Anthology of Ideas

Shelley’s “Frankenstein” warns the reader to consider if just because something can be done should it be done. Twenty years before Shelley wrote “Frankenstein” Luigi Galvani found that electricity could be used to cause muscles in the dead to spasm, opening the door to the possibility that reanimation was possible. It was in this frame of mind that Shelley began “Frankenstein”. Shelley puts forth questions that has been repeated over the centuries by many people (1) Do people have the right to play God?

Although some see evil as commonplace and slavery a “natural” phenomenon, this simple is not true. Evil can change from one location to another; in some societies eating the dead is a religious experience however for others it is a great evil. Yes, there is evil and yes, it is common, but what is evil? Is slavery truly evil? Are not all humans slave to some job? Without performing their job they would die from lack of sustenance.

Shelley’s “Frankenstein” warns the reader to consider if just because something can be done should it be done. Twenty years before Shelley wrote “Frankenstein” Luigi Galvani found that electricity could be used to cause muscles in the dead to spasm, opening the door to the possibility that reanimation was possible. It was in this frame of mind that Shelley began “Frankenstein”. Shelley puts forth questions that has been repeated over the centuries by many people (1) Do people have the right to play God?

Although some see evil as commonplace and slavery a “natural” phenomenon, this simple is not true. Evil can change from one location to another; in some societies eating the dead is a religious experience however for others it is a great evil. Yes, there is evil and yes, it is common, but what is evil? Is slavery truly evil? Are not all humans slave to some job? Without performing their job they would die from lack of sustenance.