Do Androids Dream Of Electric Ship Essay

In his novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Ship?” an American writer Philip K. Dick takes aim at what it is to be human and how to recognize one among androids. Dick introduces the Voigt-Kampff machine to serve as an interrogation tool to distinguish humans from androids. By examining the depictions of various characters – humans and androids, we can see Dick is arguing that Voigt-Kampff Empathy Test is implausible and doesn’t make any sense from the humane and ethical perspective. In general, androids are made specifically for people who have departed on Mars. They are created as slaves, as servants, as pets. But during the invention of androids, people haven't considered one important factor -- existence of high intelligence and total absence of compassion and empathy which …show more content…
For instance, Deckard questions Miss Luft about the “entrée consists of boiled dog, stuffed with rice” and sexually related matters that will sicken not only an android but mostly every person. It is clear, whoever created this test for empathy lack of any concept about empathy. Deckard realizes how unfair and treacherous his job. Terminating Luba Luft brought Deckard to sincere progressive thinking, “She was really a superb singer…I don’t get it; how can a talent like that be a liability to our society?” George Teschner and Patric Grace in “Human or Machine, Does it Mind or Matter” correctly comment that “Deckard feels regret having retired Luba Luft. He reflects on the impracticality of the loss saying that, ’The planet could have used her. This is insane.’” In other words, androids are made for exploitation and no matter on Mars or on Earth; empathy is irrelevant to the androids same as to their creators. “The cause of Deckard’s wonder was whether the distinction between android and human signified any real difference” (Teschner 93). The point is that in its largest sense, Voigt-Kampff Empathy testing is