Similarities Between Nathan And Frankenstein

Adam Hoke

Professor Harris

PHI_1105

07 April 2023

Ascending Humanity

The stories of Ex Machina and Frankenstein show a common theme within Nathan, and Dr Frankenstein of immorality when attempting to ascend humanity. This theme is exemplified within both Nathan, and Dr.Frankenstein as creators of artificial life, as well as caretakers. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Dr.Frankenstein creates artificial life and when his creation was outcasted, he wanted revenge on his creator which led to the death of five different people. Dr.Frankenstein is the perfect example of a man trying to become a God as he himself says “...Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world.

This is also supported by his actions, begining with his complete disregard for morality when creating this monster. He stole and collected human body parts, which according to Sandel in reference to Kant“ Kantian autonomy is more demanding than consent. When I will the moral law, I don’t simply choose according to my contingent desires or allegiances.” (Sandel 113) Kantian autonomy isn’t about consent only, but the right to determine everything that happens to your body. This would apply to autonomy even in death. Using other people's body parts could also be disrespectful for religious reasons. However, arguing from a utilitarian point of view it can be argued that his success in creating life could have benefited the majority of people in the long run. For example, what if doctors could use his research and help people reattach full limbs, or create more security in nerve grafting. Dr Frankenstein may be trying to advance humanity because many people around that time, such as Elizabeth’s Mother, were getting sick and dying of scarlet fever. In the end the only thing separating Dr.Frankenstein from ascending humanity is that he could not control his creation, and

Nathan creates true artificial intelligence he names Ava, a cross between Adam and Eve, projecting to the audience his god complex early on. Ava is a result of society seeing as Nathan, who owns the world’s largest search engine, basically spied on everyone, and compiled that data to create her. Nathan also has a maid throughout the film who we learn to also be a product of AI, and after underestimating Caleb because of his own arrogance, the maid assists Ava in Nathan’s demise. From a utilitarian point of view, there is definitely a positive way to look at his actions. In order to advance science errors will be made, if true AI were to be mastered, the pros could outweigh the cons of a few dead people, which is similar to the trolly problem. Similarly to the monster in Frankenstein, Ava is not really at fault for her actions. If she is not real AI then she is simply a processing system that made the best decision based on an algorithm that Nathan installed. Although if she is determined to have true artificial life, her actions are still justifiable as according to Kant Ava isn’t given the right to autonomy, and is essentially a slave. She should have the right to pursue happiness as according to Sandel “For Kant and Rawls, theories of justice that rest on a certain conception of the good life, whether religious or secular, are at odds with freedom.