I Am Legend Ethics

I Am Legend: A Cautionary Tale of Ethics and Experimentation
There were “six billion people on Earth when the infection hit” (Lawrence). One by one they fell; the virus hailed as a cure for cancer had become the undoing of mankind. The virus “had a ninety-percent kill rate, that's five point four billion people dead” They were the lucky ones, “the other five hundred and eighty-eight million turned into… dark seekers” (Lawrence). The dark seekers have abandoned their humanity under the influence of the virus, reducing them to an animalistic state. They have become vampire-like in nature, by avoiding the sunlight and preying on humans. In a rabid-like state they destroy all they encounter. These are the creatures that Dr. Neville is fighting

to cure: they are the infected (Lawrence).
I Am Legend, released in 2007, is the fourth in a series of movie remakes based on Matthew Richard Matheson’s monumental book, I Am Legend written in 1954; directed by Francis Lawrence (Ebert). The film and the actors in the film have won seven awards, most notably from “ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards” and “Golden Trailer Awards” (IMDb). Will Smith, took on the role of Dr. Robert Neville, the main character in the film. Neville thinks he is the sole survivor of the human race, however, Anna, played by Alice Braga, unexpectedly enters into the film with her son Ethan, played by Charlie Tahan, as Neville’s savior at a point when he is near death. Anna has strong faith in God and struggles with the inhuman practices of Robert’s experiments. Anna forces Neville to question his faith and the decisions he has made at the time when he thought his only link to humanity was saving the infected (IMDb).
In 2009 Dr Krippen introduces a vaccine meant to eradicate cancer. The film shows the debut of the drug through a rerun of the original news story. Dr. Krippen answers questions regarding the fabrication of the cancer vaccine; which is created by genetically altering the measles vaccine. The reporter asks Dr. Krippen how many people participated in the trial, she replies “10,009” (Lawrence). The reporter then asked how many had been cured of cancer; again she replies with “10,009” (Lawrence). The scene moves to what was once a thriving metropolis, reduced to rubbish and weeds. Vehicles are left haphazardly in the streets; their occupants departed. Nature has taken back the spaces previously filled with people; herds of deer roam free along as flocks of birds take flight. A city once filled with life has perished as a result of faith in science. The vaccine hailed as the savior of men, an end to the second largest cause of death in America, ended up bringing about their demise (CDC).
Robert Neville, a “military virologist”, concludes that he is the last man on earth and the only human immune to the virus (Honeycutt).

Alongside his only companion, Sam the dog, he takes on the critical task of using the antibodies in his blood to find a cure. In his basement laboratory, he performs experiments. In his desperation to save humanity, however, he loses sight of his own. In his experimentation on the infected who were once human, he is killing the very element he desperately wants to save. Neville’s fictional story is the basis for I Am Legend, a film that serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of genetic manipulation and the lack of ethics in scientific experimentation. The lack of ethics and mistrust of individuals in the scientific community shows through various scenes throughout the film; Robert demonstrates his lack of ethics as well as his lack of compassion by experimentation involving rats, which leads to his use of infected human subjects, he inadvertently kills the human test subject with little thought or remorse. Finally, Robert see the errors of his ways through the eyes of

Anna.
Beyond Robert’s incessant need to find a cure to bring back humanity little else matters. He is willing to assume all ethical costs to attain it. Three years after the “Krippen Virus” began, Neville finds himself alone in the world (IMDb). He continues to seek a cure for the virus that has ended mankind in hopes that he can cure the “dark seekers” by using his immune blood (Lawrence). Rats are the subject of his experimentation and many have died at his hands. Every variation of his experiments ends with the rats becoming infected except for one. A singular rat survived being injected with the “Krippen Virus” and held the promise of the cure, however, rats no longer sufficed; he needed more complex test subjects (Lawrence). Dr. Neville leapt from rodents to “dark seekers” in order to test his cure (Lawrence). Neville captures the infected and brings them back to his laboratory against their will. Dr. Neville does not view the infected as humans as a result of their irrational behavior and animalistic tendencies, treating them as he does the rodents. He shows more compassion to his faithful companion Sam than he does to the infected. The use of live subjects in the film implies the lack of morals and begs the question of whether he is validated in his actions to “perpetuate the human race” or if the infected should have the right of free will (Weinstock 66).
Human experimentation has a vast number of rules and regulations; Neville ignores all of the rules set forth for those in the scientific community. Two very important principles in research are “(1) do not harm and (2) maximize possible benefits and minimize possible harms” (Belmont). Neville’s relentless exploitation of the infected has crossed those lines. In a compelling scene Anna comes down to the basement to speak with Robert. This is the first time that she has been in his laboratory. As a scientist Neville has carefully documented his experiments, keeping a wall of statistics along with the photos of his deceased subjects, all of whom stayed infected. Those pictured perished as a result of Neville’s arrogance. The principles say to “to maximize benefits” while “minimizing possible harm” (Belmont). Death is the ultimate form of harm; the infected lived their own lives, albeit very different than they lived before the outbreak, regardless, they never consented to be subjects. Neville did not consider the infected as humans any longer; nor did he consider the ramification of his heartlessness. As he prepares a syringe for his current subject, he is aware that they may perish. Anna fails to see how a cure is more important that each and every life, Neville is only concerned with saving those of his own kind. The disregard for life shows how removed he has become from the practices of science in the old world.
Neville’s work shows the ethical dilemmas of the film; he fails to see humanity left in those that have become infected. “Dark seekers” have inhuman strength and brutality as a result of the “Kipper Virus”, yet they still reserve characteristics of their former selves. There is a point in the film in which Neville captures his latest subject, one of the infected revealed himself and roars as the other is taken. what Neville believes to be the alpha male roars in anger as the female is taken. Neville later noted in his recording, “an infected male exposed himself to sunlight today. Now it's possible decreased brain function or growing scarcity of food is causing them to... ignore their basic survival instincts. Social de-evolution appears complete” (Lawrence). Another example of their humanity is displayed when Neville finds himself caught in a trap; the alpha waits in the shadows with dogs who are infected as well. The alpha waits while the sun sinks instead of mindlessly charging forward. Neville is so enamored in his quest for the cure that he fails to comprehend the “dark seekers” are still sentient beings (Lawrence).
Neville’s character must find redemption through self-sacrifice. His willingness to lay down his life for the greater good transforms him from mad scientist to hero. The movie concludes with a vicious fight after the infected discover the locations of Neville’s home. The three survivors barricade themselves behind the thick wall of glass in the laboratory. The glass wall prevents immediate entry, consequently, the infected furiously slam into the glass, using their bodies as battering rams to gain entry. Neville holds onto his faith in the cure. As the infected pelt themselves against the glass he looks at them to shout “look, I can save you…I can fix this! You are sick and I can help you. I can save everybody! … Let me save you!” (Lawrence). He speaks to those whom he gave no dignity, no rights, no respect, imploring them to save himself along with his work. Realizing that the infected will not relent, he draws a vial of his last subject’s blood, as her blood contains the cure, giving it to Anna while simultaneously placing her and her son in the safety of the coal chute. He confides in her that he is finally listening, in reference to a higher power that she felt had brought them together. With Anna and Ethan safety being Neville’s largest priority, he withdraws a hand grenade from his desk pulling the pin killing himself as well as the infected. In sacrificing his life as the lives on many he can be redeemed. While he has killed many more of the infected by detonating the grenade, he has also given Anna the opportunity to save all of mankind. Only then was Neville capable of redemption, stripping away the unethical scientist while restoring the balance of faith and ethics.
I Am Legend is an entertaining movie, however audiences should keep in mind that the film is fictional.

