...In the sci-fi story “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep”, author Philip K. Dick introduces to his readers a futuristic religion based around a very common human emotion, empathy. Empathy plays the biggest role in the book through the global religion known in the novel as Mercerism. The practice of Mercerism centers on a piece of technology known as the empathy box. Users of the empathy box will take this technology by it handles which in turn infuses them into a type of physiological virtual experience. One of the experiences showcases the struggles of a mysterious man named Mercer and his journey up a mountain. Mercer’s journey up the mountain is met with hardship as unidentified bystanders would toss rocks at him as he attempts to ascend to his destination. Mercer would repeatedly fall to the bottom of the mountain but resume to the repeat process of reaching the top. Characters in the book also experience acts of enlightenment with Mercer where they are taught or told something by him that builds their character in the real world. Towards the end of the story, character Rick Deckard seems to have reached a point of enlightenment when he was able to experience the fusion with mercer in the real world without the use of the empathy box. It was then when Rick realized that Mercerism wasn’t just a false religion meant to mind trick people into becoming subordinates. The interesting thing about the empathy box is that not only are you watching this tragedy of Mercer unfold in front...
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...The Robot is More Human than You: Defining Humanity in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? As humans, we seem to be inordinately proud of our humanity. We tout that we are the smartest animals (ignoring the fact that we are still animals). We go around boasting that nothing else has the same level of intelligence as we do, that nothing is quite as human as we are. And, as far as we know, we aren’t lying to ourselves. Yet. But what about in the future, when we create something that does contest our humanness? Philip K. Dick explores this idea in his novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The novel’s presentation of Mercerism, a fictional religion, and its unrealistically physical version of empathy suggests that using empathy to define...
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...A Man's Best Friend A man's best friend is one that is always there for him through tough obstacles and hardships in life. George Orwell once stated, "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." The relationship humans tend to have within the animal kingdom is not as civilized as it should be. When looking at it from a moral and religious perspective, humans should treat all animals equally. Statistics have shown that in developed countries such as the United States, animals such as dogs are treated far better than other animals. The question then arises, why do dogs get treated more diligently while other animals with the same mental capacity get slaughtered and consumed? By looking at "Let Them Eat Dog" by Jonathon Foer, the perception of why one should not think of dogs as superior animals and why the idea of consuming a dog should not be looked down upon in society will be thoroughly analyzed and examined. People in the United States think it’s morally wrong to eat dogs since it is a household pet. The same people who don’t eat dogs, eat other animals such as pigs, chickens, and cows, which is questionable because they still devour animals that are necessary to the environment and society today. In "Let Them Eat Dog" by Jonathon Foer, the author gives logical reasons on why we should eat dog, and why it is not harmful to the society in any manner. It's legal in 44 states to eat dog, and dog meat poses no greater health risk than any other meat....
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...Mrs. Maggie Klugman who has immigrated to Mars is telling the people on Earth about how much easier her life as become. “It’s a hard thing to explain. Having a servant you can depend on in these troubled times” (Dick 18). These ‘servants’ are the androids handed to the humans as incentives to move. These androids have already been deemed to be less than human upon their creation. It is the androids that have escaped from their enslavement on Mars that are attempting to live out their lives on Earth among the humans. The androids that have run away to Earth would rather live on the destroyed planet and risk being killed rather than serve the humans on Mars. The main character and one of the narrators in the novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Rick Deckard is 100% human. He makes a living, retiring/killing androids after administering the Voigt-Kampff test. He asks the test subject a variety of questions that should evoke an emotional response; he then uses their responses to deem if the test subject is human or android. He tests other characters’ ability to experience empathy. Which does not make sense, because all humans can react differently to stimulus. A.M Turning addresses the different reactions of humans in his article ‘Computing Machinery and Intelligence’. What Turning notes it that: “It is not possible to produce a set of rules purporting to describe what a man should do in every conceivable set of circumstances” (16). There is no set way humans should react to...
