Blade Runner and Human Consciousness .
The movie Blade Runner represents a number of philosophical views regarding the consciousness, intelligence and sense of identity of Artificial Intelligence, referred to in the movie, as replicants. The replicants in Blade Runner look identical to humans, however they are faster, stronger, and more agile. The replicants obtain memories that were implanted in their brains to compensate for their short life span and lack of experiences. It seems as though the replicants are equal, if not superior to humans. The ability to be conscious is unexplainable, yet all humans or persons are classified as being conscious. The definition of being conscious is having an awareness of one's environment and one's own existence, sensations, and thoughts. If this view of consciousness is applied to the replicant nature in Blade Runner, than replicants acquire a sense of consciousness. There are many levels of intelligence displayed by many different species. Clearly, the highest level of intelligence is demonstrated by the character traits embodied by human beings. That is to say that no other species compares to the level of intelligence as defined by human beings themselves. However, artificial intelligence cannot be classified as a species, but may very well be more "intelligent" than a human being. Intelligence is classified as the capacity to acquire and apply knowledge. Replicants in Blade Runner are extremely intelligent, equal to, if not more than human beings. Personal identity is pertaining to human beings as distinct from things. However there is a clear distinction from humane beings, and a person. Therefore a sense of personal identity can be applicable to not just human beings, but persons themselves. Replicants in Blade Runner are in fact conscious and acquire a sense of personal identity. Although the underlying theme in the movie infers that replicants lack the sense of emotion, this is found to be untrue, as the movie progresses, replicants make decisions based on emotion and Deckard, the protagonist, displays numerous features of human characteristics, although he may very well be a replicant himself.
