What makes a monster? “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley is a novel about a young scientist named Victor Frankenstein who creates a grotesque but sentient creature in his laboratory through a scientific experiment. The creature, however, is rejected by society and is left to fend for himself, leading to a series of tragic events. The novel is iconic for its warnings against scientific experimentation. However, its themes extend far beyond scientific advancement and delve into complex questions of social ethics. “Frankenstein” is just as much about social ethics as it is about scientific advancements—most notably Victor's battle with unintentional philosophical egoism and his conscious struggles with Kantian first and second formulation. “Frankenstein” can be connected to philosophical egoism, as both explore the concept of self-interest and the pursuit of personal satisfaction. Philosophical egoism is the …show more content…
Furthermore, Kao suggests that social contract theory offers a solution to the potential negative effects of egoism. According to social contract theory, individuals agree to follow certain rules and norms in exchange for protection and benefits provided by society (Cressman et al., 2019). This can be seen in chapter 17 of the novel, as the monster demands that Victor create a female companion who can sympathize with his existence for him; in exchange for the monster's promise to leave society and live in isolation. However, Victor ignores this request as his feelings towards the creation of monsters are tainted forever. This means that Victor is also not following the rules of social contract theory, he is leaving the mistake he created out of balance and isn't doing the one thing that could stop its destructive path. Despite this imbalance, according to Immanuel Kant, Victor might be making the right decision by not creating a female