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Analytical Book Report Philip Dick is one of the most famous science fiction writers. Many of his works was adapted for films, plays and operas. All of his works has interesting and exciting plot but the main reason their popularity is deep philosophical basis. This philosophical basis character of each Dicks book. Dicks own contribution back to the science fiction genre was an unrelenting analysis of the question What is Real?
Also central to his literature was the equally important question of What Is Human? From his early short stories to his final masterpieces, he asks these questions over and over again, often coming up with answers as deceptively simple as What makes us human is our ability to feel empathy for other living creatures. (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep) The book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is interesting in its own exclusive way. In this book Philip Dick successfully imposed the idea of totally new religion Mercerism. The novel raises questions about identity, memory, and morality; a question that is not easily dispatched and remains haunting the reader long after the book is finished. But I think that idea of Mercerism remain the central one.
Is it really a new religion? What are its traits? Why did it appear? Lets try to answer to these questions. Religion is a special way of ideology and disposition, one of the spheres of the spirit life. It is always based on the believing in some Supreme Creature.
This Creature must be endowed with some inhuman abilities. In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Wilbur Mercer plays the role of Supreme Creature. He is the God of this new dark future.
Because Wilbur Mercer is always renewed. He's eternal. At the top of the hill he's struck down; he sinks into the tomb world but then he rises inevitably. And us with him. Wilbur Mercer is no human being, that he is in fact an archetypal superior entity perhaps from another star (In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? ) The other feature of the religions the feeling of connection with the God, feeling of dependence, obeisance and respect. And I remember thinking how much better we are, how much better off, when we " re with Mercer.
Despite the pain. Physical pain but spiritually together; I felt everyone else, all over the world, all who had fused at the same time. (In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? ) If ever we will try to identify the reasons of appearance is this new religion the first reason must anthropological (historical). The main functions of religions are: salutary-compensation, communicative integration, ideology regulative. Religion in its own twisted way can explain many questions, regulate social behavior. And it has really great influence on people. Try to imagine future after tremendous war, future with no future, without life and emotions.
People destroyed everything than tried to replace life creatures with robots. And they were not entirely successful. People made mistakes and they need some improvement for their deeds, they need a trivial excuse and the theory of Mercerism was all they needed. You shall kill only the killers, Mercer had told them the year empathy boxes first appeared on Earth. And in Mercerism, as it evolved into a full theology, the concept of The Killers had grown insidiously. In Mercerism, an absolute evil plucked at the threadbare cloak of the tottering, ascending old man, but it was never clear who or what this evil presence was. (In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? ) Lets try to analyze the latent functions of Mercerism.
The functions of religion became rationalized. What was ecstatic and symbolic Weltanschauung became businesslike and bureaucratic. We observe gradual secularization of consciousness and society. Religion became nearly interlaced with policy, economy, business, power and word. It sanction or denounce this or that deed. An escaped humanoid robot, which had killed its master, which had been equipped with an intelligence greater than that of many human beings, which had no regard for animals, which possessed no ability to feel emphatic joy for another life form's success or grief at its defeat - that, for him, epitomized The Killers.
Mercerism, what an excellent way to excuse killings. In Dicks religion I notice features, which are common for many existed religion. The Immortality of god, endless life cycle in which everything became renewed, human worshiping to animals. According to M-mercer, " Isidore pointed out, "a-all life returns.
The cycle is c-c-complete for a-a-animals, too (In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? ) As for me, I was given a task to create a totally new religion, which has nothing in common with the existed religions. Im no Messiah but I can try. Religion must give people hope. Hope for the better times, better life, etc. The aim of new religion can become a creation of new world and new society. Totally new with no androids, artificial animal and mood organs.
People have to learn to live with their own emotions. The role of Supreme Creature can play Nature. It is so easy to worship to the beauty of nature. It will be only for better if people live all joys of future technology. They bring only disasters. See John Isidore he couldnt pass IQ test and was not acknowledge as full-fledged human but from moral point of view he is far better than Rick Deckard.
John Isidore didnt kill, mercerism or no, and he doesnt need mood organ for expressing feelings. He can fell empathy, real empathy for humans and non-humans. So why is he seized from society? Because of some test which is consequence of technology development.
Is it possible for a human being to live in a world according to the new religion? Religion of true feelings and sincere relationship, religion with no place for false idols. New religion is religion without Supreme Creature. Can it exist?
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Research essay sample on Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep Totally New Religion Mercerism
