In this passage of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, new revelations about Mercerism calls into question parts of society that had previously been taken as fact, including the role of empathy. This causes the main character to question his role in the world, and leaves members of society without a portion of their identity. Mercerism was the ideological embodiment of empathy for society. It was a religion founded on being empathetic towards people and working to support the community. As empathy was one of the few differences between androids and humans, Mercerism had become a division between the two beings. On his show, Buster Friendly announces to the nation that Mercerism is not the religion that they believe it
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After being revealed as a fraud to all of the followers of Mercerism, the reader is left thinking that this has just been one large elaborate hoax. However, Mercer appears to Rick during this passage and ends up saving his life. Rick sees Mercer in the shadows of the apartment building as he is hunting the remaining three androids. Mercer, who is supposed to be an old man living in Indiana, speaks to Rick knowing things that only an omnipotent being could know. He knows things that Isidore said and know the attack strategy of the androids. These are pieces of knowledge that Rick would have no way of knowing, raising the question of whether Mercer was actually more than just a fraud. Rick goes on to say that the only way that Mercer and Mercerism is fake is if reality is fake. That leads to the reverse conclusion as well, that the perception of something constitutes its existence. The story of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? revolves around what it means to be a human. The ending of the books works wonderfully to leave the reader asking that question, searching for the same answers that the characters do. It does a fantastic job of not only showing the role of empathy in this story, but also showing how the idea of empathy can become warped. Philip K. Dick leaves the reading in the same position as Rick: going to sleep with unanswered questions instead rather than long awaited
After being revealed as a fraud to all of the followers of Mercerism, the reader is left thinking that this has just been one large elaborate hoax. However, Mercer appears to Rick during this passage and ends up saving his life. Rick sees Mercer in the shadows of the apartment building as he is hunting the remaining three androids. Mercer, who is supposed to be an old man living in Indiana, speaks to Rick knowing things that only an omnipotent being could know. He knows things that Isidore said and know the attack strategy of the androids. These are pieces of knowledge that Rick would have no way of knowing, raising the question of whether Mercer was actually more than just a fraud. Rick goes on to say that the only way that Mercer and Mercerism is fake is if reality is fake. That leads to the reverse conclusion as well, that the perception of something constitutes its existence. The story of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? revolves around what it means to be a human. The ending of the books works wonderfully to leave the reader asking that question, searching for the same answers that the characters do. It does a fantastic job of not only showing the role of empathy in this story, but also showing how the idea of empathy can become warped. Philip K. Dick leaves the reading in the same position as Rick: going to sleep with unanswered questions instead rather than long awaited