Philosophize This! Episode #238: Frankenstein – Mary Shelley

Host: Stephen West
Date: October 8, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Stephen West delves into the philosophical themes of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, demystifying popular misconceptions and exploring the novel’s complex treatment of creation, responsibility, ethics in science and technology, social ostracism, and personhood. West situates Shelley's work within its historical context and draws connections to modern ethical dilemmas in technology, making the novel newly relevant for today’s listeners.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Clearing Up Popular Misconceptions

• Frankenstein vs. Frankenstein’s Monster

  • Victor Frankenstein is the scientist, not the monster. The creature remains unnamed, a key component of Shelley’s message.
  • Hollywood depictions (the green-skinned, bolted monster) drastically differ from the articulate, intelligent, and emotionally complex creature in the novel.
  • “In the book, this creature is articulate. He's fast... I mean, the thing climbs up into the Alps at one point and surprises Victor Frankenstein just sitting on a glacier because he wants to have a private conversation with him.” (02:09)

• Mary Shelley’s Remarkable Achievement

  • Shelley wrote Frankenstein at 18–19 years old; it was published when she was 20 (1818), ahead of her time in its philosophical depth.
  • Influenced by her parents: Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin.

• Framing the Text

  • Focus is on the 1818 version; 1831 revisions and their significance are discussed at the episode’s end.

2. Plot Synopsis and Philosophical Framework

The Frame Narrative

• The novel begins in the Arctic with explorer Robert Walton encountering Victor Frankenstein (05:55).
• Victor shares his tragic story as a cautionary tale, aiming to prevent Walton from repeating his mistakes.

Victor’s Origins & Motivations

• Raised in Geneva alongside cousin (later adopted sister in 1831 version) Elizabeth.
• Fascinated by natural philosophy and the occult; mother’s death sets him on the path to reanimating life.
• Attends university, grows obsessed with unlocking the “principle of life.”
• Assembles and animates the creature in secret.

The Creation Scene: Immediate Horror and Regret

• The act of giving life is vague in the original; electricity as a method is more explicit in the 1831 version (14:11).
• Victor’s response is horror, not triumph. He flees from the creature and attempts to forget the experiment.

3. Shelley’s Philosophical Critiques

Enlightenment vs. Romanticism (17:10)

• Enlightenment: faith in reason, method, and mastery of nature (embodied by Victor).
• Romanticism: awe, wonder, and respect for nature’s mysteries.
• The “dangerous mixing” of these attitudes—untethered scientific ambition without communal or ethical oversight—leads to disaster.

Quote: “Scientific and technological progress always needs to be done alongside an ethics that considers how this creation is going to impact the community.” (21:48)

The Modern Prometheus (19:00)

• Victor’s story is paralleled with Prometheus, who brought fire (knowledge/power) to humanity and was punished.
• Scientific ambition pursued in isolation and arrogance leads to suffering.

Quote: “Just like Prometheus, he's going to pay a price when he decides to do this in an isolated and reckless way.” (20:18)

4. Ethics of Technology & Scientific Responsibility

• Historical Context: Galvanism (reanimating corpses via electricity) was cutting edge—Frankenstein extrapolates its ethical dangers.
• Latour and Morality in Technology:
  • Technologies are not neutral; their design and release embed ethical outcomes.
  • Modern analogies: AI, facial recognition, and bioengineering.
• Relatable Modern Analogy: Concerns about “creating monsters” in closed, reckless tech development (e.g., AI firms operating in secrecy). (25:31)

Quote: “We may be creating a monster in the same way Victor Frankenstein did—one made possible only by the innovation process being divorced from ethics and community.” (28:11)

5. The Creature’s Journey: Nature vs. Nurture (29:15)

The Creature’s Innocence and Social Rejection

• Begins as a vegetarian, avoids harming life, and helps a human family (De Laceys).
• Self-educated by observing, learns language, philosophy, and art.
• Rejected violently by society due solely to appearance.

Quote: “This feeling turns to anger, which then turns into resentment for the creator and Victor Frankenstein that selfishly brought him into this world against his will.” (34:14)

• Metaphor:
  • The abandoned creature represents the ethical responsibility to creations (technological or biological) and is a critique of neglect and abandonment by creators, including parents.

