Philip K Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep | Mercerism and the Empathy Box

[@Peter-dk2ov]

Such an interesting video. Mercer reminds me of the myth of sisyphus. The absolute acceptance of circumstance

[@GregoryBSadler]

Mercer doesn’t absolutely accept circumstance. He actively intervenes in the novel to enable Deckard to kill the androids

[@Peter-dk2ov]

@@GregoryBSadler its been a while since my last read through. Will you be doing more analysis? Id love to follow along as I read it again

[@GregoryBSadler]

@@Peter-dk2ov Yes

[@DevastationMtrsports]

The empathy box reminds me of something Klaus Schwab said at a WEF meeting about feeling the audience thoughts while discussing brain neural implants. And future tech.. Phillip was wary ahead of his time

[@GregoryBSadler]

The empathy box is pretty innocuous as far as these things go

[@lonesomeonrymean9216]

Thankyou for this discussion of a very timely piece of literature.

[@GregoryBSadler]

You're very welcome

[@localmo88]

Really like your content. I interpreted Mercerism as PKD's alternative model of Christianity. A way that Dick could explore some modern Christian methods of worship/doctrine and easily supplant them with a variant in a modern world or alternative world to ours. It made me wonder about an innate human need for mysticism, salvation and idolatry.

[@GregoryBSadler]

You might think of it more as something containing outlines of what Dick took to be right about Christianity, to be sure mediated (until the end) by technology

[@orcapodmedia]

Woah. I just finished this book but it seems like I might need to re-read it.

[@GregoryBSadler]

It's one of those books that does reward rereading

[@natedaug1]

Great stuff Dr. S.

[@GregoryBSadler]

Thanks

[@Peter-dk2ov]

One of my favourite books ever

[@magicboyra5746]

I think there's a really interesting analysis between Spinoza's affects and passions and mercerism. Under Spinoza, the arteficiality of the empathy box wouldn't really matter as it would still come from the only substance. Am I right?

[@GregoryBSadler]

No

[@justbrian...]

I don't know enough about spinoza to be able to weigh in, but as a random internet stranger with no philosophical or literary degrees at all, I'd probably agree with your statement. The 'technology' or 'artificiality' of the empathy box seems only necessary until someone's consciousness (Deckard in this case) can fuse with Mercer without needing to touch the handles. But then again, Deckard doesn't seem to have the union with all the other people though. He's just alone in his mercer experience at the end (at least it seems that way). But perhaps my memory is not so sharp and I'll need to reread those parts again.

[@nedelchohristoskov2434]

The sole reason to visit the States. Best regards!

[@GregoryBSadler]

Not sure what that means about visiting the US

[@nedelchohristoskov2434]

@@GregoryBSadler pardon me, I meant to visit your lectures.

[@macrograms]

mercerism is so fricking weird. thank you.

[@GregoryBSadler]

You're welcome

[@Svxon007]

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ (out of 7 lol) *why? I♡DADOES since i was little, and the absences of mercer in the movie(s), the value of this lecture today in a way the ancients must have considered as seemingly perfection in timing ... sadly the local PetSmart are all out of augary supplies!

[@GregoryBSadler]

I'm glad you enjoyed it