ScienceandBioethics

ScientificAdvancementsattheTime

LuigiGalvani:recognizedaspioneerofbioelectromagnetismstudyofinteractionbetweenelectromagneticfieldsandbiologicalentities
knownforexperimentsregarding
animalelectricity

1781:legendsaysthatashewasskinningafrogwherehehadbeenconductingexperimentsw/staticelectricityhisassistanttouchedanexposednervewithachargedmetalscalpel,andtheysaw
sparksasthefrogslegkicked;providedthebasisforunderstandingthatmusclemovement=causedbyelectricalenergycarriedbyliquidratherthanbyinflatingw/fluid

galvanism:
contractionofamusclestimulatedbyelectriccurrent
Galvaniandothersbelievedthattheelectricitywascontainedintheanimalitself,andthatconductorwasthebrassandironarcthatconnectedmuscletonerve
however:Voltachallengedthisbelief,saidinsteadthatthefrogwastheconductorfortheelectricitypassingbetweenthetwo,differenttypesofmetalsscientificcommunitywasdividedintwo:
animalelectricityvs.
dissimilarmetals
MaryShelleysfather=friendswithHumphryDavy+WilliamNicholson(leadingelectricalresearchersofthetime)shewasquiteawareofthesescientificdiscoveries
uponpublication
Frankenstein
wasseenasrealistic,notfantasticalandfarfetched;
anairofrealityattachedtoit,bybeingconnectedwiththefavouriteprojectsandpassionsofthetimes(qtd.inRuston)

Theeventonwhichthisfictionisfoundedhasbeensupposed[...]asofnotofimpossibleoccurrence(Shelley7)

also:1831Prefacementionedgalvanismasaninfluenceonthenovel
lifeanddeathappearedtomeidealbounds(44);reflectedhowatthetimepplthoughttheboundarybetweenlife+deathwasimaginaryandcouldbebreached
1744:twodoctorsWilliamHawes+ThomasCogansetuptheRoyalHumaneSocietyinLondonintendedtoeducatepeopleabtandencouragethemtoresuscitateothers,esp.apparentdrowningvictims
beforepublishingof
Frankenstein:
verypublicdebateinRoyalCollegeofSurgeonsbetweenJohnAbernethy+WilliamLawrenceonnatureoflifeitself;askedhowtodefinelife+howlivingbodiesdifferedfrom
dead/inorganicbodies

linkw/Shelleys:PercyhadreadandquotedoneofAbernethysbooks;Lawrencehadbeentheirdoctor

Abernethy:arguedthatlifedidnotdependonbodysstructurebutexistedseparatelyasamaterialsubstanceor
vitalprinciple
addedtothebody

Lawrence:understoodlifeassimplytheworkingoperationofallofthebodysfunctionsseenastooradicalastheyseemedtosuggestthesouldidnotexisteither;
Lawrencewasforcedtowithdrawhispublishedbookoflectures+resignfromhishospitalpostandwasnotreinstateduntilafterpubliclydenouncinghisviews
duringhistimeinIngolstadtFrankensteinexaminesthechangefromlifetodeath,anddeathtolife(42)throughhisstudieshemanagestodiscoverfromthemidstofthisdarkness
asuddenlight[...][the]astonishing[...]secretoflife(42)

helooksathowthefineformofmanwasdegradedandwasted;[...]be[holds]thecorruptionofdeathsucceedingtothebloomingcheekoflife;[...][sees]howtheworm
inheritedthewondersoftheeyeandbrain(42)spendsalotoftimecloselyscrutinizinghowbodiesshutdownanddecay

however,hethenclaimsthathehasdiscover[ed]thecauseofgenerationandlife[...][andcannow]bestowanimationuponlifelessmatter(43)similartoAbernethysideathatlifeitselfis
somethingthatcanbeaddedtomatter

Bioethics+ConnectionstoModernScience

TheModernPrometheus
parallelscanbedrawnbetweentheGreekmythologicalfigurePrometheusandVictorFrankenstein

ThetitanPrometheuscreatedmanfromclayandwaterattherequestofZeus

HoweverafterdisobeyingZeusandgivingfiretomankind,heispunished(chainedtorockandhashisliverrippedoutdailybyaneagleforeternity)

Frankensteincreateslifebynewmeans

Howeverabandonshiscreationoutofhorroranddisgustafterthemonstercomestolifeispunishedbythemonster

BothfiguresseemtoplaygodandsufferconsequencesPrometheuswhenhedecidestogivefiretohumanswithoutauthorityfromthegods;Frankensteinwhenheignoresthelawsofnatureand
artificially/unnaturallycreateslife

Prometheusbelievesheishelpingmankind,Frankensteinbelievesheisfurtheringscience(Lemberg)

Hubris(overestimatingonesownabilitiesstemmingfromarrogance)canbeseeninPrometheus,Frankenstein

Manymodernpeopleregardscientificadvancessuchashumancloningultimateactsofhubris
Frankensteinsactbringsinquestionof
naturevs.nurture
isthemonsterinnatelybad(createdthisway),ordoeshebecomethiswaybecausehiscreatorabandonedhim?

