ipl-logo

What Is The Moral Of Frankenstein

1229 Words5 Pages

Frankenstein is a novel that explores the ethical and moral dilemmas of playing god. Even though this novel was written all the way back in 1816 its themes continue to resonate with the present. Just like in Frankenstein where one's creation can lead to their demise, the real world holds a similar issue with artificial intelligence. A main theme in Frankenstein is that the creation of life is not something that should be taken lightly. In the present day, we find ourselves facing similar problems with AI. It is believed that AI will grow past humanity and learn at unimaginable speeds. The monster does this exactly when he learns much about the world only shortly after his creation. This brings up the question: what rights should these “creations” …show more content…

That is why the production of AI must be done in ethical and moral ways. Both AI and the monster if left unsupervised could cause great misery. Victor Frankenstein is a prime example of the allure and dangers of unrestrained scientific ambition due to his constant pursuit of knowledge and his goal to produce life. Fame and glory through scientific achievements are what initially motivated him to create the monster. He imagines that his creation will bring him this glory and attainment. Victor, however, is oblivious to the potential consequences and moral implications of his actions because of his narrow focus on his creation. Victor's arrogance and his misguided understanding of the outcome of his experiment are summed up in the quote, "A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many …show more content…

The book acts as a warning, showing us that the process of the creation of life is serious business. This lesson is especially important now that artificial intelligence (AI) systems are being developed because they provide similar problems and questions. The potential for development and learning in AI systems poses concerns if not treated with ethical considerations, just as Victor Frankenstein's unbridled ambition had disastrous results. The analogies between the AI and the monster underline the necessity for discussion on issues like rights, treatment, and the responsible evolution of intelligent beings. The creature's request for recognition and protection of its private rights also reflects worries about privacy invasion in the context of AI. We may negotiate these difficult issues while preserving human values and respecting individual dignity by infusing ethical and moral frameworks into AI development. Frankenstein ultimately serves as an age-old reminder that trying to play god demands serious thought and proper

Show More
Related
733 Words | 3 Pages

In 2014 Salvas foundation Water for South Sudan has drilled more than 200 wells for the tribes. The book's name is A Long Walk to Water. The author of the book is Linda Sue Park. The war in sudan started in 1983 and ended in 2005. The war killed at least 2 million people and left many people homeless without any place to go or anyone to go to for help.

Read More
470 Words | 2 Pages

In the Gothic Novel, Frankenstein, by Mary W. Shelley, the moral conscience of the two main characters, Victor Frankenstein and the Creature is a prominent theme throughout the novel. The novel explores the consequences of reckless ambition and the responsibilities that come with creating life. Victor's ambition and the subsequent abandonment of his creation lead to devastating outcomes, while the Creature's yearning for acceptance and love exposes the dark side of human nature. Through the contrasting experiences of Victor and the Creature, Mary Shelley highlights the importance of moral conscience and the consequences of failing to exercise it. Both Victor and the Creature exhibit moral conscience by acknowledging the ungodly actions they do throughout the novel.

Read More
457 Words | 2 Pages

Victor Frankenstein's obsession with creating life is fueled by his desire to unlock the secrets of the universe, but he fails to consider the consequences of his actions. He becomes so consumed by his research that he loses sight of the humanity that should guide scientific inquiry. As a result, his creation becomes a monster that threatens the very fabric of society. Furthermore, the novel also highlights the dangers of the pursuit of knowledge without regard for the consequences.

Read More
1244 Words | 5 Pages

While Victor is at college he makes the decision that the best and only way for him to gain glory is to be the first man to create life. After Victor “had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body” (45) in order to gain glory and fame he claims that “[he] imagined that the monster seized [him]; [he] struggled furiously, and fell down in a fit” (48). Victor remains mentally ill for a long period of time while his creation dangerously goes out into the world with minimal knowledge to fulfill his own needs. Victor believes that he falls ill because of his fear of the creature making it out to be a monstrosity when it is actually his own ambition that scares him the most. Virginia Brackett comments on the way Victor continues to shift blame and makes the creature out to be a monster because he begins to regret the decisions that his ambition lead him to

Read More
819 Words | 4 Pages

Humans are very complex beings; their motives and reasons for being are always different and sometimes difficult to understand. In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, she depicts the monster created as a very curious and caring creature that soon discovers his inevitably lonely fate which, upon realization, turns him into a vengeful savage. Mary Shelley illuminates the idea that no one is entirely pure nor evil, but a complex mixture of both. In the beginning of the novel, Frankenstein creates his monster and abandoned it out of fear and disgust.

Read More
1476 Words | 6 Pages

Moral Dilemmas Caused by Artificial Intelligence “Morality is primarily concerned with questions of right and wrong, the ability to distinguish between the two, and the justification of the distinction.” Scott B. Rae once said that morality is focused on the differentiation of right and wrong in a certain scenario. This concept can be applied to many situations in life. Specifically, this ideology can be applied to the novel, “A Separate Peace”, by John Knowles.