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...THE STORY ABOUT DOLLY SHEEP. In 1995 and 1996, researchers at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland, cloned mammals for the first time. Keith Campbell, Jim McWhir, William Ritchie, and Ian Wilmut cloned two sheep, Megan and Morag, using sheep embryo cells. The experiments indicated how to reprogram nuclei from differentiated cells to produce live offspring, and that a single population of differentiated cells could produce multiple offspring. They reported their results in the article "Sheep Cloned by Nuclear Transfer from a Cultured Cell Line" in March 1996. This experiment led the Roslin team to later clone mammals from adult body cells and to genetically engineer mammals. Several clones had been produced in the laboratory before Dolly, including frogs, mice, and cows, which had all been been cloned from the DNA from embryos. Dolly was remarkable in being the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell. This was major scientific achievement as it demonstrated that the DNA from adult cells, despite having specialized particular type of cell, can be used to create an entire organism. How dolly was cloned, animal cloning from an adult cell is much more difficult than from an embryonic cell. So when scientists working at the roslin...
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...boiled amongst the general public. He states that first and foremost, “a robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm” (Asimov 37). The second law states, “a robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders conflict with the First Law” (Asimov 37). And the third law is that “a robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws” (Asimov 37). Asimov put these laws into place and shared how robots could do good for mankind rather than destroy it by putting this laws into place into a series of stories compiled in one book titled I, Robot. Karel Čapek’s R.U.R. and Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep confirm the existence of the “Frankenstein complex” that is introduced in I,...
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...Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? presents a world where Earth has been completely ravaged by war, destroying both the natural environment and the vast quantity of animals that once populated the world. This drastic change to the natural world creates a situation where animals mean a great deal more than they do in our own world, and play a more central role in the lives and minds of everyone. As is the case when most things become scarcer, animals have become far more precious, valuable, and important in this new world. There are certainly a large number of animal lovers today, in the present day, and even some who refuse to kill animals such as ants or spiders, but nothing compared to the society in the novel. Animals are seemingly sacred, and to kill an animal, even a tiny bug, is almost unthinkable. Animals have become a status symbol, and to not own an animal is just not an option. People have to resort to fake electric animals to fit in and not stand out. The relationship between animals and humans has become something more than simply a companionship. As is shown in many of the questions on the Voigt-Kampff test, the main attribute of being human is empathy. This manifests itself in humans first as empathy towards other humans and, not far behind, as empathy towards animals. Not having an animal or not treating all animals with the utmost respect is akin to being an android - close to human but missing that crucial final component. Humans need their humanity, and...
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...company of fellow shepherds. There was nothing special about one who tended and kept sheep. But God saw something special in these lowly men. Looking into the lives of many great men and women in the Bible used significantly by God, you shall find that at least at one time they were shepherds—Rachel, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and David. The first man whose sacrifice is recorded to have pleased God was a shepherd: Abel. Unlike Cain, Abel gave God a sacrifice of his first. As we have already seen, the sacrifice of the first of one’s fruits signified total dedication of all the fruits to God, from whom all good things come. Abel honored God. In response to God’s question after he had killed his brother, “Where is your brother Abel?” Cain mocked his brother’s profession by answering, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”, as if to say, “Am I my brother’s shepherd?” Shepherds were looked down upon. This could also have been another reason Cain’s jealousy burned against his brother. A mere herdsman, a shepherd, was looked on with favor by God, instead of him. 147 Brenda Siara Jesse, David’s father, when asked by Samuel the prophet to present to him the sons in his household, brought all except for David. When Samuel found not, amongst those presented, the king whom God had chosen, he asked Jesse if he had presented all his sons. Jesse then spoke of David, who was out tending the sheep. If Samuel had just come abruptly to Jesse’s house and asked them to follow him immediately...
