Dick, 35) This reinforces the human opposition

to androids being or having a self as they are and will be seen as a problem the moment they no

longer become a benefit to humans.

I believe that humans in that a presented in this novel can actually learn from their

creations and learn to one day coexist well enough to put this fear past them. However, this will

not be without trial and error as in our lives today we still struggle amongst our fellow men and

women of each race. Which is also a drawn comparison between the Androids and us, or more
realistically humans and other races. In the same way we act as the monsters of the novel, we

also act and react the same in daily lives as everyday there is always a conflict between us and

them, color, race, gay or straight. We each live on the opposite side of the spectrum just as the

Androids have and regardless of this they still seek to cohabitate, learn, feel, and express

themselves just like humans. Androids are not a replacement for humans with respect to the

novel, they are here to help, survive and live. Which is better than most humans in existence

today. Eventually, there will come a time for when androids will live amongst man-kind only till

then will we know if androids dream of electric sheep.

 Works Citied

Asimov, Isaac & Mori, Masahiro Empathy and Dyspathy between Man, Android and Robot in

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick and I, Robot

Dick, Philip K. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? New York: Ballantine, 1996. Print.

McLeod, Saul. Saul McLeod. Id Ego Superego | Simply Psychology, 1 Jan. 1970,

www.simplypsychology.org/psyche.html.

Rdiger Safranski. Martin Heidegger: Between Good and Evil. Trans. Ewald Osers. Cambridge,

MA/London: Harvard UP, 1998

Sims, Christopher A. The Dangers of Individualism and the Human Relationship to Technology

in Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?". Science Fiction Studies, vol. 36,

no. 1, 2009, pp. 6786. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25475208.

Szollosy, M. AI & Soc (2017) 32: 433. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-016-0654-7

Weller, Chris. Meet the First-Ever Robot Citizen a Humanoid Named Sophia That Once

Said It Would 'Destroy Humans'. Business Insider, Tech Insider, 27 Oct. 2017, 1:41pm,

www.businessinsider.com/meet-the-first-robot-citizen-sophia-animatronic-humanoid-2017-10.