Analysis: The Bicentennial Man

The future is near. In the movie, The Bicentennial Man, the Martin family purchases a robot who can help them with basic household chores. Overtime, their robot Andrew obtains the ability of expressing emotions and generating thoughts. Although Andrew is a programmed robot, he is a person because he exceeds the capability to possess all of the human characteristics. Each philosopher gathers differing views on the theory of personhood. The legal concept of a person initially tries to follow the moral concept of a person. In philosophy, “the genetic definition of personhood precludes the possibility of a person remaining the same person after death. If who you are is made up of a genetic code, then that genetic code dies when the person dies” (Moon Lecture 8). Many of these philosophers believe that each person attains an immortal soul which presumes the possibility of an afterlife. Andrew has proven himself adequate of generating his own thoughts and ideas. Andrew mentions, “I try to make sense of things. Which is why, I

Anderson says in his online lecture, “any entity that has the moral right of self-determination has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (Locke and Loftus Online). At one point Andrew decides that he should be alleged to all human rights. He has a case which takes time for President Marjorie Bota to decide whether or not he shall be considered a human. Andrew says to President Bota, “In a sense I have. I am growing old, my body is deteriorating, and like all of you, will eventually cease to function. As a robot, I could have lived forever. But I tell you all today, I would rather die a man, than live for all eternity a machine” (Bicentennial Man). Andrew would rather die a man than live an immortal life, which justifies that he understands the difference between man and machine. He is determined to be acknowledge as a person rather than a machine and the determination he displays confirm him a