"Blade Runner": Ethical Considerations and Film Analysis

"Blade Runner" is a futuristic sci-fi action movie that takes place in the L.A. of the year 2019. Blade Runners are a type of law enforcement official who must hunt down rouge Replicants that are a genetically manufactured humanoid creature. They are no longer allowed on Earth and must be 'retired' if discovered planet side. This means that a "blade runner's" sole duty is to eliminate all Replicant threats on Earth. In this paper I will summarize the film, analyze the ethical dilemmas faced by the characters in this movie, and finally, compare it to my own personal ethical system.
Part I: Film Summary
"Blade Runner" follows the story of a man named Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) who happens to be a retiring "blade runner". Unfortunately his retirement is cut short when he is asked to hunt down four Replicants who have hijacked a military spaceship, killed all on board, and have now returned to earth to wreak havoc. Deckard's job is to seek the Replicants out and destroy them. He is given no choice in the matter even though he insists that he is retired. However, before he can find the Replicants, his boss sends him to the company that manufactures them(the Tyrell Co.) to preview a newly redesigned Replicant model, called Nexus-6, that is considered more human-like and similar to the four Dechard must 'retire'.
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