Movie Review – Blade Runner (Should Replicants Be Recognized as Human?)

This article discusses the movie Blade Runner and argues that cloned humans are no different from humans, and that we should recognize them as human beings if we view their existence as an end rather than a means to an end.

 

Set in 2019, Blade Runner is a movie that gives the impression that genetic engineering has advanced by leaps and bounds, while other scientific fields seem to have remained relatively stagnant. The movie centers on the revolutionary concept of cloned humans and asks deep philosophical questions about humanity and the meaning of existence. In the movie, the cloned humans are called replicants, and they are created for a variety of purposes. They are designed for different purposes, for example, combat replicants, assassin replicants, and so on. At first, the replicants have no problems, but over time, they develop emotions and begin to question their existence. Through this process, they seek to find their identity, sometimes causing chaos in human society. Fearful of the evolution of these replicants, the company that created them, Taleigh, imposes a safeguard that limits their lifespan to four years: they can only live for four years from the time they are created.

 

 

In this situation, the replicants yearn to become human, so they escape and seek out their creator, Taylor Corporation, in hopes of living longer. They want to find a way to extend their lives. The film explores the boundaries between humans and replicants through their escape and pursuit. Along the way, Deckard, a blade runner tasked with eliminating the replicants, pursues them, but he gradually comes to realize what the replicants claim: that they are no different from humans. In this article, I would like to show that replicants are not different from humans.

 

 

First of all, let’s ask the question: what is a replicant? In the movie ‘ Blade Runner’, replicants were created as soldiers, assassins, or as a means of comfort. In another movie, ‘ Island,’ cloned humans are created as insurance to replace real human organs. In this way, the question of whether we can see them as human or not is directly related to the question of whether we can see them as a means to an end. To see humans as a means means that we see them as tools, which leads to the argument that it is okay to create them, which leads to the conclusion that they are not human. However, if you believe that humans are ends, not means, then this is consistent with the argument that it is not permissible to create a clone.
In this way, the question of whether or not we can view a clone as a human being depends on whether or not we view humans as ends rather than means. I believe that humans should be viewed as ends, not means, and I argue that cloned humans can be considered humans. The primary reason for viewing humans as ends is human dignity. So, here we can ask the question: why are humans dignified? The answer to this can be found in the words of the philosopher Kant. Kant argues that humans are free beings, and by free, he means a morality that allows them to create and follow their own internal rules. This morality is the ability to establish universal rules for oneself to follow and to keep them. Establishing rules requires rational thought, and humans are the only beings capable of this rational thought. As such, humans have morality and are more dignified than other animals. Because of this dignity, it is not permissible to create humans as mere means to an end, and even if cloned humans are created, they should be considered human beings.
If cloned humans actually exist, we have to consider another criterion. In the movie ‘ Blade Runner ‘, Terry describes the goal of creating replicants as “more human than human”. At its core, humanity is based on morality and reason. Morality based on reason requires the ability to think rationally, which is a characteristic that only humans possess.
From this perspective, the debate about the humanity of replicants centers on whether they are capable of rational thought. The only difference between them and humans is the process of creation; physically, they are similar to humans. Also, unlike robots, they have the ability to think for themselves. In fact, as they live, they acquire memories and emotions, which allows them to develop rational thought. Therefore, they can formulate moral laws based on reason, which is the basis of their humanity.
As a rebuttal to the argument that they are human, let’s first look at the idea that humans can be means. There have been periods in history when humans have been treated as means. For example, in Korea’s slave system, slaves were not treated as human beings, but as a list of property belonging to their masters. They were not treated as human beings, they could be bought and sold, and if they ran away, they were punished by law. If there was a time when humans were treated as a means to an end, you might ask whether it is possible to view replicants as a means to an end. However, in the modern world, it is legally and morally unacceptable to treat humans as a means to an end. Modern-day slavery, such as human trafficking, is the dehumanizing act of buying and selling people for money, and is strictly prohibited both legally and morally. The exploitation of the labor of contingent or foreign workers is another example of the use of human beings as a means to an end, which is deeply problematic both morally and legally.
It can be argued that if a human being is born as a means to an end, then its existence is not an end. But this is only true from the perspective of the creator. If a means-born human being lives among other human beings, he will rethink his existence and eventually realize the purpose of his existence. Therefore, even if he is born as a means, he can become a being with a purpose of his own. In the extreme case, even if a human being does not realize his purpose, he will still be perceived as a being with his own unique purpose. This becomes clearer when we look at it from the inside, not from the outside. The idea that being born as a means to an end cannot be an end is only an external perspective.
So far, I have summarized my thoughts on the humanity of replicants raised in the movie ‘ Blade Runner. Replicants are created as a means to an end, but the standard of humanity can be different depending on whether you view humans as a means or an end. Furthermore, the debate about whether or not they have morality depends on whether or not they are capable of rational thought. Humans are an end, not a means, and for this reason it is not permissible to create them. However, if they do exist, they should be considered human beings capable of rational morality. In the movie, when Tyler meets Deckard, the Blade Runner, Tyler says that the goal of the replicants is to be “more human than human”. If I could intervene in the movie, I would say to Tyler: “You’ve already made a human.”