Frankenstein on Morality and Science

              Experiments are important measures taken by our society to increase humans’ thinking capacity and to create tools, such as robots and machines, to make our lives efficient and effective. However, there are experiments which will demand more than just ordinary materials. These processes are so complex that they will now require to explore the concept we called life. Whether it is through the use of a part of a living organism or through common things meant to create a new life form, such experiment, without doubt, plays and destroys our idea of life – a sacred gift that should be diligently maintained.  This reminds us once again the limits of science. Is it acceptable to play with life for the sake of knowledge?

                Clearly, we cannot just do anything we conceive, because, one way or another, we will face unknown consequences which could hurt us, literally. For instance, a man who wants to light up a fire for the sole purpose of wanting to see its color could, if not performed and studied well, put a house on fire. And in extreme cases, he could even kill hundreds of people. Another example is Frankenstein, a man-made monster, who brought chaos to the human community. Although it is only a fictional character, it shows the tendency of humans in performing forbidden actions, such as the creation of super viruses that could be used to annihilate enemy of a state or being a god-like by trying to produce an organism like humans. From the movie Frankenstein, we are at least warned to reflect on the role of morality and science. Even if science can be used to help our cost, such as stem cells and in vitro fertilization, we should always question if it is morally correct to perform such method, and more importantly, will such action be subjected to consequences we cannot afford.

                Lastly, although science is used to understand the things around us and the world beyond us, we can generally live without too much of it, that is, we are contented with what we have and we use it only to generate solutions to our problems and not to make unorthodox inventions created just for fame, money, and power. This idea of living with enough scientific products can be seen in the depiction of Frankenstein being dumb. Personally, I believe it was done to show how Frankenstein wanted to gain knowledge, specifically the ability to speak, to be part of the society. Although he cannot speak, he knew that people did not like his existence. After some time, he learned how to speak and was able to interact with people. His newly found ability; however, turned him into a terrifying monster. That is, he destroyed a facility for his own desires. This increased in knowledge can either be good or bad. Like humans, the more we study the structures of the earth, the more we gain power to manipulate it. And, if not guided properly, such knowledge will be a threat to humanity.

 

Al Francis Masallo
2013-10197
E-one