VII: The ethics of science and the invisible man through social and cultural scripts and transactional analysis

Abstract

Just as the first entrance of 'the stranger' into Iping ignited the wick of a series of enigmatic events in The Invisible Man, so indeed does H.G. Wells' extraordinary dream world continue to captivate millions. While the limits of science today can be demarcated only through the human imagination, it was not all that different back in 1897, when this science fiction novel was first published. Wells' novel has in fact revived a subject that had been widely discussed in previous centuries which does perhaps fall under the shadow of alchemy. Much of what we know today that is possible through technology allegedly seemed to be conceivable primarily through alchemy or black magic before the positive leap forward in the sciences. Nevertheless, philosophers such as Sir Thomas More and Sir Francis Bacon may have raised the first serious concerns about science and ethics. The intersection of ethics and science is the core contact point, whereby the purpose and limits of science create a mutual entity. Especially recently, the ethics of science has been a topic of discussion following serious trepidations. The 'abode' of science in human life is undoubtedly undeniable. However, when massacres such as Hiroshima and Nagasaki are commemorated, it becomes necessary to reinvigorate the limits of science. As a matter of fact, "during the past decade, scientists, laypeople, and politicians have become increasingly aware of the importance of ethics in scientific research. Several trends have contributed to these growing concerns" (Resnik, 2005, p. 1). In that sense, this article purports to vigilantly explore the inevitable ramifications of science on man through the science fiction novel The Invisible Man and the ethics of science. This study will also explore how psychology structures moral values or ethics in science, and how psychological derivations constitute humans' actions through the theory of Transactional Analysis by Berne, the theory of Spiral Dynamics by Graves, and the Drama Triangle theory by Karpman, through the lens of the science fiction novel The Invisible Man.