Renstrom Publishes Chapter in Critical Insights: Isaac Asimov
CGS Lecturer of Rhetoric Joelle Renstrom recently published a chapter in Critical Insights; Isaac Asimov (Salem Press, 2017). As a researcher of science fiction and technology, Renstrom took a look at robot fiction in her Asimov chapter, “Morality in Asimov: Laws of Robotics vs. Laws of Humanics.”
Renstrom’s chapter examines Asimov and the Frankenstein complex, or humans’ fear that they will be unable to control their creations. By looking at Asimov’s famous three laws of robotics, Renstrom shows what prevents robots from harming humans.
However, Renstrom notices the three laws deftly evade the notion of morality, rendering ethics and values on the part of robots unnecessary, as robots are programmed to obey the laws without considering them. While doing this, Renstrom examines nonfiction works such as “The Laws of Humanics,” where Asimov demonstrates that the fear at the heart of the “Frankenstein Complex” isn’t really about robots at all. It’s about humans, who violate the “do no harm” rule far more frequently than robots do.
For more on Renstrom’s fascinating work, visit her website: www.joellerenstrom.com. To hear more about Renstrom’s research, be sure to check out her April 2 lecture at TedX in Waltham: “Science Fiction as a Looking Glass: Teaching Students How to Save the World.”