Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is a science fiction novel written by Philip K. Dick. The obvious question in the title was among the most distinctive traits that first piqued my interest, prompting me to explore the title's metaphoric meaning. As I read, I wondered: Are androids sentient beings? Do dreams result from programming or self-consciousness? Why would people's excitement and anxiety over the development of dreaming androids coexist? What are electric sheep and why are they in the title? Eventually, the inquiries merged to form the essential question around which the novel is structured: "What makes us human?"
 
The novel is set in a catastrophic environment after a world war and is characterized by the radioactive dust that deranges the surviving humans, both mentally and genetically. A significant portion of the population emigrates to colony planets, indicating the presence of advanced scientific accomplishments. As the products of technological advancement, androids become indistinguishable from humans, emphasizing the necessity for bounty hunters to retire them. Unfolded from the perspective of Rick Deckard, a real-life bounty hunter, the novel arguably reveals the inferiority of androids on Earth. Specifically, Deckard tracks a group of androids, including Pris Stratton, Luba Luft, and the Batys, that arrived on planet Earth together. The hunt represents the origin of fear and tension, as shown in the scene in which "the door, to a limited extent, opened; Pris, no lights on in the room behind her, peered out into the dim hall". Her caution is because "some of [her android friends] - maybe all of them - are dead".
 
In essence, androids are electronic components controlled by lines of code, suggesting that they should be obedient to the humans who invented them. However, the androids' ability to dream is excluded from the programming, implying that dreaming androids possess the ambition to resist unequal social status and escape the status quo. Hence, the author implies that dreams evolve from aspirations. Furthermore, the author highlights the scenario in which an electric sheep conjures a dream. The postwar environment turned the possession of animals, especially real animals, into luxurious commodities. As an analogy, Rick longs to own a real sheep so that he can demonstrate his money and power. Similarly, despite androids' lack of the money to buy a real sheep, their desire for an electric sheep illustrates a similar intention to Rick's ---- to move up the social ladder.
 
The reluctance to be identified as a byproduct of human development indicates androids' pursuit of independence and superiority. Therefore, when they are considered as a potentially separate species, people begin evaluating their ability to surpass humans. The comparison ultimately reveals that any rigid definition of humans is feeble.
 
In the story, bounty hunters distinguish androids from innocent civilians using the Voigt-Kampff Empathy test, which measures an individual's responses toward a series of emotional stories. The degree of indifference that a participant displays is proportional to the possibility of them bordering on an android. Meanwhile, humans' pride in their capacity for empathy stems from their belief in Mercerism, a religion. Every Mercerist has an empathy box that, once touched, enables them to feel the thoughts and pain of a religious leader named Mercer. Nevertheless, from my perspective, the novel's subtle use of sarcasm is vital in provoking the readers' exploration of whether a distinct line can be drawn between humans and androids if the ability to be empathetic is the sole criterion.
 
The story starts with a conversation between Rick and Iran about scheduling their feelings with the mood organ's assistance. According to Iran's narration, "When I had the TV sound off, I was in a 382 mood; I had just dialed it. So although I heard the emptiness intellectually, I didn't feel it." This prompted the reader to contemplate whether empathy can be artificially generated. If so, this would imply that human emotions can be replicated and experienced by various individuals, including androids. Additionally, the mood organ symbolizes society's pursuit of conformity, implying that humans are encouraged to align their moods with the schedule established by the mass media. Once humans lose flexibility and control over their thoughts and feelings, the border between robots and them blurs.
 
As opposed to people's growing reliance on technology, androids are capable of generating diverse emotions independently. For instance, when one of their companions dies, they experience profound sorrow and make desperate efforts to avert further losses among their companions.
 
In the end, Mercerism is revealed to be a fraud. Mercer performs and presents speeches on a stage built by Hollywood special effects artists. However, if empathy is an inseparable component of human nature, it should not be derived from such absurdity. On the other hand, despite holding no belief in Mercerism, androids display empathy in their daily encounters. For example, Irmgard Baty forbids Pris from calling someone "chickenhead", asking Pris to "think what he could call [her]".
 
The demonstration of androids' empathy with others makes the Voigt-Kampff Empathy test questionable. Humans are proud of how they empathize with others. Nonetheless, in the book, the portrayal of their so-called "empathy" is mainly derogatory. For instance, while Iran devotes herself to catering to Rick, tolerating the hazards of his job, Rick engages in a sexual relationship with Rachael, an android. Apart from betraying Iran on a physical level, Rick justifies his choice as a manifestation of his sympathy for androids. Intentionally, he overlooks his essential motivation, driven by his obsession with female androids' bodies and the excitement he gains from this unique experience. As a result, if even humans themselves are uncertain about the role that empathy plays in society, why are they qualified to build the only test for the recognition of androids on this concept?
 
The novel does not deny humans' ability to be empathetic. Instead, it states that being a human does not mean you automatically own empathy. Therefore, murdering by exploiting the concept of empathy and the rigid definition of humans sets barriers to our accomplishment of social justice and security. Although Dick does not provide a clear answer to the question "What makes us humans?", he implies the importance of considering a variety of factors before concluding. In reality, as technological development accelerates, the question's importance is highlighted.