The representation of science through science fiction does not accurately represent the behaviors of those involved in Bioengineering who have been shown as unethical, cruel, and heartless. Fictional slander can have lasting real-life consequences on how science and experimentation are perceived by the general public. Peter Weingart “analyzed 222 films” in order to understand perceptions of scientists in more fully. Weingart concluded that “modification of, and intervention into, the human body, the violation of human nature, and threats to human health” had are considered the most threatening and therefore shown most frequently in films. This is in stark contrast to reality where scientists are bound by law to avoid crossing these boundaries. Dr. Neville is not bound by any such laws as there is no authority to enforce

them.
The laws of nature are confined to a certain level of logic. A basic biology course can pinpoint the fallacy of the cure that Neville has slaved over. As the only surviving human, or so Neville thought, a vaccine produced utilizing his antibodies would only assist in vaccinating an individual that has yet to be infected. His antibodies would be useless to an individual that has a current infection. In order to successively cure a patient suffering from viral infection, one would need the administration of antiviral drugs (Blickenstaff). The very premise of the film is flawed.
As far-fetched as the scenario in I am Legend is, there is some truth in the ability to modify viruses to help rather than hurt. Daily Science wrote an article about “Virologist and cancer biologist Patrick Lee” calling him the “real-life I Am Legend” (Dalhousie). Lee has been working on the very vaccine portrayed in the movie; he is genetically modifying the measles vaccine to cure cancer. Lee’s research claims that the “Reovirus… self-propagates and multiplies when it attaches itself to a host cell. With ordinary viruses, they can cause sickness due to infection. Reovirus, though, kills cancerous host cells and leaves healthy cells alone” (Dalhousie). His research published nine years prior to the movie showed promise in mice. The Reovirus not only shrank tumors, but actively sought them out and destroyed them (Dalhousie). The “Krippen virus” is eerily similar to Lee’s Reovirus (Lawrence). Theoretically the measles virus has potential to mutate due to the single stranded ribonucleic acid contained in many viruses contain. However, the virus in I am Legend producing a massive deviation from the original virus is highly unlikely. In regards to whether such a scenario is possible, Lee stated that “Scientists don’t like to deal in absolutes, but in this case, I would say absolutely impossible” (Dalhousie). Lee’s work shows the arduous journey of perfecting an organism before the general public know has access. Careful trial and error, analysis, examination, and ethical studies over long periods of time are conducted in actual laboratories unlike the Krippen Virus featured in the film, I Am Legend.
One may wonder how the villainy of theatrical scientists in film would have any recourse on the audience. Films are placing doubt and mistrust on the scientific community individuals are breaking down the social health medium. A current example would be the recurrence in measles brought on by an unfounded mistrust in vaccinations. Films such as I am Legend, actress Jenny McCarthy, and even presidential candidate Donald Trump are spreading their misinformation through the country (Hausman). The misconceptions brought on by Hollywood are tainting the image of the scientific community.
The fictional story of Dr. Robert Neville takes the audience through an emotional landscape of ethical drama. From the moment Neville sends his family away, he shows his drive and passion for curing for the “Krippen virus” (Lawrence). His desperation forces him into one moral dilemma after another. Neville demonstrates his willingness to cross ethical boundaries by experimenting on human test subjects against their will as well as his emotionless demeanor over their deaths. Nearly six billion people from a fictional virus died in I Am Legend (Lawrence). The “Reovirus” engineered by Patrick Lee has the potential to save the 591,699 lives lost to cancer in 2013 according to the CDC (Dalhousie). Science fiction should not dissuade the public from comprehending the stringent ethical standards held by actual scientists as the strive to create a better life for all.