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...Brendan Wu This World and the Next Kevin Goldstein November 29, 2014 A Thoreau Examination of Materialism In Walden, Thoreau admonishes society for succumbing to material desires and forsaking greater, more worthy pursuits like knowledge and self-reliance; similarly, in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Dick creates a world where dependence on material possessions causes society to sacrifice its humanity and ultimately creates irreversible ruin. Yet both authors acknowledge that material items are important, with Thoreau depending on things like his house and his field for survival, and Dick introducing pet animals and empathy boxes as possessions that heighten human experience rather than suppress it. Thoreau and Dick argue that material possessions themselves have the potential to make powerful and positive impacts. It is the unchecked desire for material possessions that leads to societal decline and unhappiness. Throughout Walden, Thoreau is largely critical of materialism, venturing into the solitude of Walden Pond for two years partly to escape society’s preoccupation with material possessions. In the beginning of “Economy,” he observes young townsmen strapped with large inheritances and comments that having a massive farm, which is typically perceived as a sign of prosperity, only creates obligations and forces its inhabitants to spend their entire lives toiling, whereas owning a meager plot of land both allows for self-sufficiency and provides time to explore...
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...The Navajo Indians ANT 101 Professor May 7, 2012 The Navajo Indians The Navajo Indians, or Diné, which means “The People”, are semi-nomadic pastoralists even in today’s time. Hundreds of years ago, they were hunters, farmers and culturists. After conflicts with the Spaniards they would eventually find their profession in pastoralism. In time this would turn out to be the best circumstance that could have happened to them. This is not a lifestyle the people fell into; this is how the people choose to live. Before the Spanish came into the new world, the people were fierce warriors and hunters. They would also cultivate crops and forage when needed. Corn is what the Navajo are most known for growing, however they have also been known to grow vegetables such as squash. The hunters would bring in game such as deer, mountain goats or smaller game like rabbits. There is not much in the way of historical data up about the Navajo up until Christopher Columbus came into America. Unbeknownst to the Native Americans, this was the beginning of their new way of life. They would eventually find life in pastoralism instead of their former ways of living. It wasn’t up until the early Spanish period, when the Navajo would start the new chapter of their lives. They were making numerous trips to the New Mexican Indian and white settlements to steal livestock. History also shows that Diné would enter the explorer’s settlements and steal their food and even woman. This would eventually...
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...Premium Lamb Cooperative Sheep production is mostly found in southern Pennsylvania. The number of sheep and lambs has fluctuated over the years, as well as the main sources of revenue for producers. In the past, sheep were sought for their wool and meat, but the current wool market is weak because it is not used very often. Producers’ main source of revenue now comes from lamb; however, there is still a lack of a market. Pennsylvania has no large lamb slaughter facilities and the only nearest one is located in Michigan, which means producers have to either go to a smaller plant for custom slaughter or spend a large amount of money to transport the lamb to a larger plant. In New Holland, PA there is an auction market for live lambs, but the biggest competitors for lamb are producers in Australia and New Zealand. These producers sell frozen lamb in the United States market at competitive prices. Lamb was never usually a big part of the American diet, but since the country has become so diverse the lamb market has grown because its main consumers are among ethnic populations. Other lamb producers and I are contemplating forming a cooperative to market lambs. We are looking at three different options. We could consider combining our lambs and selling them live through the New Holland auction or a processing plant. Another idea is to buy or rent a slaughter facility to butcher our own lambs and use the co-op to market the meat to ethnic markets. Our last option is to create...