Frankensteinambitiouslybringshiscreaturetolifeclaimsnoresponsibilityandabandonshimonawhim

Hemighthavespoken,butIdidnothear;onehandwasstretchedout,seeminglytodetainme,butIescapedandrusheddownstairs.(Shelley48)Frankensteinabandonshisnew
creationwithoutconsiderationofthemonsterhimself

theinnocentandhelplesscreaturebestowedonthembyheaven,whomtobringuptogood,andwhosefuturelotitwasintheirhandstodirecttohappinessormisery,accordingastheyfulfilledtheir
dutiestowardsme.(Shelley27)clearthatinFrankensteinsopinion,parentsplayalargeroleinshapingtheirchildrenregardless,hehasabandonedhischildandthereforeaccordingtohisown
beliefsisresponsible
Comparisontomoderncontroversialpracticesre:bioethics

Humancloningremainsacontroversialtopicinourtime

Stillconsideredunsafeonlysmallpercentageinanimalexperimentationhasresultedinlivebirths

Longtermconsequencesstillunknownoldestsuccessfullyclonedmammalonlysixyearsold

nonfatal(butserious)abnormalitiesinclonedanimalsincludesubstantiallyincreasedbirthsize,liverandbraindefects,andlung,kidney,andcardiovascularproblems(
ThePresident's
CouncilonBioethics)

Alltheseconcernsand
more
arewidelyandunanimouslysharedbypeopleandscientiststoday

Frankensteinhoweverdoesnotconsidertheideaofethicsinhisexperimentambitious,heisdrivensolelybyhisgoaltocreatelife

Doesnotconsiderhowthecreaturecouldreactorthinkultimately,hisfamilyandfriendssuffertheconsequences

MaryShelleyseemstohintthatscienceshouldcanbedangerousmusthaveconstraintsinplaceandcheckedforpotentialharms(Lemberg)

NaturalPhilosophy+RoleofScientist
NATURALPHILOSOPHY:thepracticeofstudyingnature;
thescienceofthosebeingswhichundergochangeandareindependentofhumanbeings(Soldato)

inthe19thcenturythemoderntermscientistemergedbeforethat,theywerecalled
menofscience
or
naturalphilosophers

furthermore,divisionsofscienceweredeveloped(biology,physics,etc.)
wasaresponsetothechangingconceptionsofscience,whichhadbecomelessphilosophicalandmorefocusedonthefactualrealworld(
Wikipedia
)

Theancientteachersofthisscience,saidhe,promisedimpossibilitiesandperformednothing.Themodernmasterspromiseverylittle(Shelley38)butstrivetounderstandthe
workingstheworldtheylivein

uponage13,Frankensteindiscoverstheworksof
CorneliusAgrippa,ParacelsusandAlbertusMagnus

(famousnaturalphilosophers)

AlphonseFrankensteindisapprovesofFrankensteinsinterestinnaturalphilosophy

...itissadtrash(Shelley31).

...amodernsystemofsciencehadbeenintroducedwhichpossessedmuchgreaterpowersthantheancient,becausethepowersofthelatterwerechimerical,whilethoseoftheformer
wererealandpractical(Shelley31)

thedisdainfortheoldnaturalphilosophywascommon;M.Krempe,professorofnaturalphilosophyattheUniversityofIngolstadtheldcontemptforalchemy

startofFrankensteinsinterestinlife/deathsearchoftheelixiroflife(Shelley32)

elixiroflife
:amythicalpotionthatwouldgrantthedrinkerimmortality,andcouldalsocreatelife

Wealthwasaninferiorobject,butwhatglorywouldattendthediscoveryifIcouldbanishdiseasefromthehumanframeandrendermaninvulnerabletoanybutaviolentdeath!(Shelley32)

later,Frankenstein,wasforcedtobegrudginglyacceptthathewasrequiredtoexchangechimerasofboundlessgrandeurforrealitiesoflittleworth(Shelley38)

later,M.Waldmanremovedhisprejudiceagainstmodernnaturalphilosophy;Frankensteinturnedintoachemist

however,Frankensteinsexperimentcertainlyreflectedhisidealsoftheoldnaturalphilosophy,producingamiraculousresult
ROLE/RESPONSIBILITYOFTHESCIENTIST

Frankensteinshowsanabundanceofcuriositysincechildhood

mypassionsvehement(
Shelley
30)

however,hefailshisresponsibilityasascientistinpursuingknowledgeforthegreatergoodwhenheabandonsthemonsterandbecomesdrivenbyfearandrevenge

SalisaJatuweerapong,DanielleLee,ElsaYuanBlk21

WorksCited

Lemberg,David."TheHubrisofDr.FrankensteinandReproductiveCloning."
AlbanyMedicalCollege
.N.p.,7July2011.
Web.9June2016.
"NaturalPhilosophy."
Wikipedia
.WikimediaFoundation,n.d.Web.09June2016.
Ruston,Sharon."TheScienceofLifeandDeathinMaryShelley'sFrankenstein."
TheBritishLibrary
.N.p.,n.d.Web.09
June2016.
Shelley,MaryWollstonecraft.
Frankenstein
.Clayton:PrestwickHouseLiteraryTouchstoneClassics,2005.Print.
Soldato,EvaDel."NaturalPhilosophyintheRenaissance."StanfordUniversity.StanfordUniversity,2015.Web.09
June
2016.
ThePresident'sCouncilonBioethics."PCBE:HumanCloningandHumanDignity:AnEthicalInquiryFullReport."
PCBE:HumanCloningandHumanDignity:AnEthicalInquiryFullReport
.N.p.,July2002.Web.9June2016.

Bibliography
"Bioethics."
Wikipedia.
WikimediaFoundation,n.d.Web.9June2016.
"Frankenstein."
Wikipedia.
WikimediaFoundation,n.d.Web.9June2016.
"LuigiGalvani."
Wikipedia.
WikimediaFoundation,n.d.Web.9June2016.
"Tabularasa."
Wikipedia.
WikimediaFoundation,n.d.Web.9June2016.