Although the “ocean” in Stanislaw Lem’s Solaris, may seem like just another alien concept, it is representative of much more. The ocean's complex functions have very striking similarities to the processes of natural selection. Natural selection operates with total apathy towards its creations, displaces humans in the “hierarchy of organisms”, and challenges what it means to be human. Similarly, the ocean is unfazed by the horrific experiences of its creations, surpasses humans in complexity, and blurs the definition of personhood. The ocean is a symbolic representation of natural selection; a creative entity with indifference to its creations that challenges a very common teleological world view and complicates the meaning of "humanity" in
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Lighter skin may be selected for in an environment where sunlight is obstructed, but when this causes an individual to develop skin cancer in the future, natural selection will not step in to save that individual. Similarly, the ocean creates Harey for whatever reason, but when she becomes so miserable that she no longer wants to live, the ocean does nothing. Although this detachment is disquieting, neither of the creative forces are really to blame, because they are blind to the moral implications of their actions, as posited by Sartorius; “The ocean is entirely devoid of such a concept… it lies beyond the boundaries of its comprehension” (Lem, “Deliberations”). The ocean is not intentionally causing harm, but it also has no concept of why it should …show more content…
It is hard to reconcile natural selection’s apathy toward suffering with a god that is exclusively good. It is also hard to resolve the conflict between an involved god and the many elements of chance present in the process of natural selection. Even in a world without religion, Kelvin, a scientist, tries to rectify the ocean’s divergence from this religious ideal by molding the ocean into a new a type of god: one that is limited and flawed (Lem, “The Old
Lighter skin may be selected for in an environment where sunlight is obstructed, but when this causes an individual to develop skin cancer in the future, natural selection will not step in to save that individual. Similarly, the ocean creates Harey for whatever reason, but when she becomes so miserable that she no longer wants to live, the ocean does nothing. Although this detachment is disquieting, neither of the creative forces are really to blame, because they are blind to the moral implications of their actions, as posited by Sartorius; “The ocean is entirely devoid of such a concept… it lies beyond the boundaries of its comprehension” (Lem, “Deliberations”). The ocean is not intentionally causing harm, but it also has no concept of why it should …show more content…
It is hard to reconcile natural selection’s apathy toward suffering with a god that is exclusively good. It is also hard to resolve the conflict between an involved god and the many elements of chance present in the process of natural selection. Even in a world without religion, Kelvin, a scientist, tries to rectify the ocean’s divergence from this religious ideal by molding the ocean into a new a type of god: one that is limited and flawed (Lem, “The Old