Blade Runner 2049: Reproduction, the Human, and the Organic

Botz-Bornstein, Thorsten

doi:10.5840/filmphil2021345

Film and Philosophy

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published on March 6, 2021

Thorsten Botz-Bornstein

https://doi.org/10.5840/filmphil2021345

Blade Runner 2049
Reproduction, the Human, and the Organic

What is the “miracle” that protein farmer Sapper Morton mentions when he says to K: “You never saw a miracle”? It is the transformation of inorganic life into organic life. Rachael, who was a replicant in the old Blade Runner (though falsely believing she is human) gave birth to twins. Tyrell had “perfected procreation,” in the words of Niander Wallace, but his knowledge has been lost. The theme of 2049 revolves around the scientific and philosophical question whether machines can become organic. Is a human only an accumulation of parts or cells, or does the quality of being human denote more than the sum of its parts? Is a bioengineered human a real human or simply a sophisticated machine? Furthermore, the film associates the organic with the real. Real humans as well as real memories are linked to a larger whole. The article reflects these constellations against various philosophical stances.

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