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...I. What is a worldview? "A worldview is a theory of the world, used for living in the world. A world view is a mental model of reality, a framework of ideas & attitudes about the world." II. 1. The Question of Origin: "How did life begin?" and "How did mankind come to exist?" (Genesis 1:1) Life began when God created the heavens and he earth. (Psalm 139:13-16) In this David declares God is his Creator. 2. The Question of Identity: "Are humans more important than animals?" "What does it mean to be a human?" (Psalm 8:5) All mankind was created above animals. (Genesis2:15) We were all made in His image . 3.The Question of Meaning/Purpose: "Why does mankind exist?" Why do I exist?" (Deuteronomy 11:13) We are here to love and serve our Lord and serve him with all we have. (Leviticus 19:18) I am here to love and serve, to love everyone as I would love myself and my Lord. 4. The Question of Morality: "What is meant by wrong or right?" "How should I live?" (Genesis 3) Adam acted against God wishes and ate the forbidden fruit. (Ephesians 2:8-10) We achieve grace through faith and love. 5. The Question of Destiny: "Is there life after death?" "What happens to me when I die?" (John 3:16-17) Believing and having faith will give you eternal life. III. 1. How should a biblical worldview influence the way I think about, treat, and speak to others on a daily basis? I was always taught to treat others as I wanted to be treated. Not having a very religious back ground I try to speak to others with...
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...Raymond Deckard was born on the eve of October 21st, 2521 to a mother, Elizabeth Deckard; An R&D employee of the UNSC, and Henry Deckard; A hardass colonel in the UNSC Army. He was raised on Spyria III, on the colony of Colossus I. His father, being stationed as one of the commanding officers of the local base, wasn't around too much. His family was fairly wealthy, mostly due to the R&D job, so Ray led a care-free life. He was taught self-reliance by both parents, never being given an allowance for example and instead having to earn his own money through chores or jobs. His father trained him regularly from childhood in various forms of combat such as Martial arts and Marksmanship. This honed Ray's skills to such a degree that he was encouraged to sign up by his entire family during his growing up period of life. Ray's grades were above average, a 3.5 steady throughout most of his school career. He had taken a particular liking to hands on classes like workshop classes. His parents eventually pressured him to become more athletic, to utilize his honed physique from years of practicing martial arts. So he not only did well in school, but also had quite an athletic career. The story starts off as him being a freshman in highschool. Before, he was a slacker, but after some serious constant lectures from his parents and encouragement from his brother, he turned it into a "Win it." attitude. He was a victim of many pranks since he was a freshman, such as the time he was dumped in...
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...clothes, locked into sealing dry bags; the endeavor had began, we were looking after ourselves. It was a time without time, no rush or avail, all bound GUARDED only by light. The sun rising, a new day, the sun setting, the day over. There was no argument, no objection with nature; street lights and entertainment scarce, night was night. All presence of speed had evailed us, our busy lives left behind. Now it was just us, us and the vast expanse of the Welsh countryside. Further and further into the valleys we travelled, we were engulfed. Engulfed into the minimalist land, the sighting of a person emulating ones reaction to an extinct species, the excitement of having reached a landmark, a sign we were on the path. A person to a thousand sheep could be said. They blanketed the hills, a warm snuggly layer of wool, cushioning the rocks. Their inharmonious bleat, taking one by surprise. And then, as if by magic there were more, little lambs, tiny lambs; little white clouds mounted upon gangly legs. Over and under they darted through fields, never straying afar from their adoring mothers, their guiders, their leaders, and their role model. They were their...
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...genetic copy of an organism is made. The first successful cloning was of Dolly the sheep. Though this was a huge stride for the scientific community, there has been many public riots against this action. Over the years scientists have researched and there has been several successful cloned animals; however, there have been many unsuccessful clonings. Throughout its history, cloning has overcome many obstacles. Scientists have discovered three types of cloning, anyhow, it is still not well received in society today. The founders of modern genetics, took the first steps in re-evaluating the previous theories used for cloning. August Weismann, Professor of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy at the University of Freiburg, proposed that cells can be manipulated by similar genetic organisms (Beale 2). Soon after Weismann’s theory was given public attention, two other scientists tried experimenting with his theory on manipulating similar organisms. During this time of trial and error, most of the animals used were small, such as: frogs, bird eggs, mice, and...
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