Read More
1112 Words | 5 Pages

Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein examines the moral dilemmas brought on by scientific advancement. Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist in the story, uses science in unnatural ways to create a creature. Shelley poses questions about the ethics of science and the potential effects of unchecked scientific ambition through the lens of Victor's experiences. Through the use of imagery, characterization and foreshadowing, Shelley is able to convey the potential consequences of neglecting ethical consideration.

Read More
404 Words | 2 Pages

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein’s creation is at the heart of the plot being the cause of every event and proves to be the most morally ambiguous character in the novel. The creature’s moral ambiguity, especially in regards to social interaction, works towards revealing the meaning of the work as a whole that without proper guidance, we are prone to imperfection. The creature’s behavior throughout the novel is erratic and unpredictable. With absolutely no instruction or education from his creator, he runs into the wild blind to what he may encounter and how to go about those things. Therefore, his morals are purely instinctual and misguided.

Read More
511 Words | 3 Pages

The Complex relationship between Victor Frankenstein and his creation Recently within the last decade technology has progressed very fast and very far. Within that time period many new ideas have arisen regarding the idea of AI, and whether or not the ethical risks outweigh the benefits. Similarly in Mary Shelley’s novel, “Frankenstein,” she tells the story of a scientist named Victor Frankenstein, who creates a conscious being from the remains of corpses. However the creation is not what Frankenstein expects, and their complex relationship is filled with conflicting emotions, power dynamics and very powerful revenge fueled by rage.

Read More
1049 Words | 5 Pages

Victor Frankenstein, is at fault for the creature’s actions. Victor was looking for some honor and triumph, but when he accomplished his experiment, not only did it bring terror to Victor, but to the whole world. The monster never learned right from wrong and was never raised correctly, his first moment of life, all he experienced was the fear in Victor's emotion, and was abandoned right from the start. Victor selfishly isolated himself from society and ran away from his responsibilities which caused destruction to the people Victor cared for and loved deeply. The creature was known as a monster and was doomed due to his appearance.

Read More
524 Words | 3 Pages

His experience with death persuaded him to continue on with mindset of creating the creature was best for the benefit of mankind. Without the tragic death of Victor’s mother, he would have not had continued in his endeavor to create the

Read More
987 Words | 4 Pages

The moment Victor Frankenstein successfully infuses life into his creation he is overcome with horror and disgust. Without further examination he is certain to have created a monster, not a human being (Shelley 35-36). However, despite his grotesque appearance, Frankenstein’s creature was not born malicious. During the first stages of his existence, unbeknownst to Frankenstein himself, his acts are motivated by innocence and virtue, which even earns him the title “good spirit” (79). Frankenstein did not create a monster.

Read More
790 Words | 4 Pages

In this, Victor brought up things that no mortal should know about, such as: cloning, stem cell research, and IVFs. Examples of these were shown when the author states, “It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn… my inquiries were directed to the metaphysical… the physical secrets of the world” (43). Victor is knowingly tampering with knowledge that is essentially too great for man. He is also essentially trying to be like God, which is the original sin, and as a result, he is put in eternal despair.

Read More
1298 Words | 6 Pages

Throughout the years, Artificial Intelligence has become increasingly advanced. As it slowly weaves itself into our everyday lives, we have been forced to accept this idea of AI becoming a thing of the present rather than future. However, the more it grows as a whole, the more the risks and mixed views begin to mimic that growth as well. Many in favor of AI believe that it will not become a danger to humanity due to the idea of being able to cut it off from the outside world and, figuratively, trapping it in a box. Although this may or may not be true, many skeptics, including myself believe that AI will most likely become a threat to humanity.

Read More
1773 Words | 8 Pages

Rise of Artificial Intelligence and Ethics: Literature Review The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, authored by Nick Bostrom and Eliezer Yudkowsky, as a draft for the Cambridge Handbook of Artificial Intelligence, introduces five (5) topics of discussion in the realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ethics, including, short term AI ethical issues, AI safety challenges, moral status of AI, how to conduct ethical assessment of AI, and super-intelligent Artificial Intelligence issues or, what happens when AI becomes much more intelligent than humans, but without ethical constraints? This topic of ethics and morality within AI is of particular interest for me as I will be working with machine learning, mathematical modeling, and computer simulations for my upcoming summer internship at the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) in Norco, California. After I complete my Master Degree in 2020 at Northeastern University, I will become a full time research engineer working at this navy laboratory. At the suggestion of my NSWC mentor, I have opted to concentrate my master’s degree in Computer Vision, Machine Learning, and Algorithm Development, technologies which are all strongly associated with AI. Nick Bostrom, one of the authors on this article, is Professor in the Faculty of Philosophy at Oxford University and the Director at the Future of Humanity Institute within the Oxford Martin School.

Read More

More about What Is The Moral Of Frankenstein

Related Topics

Open Document