Asimov's Posthuman Pharisees: The Letter of the Law Versus the Spirit of the Law in Isaac Asimov's Robot Novels

Abstract

This article examines the ways in which the Robot Novels of Isaac Asimov provide a useful case study for important posthuman legal considerations. In advocating an understanding of law and justice that focuses on the spirit of justice as opposed to formalistic considerations, Asimov demonstrates the challenges that artificial intelligence or robots may pose to the posthuman legal system. It analyzes the legal concerns raised in each of the Robot Novels: The Caves of Steel (1954), The Naked Sun (1956), The Robots of Dawn (1983) and Robots and Empire (1985), and suggests that Asimov's portrayal of posthuman justice emphasizes the necessity of formulating “law” that is underpinned by a notion of the fundamental kinship of “intelligent” beings rather than a nominal equality within what is fundamentally a slave society. Law, Culture and the Humanities 2007; 3: 398—415