Websites I have used and Quoted From:

http://darkdwarf5.tripod.com/belowthechickencoop/id66.html

https://www.britannica.com/event/Cold-War

https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war

Cold War

• 1947-1991
• “The Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union lasted for decades and resulted in anti-communist suspicions and international incidents that led the two superpowers to the brink of nuclear disaster.”
• “Cold War, the open yet restricted rivalry that developed after World War II between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies. The Cold War was waged on political, economic, and propaganda fronts and had only limited recourse to weapons.”
• “Following the surrender of Nazi Germany in May 1945 near the close of World War II, the uneasy wartime alliance between the United States and Great Britain on the one hand and the Soviet Union on the other began to unravel. By 1948 the Soviets had installed left-wing governments in the countries of eastern Europe that had been liberated by the Red Army. The Americans and the British feared the permanent Soviet domination of eastern Europe and the threat of Soviet-influenced communist parties coming to power in the democracies of western Europe. The Soviets, on the other hand, were determined to maintain control of eastern Europe in order to safeguard against any possible renewed threat from Germany, and they were intent on spreading communism worldwide, largely for ideological reasons. The Cold War had solidified by 1947–48, when U.S. aid provided under the Marshall Plan to western Europe had brought those countries under American influence and the Soviets had installed openly communist regimes in eastern Europe.”

Environmental

The film shows a future where the natural world is destroyed, and where the lack of environmental care has caused a lot of damage to the world. Such as, there’s no nature and no animals in the film. Plus, the fire at the begining could be suggestive of enviromental problems.

Communism and Capitalism

“The eradication of communism and the up-rise of capitalism also influenced the creation of Blade Runner. The consumer driven, capitalist world of Blade Runner removes the individuality of the population, and suppresses their natural instincts through control and corporate loyalty. The existence of the monopolistic Tyrell Corporation mimics the emergence of monopolistic companies in modern society, such as Microsoft. The infiltration of Japanese culture strengthens the economic importance, as during the 1980s Japan had become a world economic power.”

Technology

• “Due to the technological revolution of the 1980s, much of the technology in Blade Runner is reminiscent of new advancements in the late 1970s and 1980s. The acceleration of the “space race” also caused a rapid progression in technological advancement, astronomical equipment infiltrating the general public. The detachment from nature seen in Blade Runner can be interpreted as a direct warning of the detrimental effects of technological advancement, and the redundancy of nature and humanity.”
• Cold War and fear of technology (nuclear bomb)

Technology and AI

• Question of consciousness- some scientists believe technology can simulate consciousness
• Rights – irrelevant, no pain or pleasure, rights are meaningless. Rights protect us from infringements that cause us pain
• Technologists believe Explosion of technology will occur when AI can create AI smarter than themselves
• Human – identity, human exceptionalism. Deny other beings suffer as we do, animals once argued were mere autonoma.
• Economic potential of AI exploitation
• If robots become sentient there will be no shortage of arguments against rights, especially if there is an economic advantage
• Philosophical debate