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영어

Philip K. Dick's novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Ridley Scott's film, Blade Runner, well known adaptations of the novel, raise some serious philosophical questions on the futuristic vision in the age of technology and science. While the film drops many important details of plot and character of the novel, it conveys the main theme mostly. that is the nightmarish futuristic dystopia. On the contrary, it is the film that suggests and embodies the rich vision of dystopia on human nature and identity issues in the future world. In both texts technology has advanced to the point of manufacturing artificial human beings. These genetically engineered androids/ replicants are virtually identical to human beings. They pose dangers to society because they come to the Earth from the off-world colonies to live lives of their own, or to prolong their life-span. So the bounty hunter/ blade runner is assigned to track down and retire them. In his dealings with androids, Rick Deckard, the bounty hunter/blade runner, gradually loses his humanity. Empathy, the ability to empathize with the sufferings of others, is the ultimate criterion of humanity in both the novel and the film Due to the inhuman callousness of humans and empathic responses of androids, the criterion is called into questions. The androids who are not supposed to have empathy seem to be able to have real emotions. And they represent the oppressed victims exploited by capitalist pursuit of mankind. The film takes a more inclusive stance on androids. While, in the novel, Deckard ends up having enhanced empathy for androids, in the film, he moves on further and plans a life with a replicant. By blurring the boundaries between replicants and humans, the film suggests replicants deserve as much right and respect as humans. With backgrounds in a dark futuristic society, both texts lead us to ask questions on such issues as humanity, identity and the real, futuristic world we live in. and to reflect those issues. Thus, the two texts are crucial in leading us to pay more attention to how we can be inhuman and mechanized in the age of technology and science.