6. Social Ostracism, Recognition, and Violence

• The creature’s transformation is tragic—the desire for belonging is met only with violence and rejection.
• Raises questions of personhood: what actually makes someone human or deserving of rights and recognition?
• Justine’s trial (framed for murder) is an allegory for society's quickness to judge and victimize marginalized individuals.

Quote: “When the creature describes its experience...readers of this book are instantly forced to consider at a deeper level what constitutes personhood.” (43:40)

• Broader societal questions:
  • The moral obligation to recognize and include all individuals and groups, lest ostracism foster violence.
  • Shelley’s critique predates but encompasses issues around women’s rights, class, and other marginalized groups.

7. The Request for a Companion and Ethical Implications (51:30)

• The creature asks Victor to create a mate; Victor agrees reluctantly, then reconsiders, fearing reproduction, further violence, and his own loss of control.
• Ultimately, Victor destroys the second creature and is threatened by the monster (“I’ll be with you on your wedding night” 54:16).

The Downward Spiral and Final Catastrophe

• Close friends and Elizabeth are murdered; Victor is left with nothing but vengeance.

8. Final Questions: Creation, Responsibility, and Fatalism

• After Victor’s death, the creature grieves and resolves to end its own life, underscoring the tragedy and moral ambiguity.
• Feminist readings: Science as “masculine,” nature as “feminine;” when ethical care is removed from creation, women become especially vulnerable (1:01:56).
  • “Victor Frankenstein ends up being both a horrible father to and a horrible mother to this creature. There is no lone heroic genius that's going to be able to step in and replace the need for what community does for people and then your constant care that something needs to survive.” (47:04)

The 1818 vs. 1831 Texts (1:04:57)

• 1831 version reframes Victor’s actions more as fate/determinism, less as free will, possibly reflecting Shelley’s later-life tragedies and shifting worldview.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On Hollywood misconceptions:
  “Just know this is a Hollywood thing that came from when they made the Frankenstein movie in the 1930s. This is nothing like the creature Mary Shelley describes in the book.” (01:37)

• On science and ethics:
  “Scientific and technological progress always needs to be done alongside an ethics that considers how this creation is going to impact the community.” (21:48)

• On social rejection:
  “This feeling turns to anger, which then turns into resentment for the creator and Victor Frankenstein that selfishly brought him into this world against his will.” (34:14)

• On modern technological analogies:
  “We may be creating a monster in the same way Victor Frankenstein did—one made possible only by the innovation process being divorced from ethics and community.” (28:11)

• On responsibility to our creations:
  “A metaphor for the responsibility that scientists and people that produce technology have to not abandon their creations ethically...the same responsibility extends to parents, to society.” (36:10)

• On personhood and justice:
  “When the creature describes its experience to Victor...readers of this book are instantly forced to consider at a deeper level what constitutes personhood.” (43:40)

• On the 1831 revision:
  “She frames them more in terms of this all being his fate, deterministic and out of his control, instead of this being a matter of his own free will.” (1:05:30)

Key Timestamps

• 00:00–05:00: Introduction, misconceptions, and historical context
• 05:55–14:10: Story synopsis—Victor’s history and the creation scene
• 14:11–21:00: Enlightenment vs. Romanticism, The Modern Prometheus
• 21:48–28:30: Ethics of science and technology, Latour, and modern parallels
• 29:15–38:00: The creature’s journey, nature vs. nurture, social rejection
• 43:40–49:00: Personhood, ostracism, societal responsibilities
• 51:30–57:00: The request for a companion and ethical dilemmas
• 1:01:56–1:06:30: Feminist readings, 1831 revision, Shelley’s evolving worldview

Memorable Moments

• Comparing the creature’s rejection and transformation to modern debates about social justice and technology.
• Connecting Shelley’s social critique to current issues (AI research, parenthood, justice system).
• Reflections on Shelley’s life and how personal tragedy shaped her philosophical vision.

Tone and Style

• Stephen West maintains an approachable, insightful, and often lightly humorous tone, making heavy philosophical ideas accessible and relevant.
• He mixes storytelling, analysis, and contemporary analogies with direct, earnest questions to the audience.

Conclusion

West recommends reading the original Frankenstein for its enduring relevance and philosophical richness, noting its brevity and the depth of conversation it continues to inspire—especially regarding science, ethics, and our responsibilities as creators, parents, and members of society.