Abstract

Western science fiction is a product of western Romanticism and it intensely illustrates

the western scientific spirit. It is a special type of literary form born in the scientific times.

The social effects are the usual concern of the science fiction writers, and Asimov depicts

various vivid pictures of mankind in the future world of science and technology. Isaac

Asimov(1920

一

1995) is the most notable figure in writing those stories, and the most prolific

writer in the field. His works cover a wide range in subjects, and he is well-known for his

wild imagination. As to his attitude to science, his works show the optimistic scientific view.

However, they also reveal the human weaknesses at the same time. Asimov’s masterpieces are

enormous, but there are still many works which won him prize and the works he claimed to be

his favorites that can represent his style. This paper chooses several of the most outstanding

ones, some of which are claimed to be his best, to be the object to study. They are The Gods

Themselves, The Bicentennial Man, The Ugly Little Boy, Nightfall, The Last Question and All

the Troubles of the World. Asimov began a new era in the history of science fiction. Some

foreign critics have given a way to study them in a psychological view. However, there is still

very little study on this field in our country. Most people tend to study them in some common

literary criticism such as writing style, language characteristics and plotting, so this paper

made an attempt to study a tip of science fiction in a philosophical view which has a close

connection with psychology. The significance of this study lies in its probing in human nature.

This essay is a study about the representative works of Isaac Asimov, one of the most

notable figures in science fiction in contemporary times, from the view of Arthur

Schopenhauer on life will. The works include the ones on robots, the ones on powerful

computers, the ones on parallel planet and life forms and the ones on time traveling. Through

close study, I’m convinced that all the diverse life forms all comply with Arthur

Schopenhauer’s theory on life will, which is paramount. To be specifically, will is the root of

world phenomena or human activities instead of reason, will is intrinsically selfish and

concerns individual, life will is endless and shall always be the root of human pain. This paper

discussed the embodiment of the views in these fictions in detail.

The essay includes three parts. Introduction deals with something about the current study

on this subject both abroad and in China, the works to study and Arthur Schopenhauer’s

theory. The first part is chapter one which gives the embodiment of will being the root of

human activities. Human beings base their acts on their own will rather than other factors

such as reason, and reason is the slave of will. The second part is chapter two which gives the

embodiment of will being selfish. Individual’s will is prior to that of the others and one

species’ will is over all that of others. The third part is chapter three which gives the

embodiment of will being endless. The denial of will can bring pain, yet the fulfillment of will

can bring happiness. In spite of the difficulties people have to undergo, it is impossible for

people to give up their will. The human will is endless, and human desire is infinite, therefore,

the pain brought by the conflict of will is endless. At last, this paper would give a summary

about the topic.

Keywords: Isaac Asimov science fiction Arthur Schopenhauer life will

摘 要

西方科幻小说是西方浪漫主义时期的产物，集中体现了西方的科学精神，是科技时

代特殊的文学形式。科技进步可能对社会所造成的影响是多数科学家所关注的焦点，阿

西莫夫用他对科学的渊博知识描绘了一幅幅逼真而又充满惊奇的未来世界。艾萨克·阿

西莫夫(Isaac Asimov，1920 一 1995)是近代科幻小说中的巨匠，也是举世闻名的科普

作家。他一生著述颇丰，涉及题材多种多样，以其丰富的想象力著称。在对待科学的态

度上表现出积极的科学乐观主义精神，但是同时也对人性的弱点做了深刻的揭露。阿西

莫夫的杰作无数，但是他有很多获奖作品和他自己最喜爱的作品可以代表他的文学风

格，本文特意选取了几部知名的作品来作为研究的对象，其中有《神门自己》、《双百人》、

《丑陋的小男孩》、《夜幕》、《最后的问题》和《全世界所有的烦恼》，其中几部作品是

他的最爱。阿西莫夫开创了科幻小说的新纪元。国外一些科学家已经开始从心理学角度

来研究这些小说，但目前国内尚未形成对科幻小说研究的风气，大部分人还是从常见的

文学研究角度来研究，比如写作风格、语言特点和情节，所以本文做出了一次尝试，试

图从哲学角度来研究,因为哲学与心理学有紧密联系。此次研究的意义在于对人性的探

索。

论文从叔本华的生命意志论角度研究了当代最具声望的科幻小说家艾萨克. 阿西

莫夫的代表作品。其中包括机器人题材作品，电脑题材作品，平行星球及生命作品和时

间旅行方面的作品。通过研究发现，小说中的各种有意志生命形式都遵循了叔本华对人

类意志的观点，即生命意志至上的观点。具体体现在意志是世界表象或者说人类活动的

根源，而不是理性；生命意志具有自私利己的特性；生命意志是无尽的且是人类痛苦的

根源。本论仔细的从情节方面论证了小说中体现出来的意志至上性。

论文包括三章内容。引言大体介绍了国内外研究现状，研究作品和叔本华的理论，

及本文研究的意义。第一部分即正文第一章，论述了作品中体现出来的意志对行为的根

源性，人类把所有的行为建立在自身的意志之上而非其它因素诸如理性, 理性是意志的

奴隶。第二部分是正文第二章，论述了作品中体现出来的意志的自私性，个人的意志总

是先于他人的意志，本种族的利益总是先于其它种族的利益。第三部分是正文第三章，

论述了作品中体现出来意志的不可终结性和痛苦的无尽，意志的否定给人带来痛苦，意

志的实现则带来快乐。即使经历痛苦人也不会放弃意志的实现，意志是无尽的，人类的

追求是无尽的，因此意志冲突带来的痛苦也是无尽的。最后，结论部分对论文进行了论

点论据总结。

关键词：艾萨克·阿西莫夫 科幻小说 叔本华 生命意志

Contents

Abstract in English………………………………………………………………………… IV

Abstract in Chinese………………………………………………………………………...VI

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………….1

Chapter I. Will Over Reason……………………………………………………………......7

A. The Foremost Root of Human Behavior

：

Irrational Will……………………………....7

B. The Slave of Will: Reason ……………………………………………………………...21

Chapter II. Individual Will over That of the Others………………………………….......28

A .The Selfish Will of Different Life Forms…………………………………………….....28

B. The Selfish Will of the Individuals……………………………………………………...35

Chapter III. The Everlasting Will………………………………………………………......42

A. The Overwhelming Will of Immortality and Ease……………………………………...42

B. The Results of Unlimited Will: Endless Pain…………………………………………...46

Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………...54

Notes………………………………………………………………………………………….57

Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………………59

Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………..62

Academic Achievements…………………………………………………………………….63

1

Introduction

Isaac Asimov, the most well-known contemporary American science writer, the world’s

top science fictionist, literary critic, is the most colorful representative in the golden age of

science fiction in U.S.A. During his lifetime prolific writing history, he composed a lot of

works, including more than 100 science fictions, and nearly 500 works. In the 20th century,

he was regarded as the paragon of science fiction writer. He won the highest honor in the

field of science fiction: Hugo Award and Nebula lifetime achievement \"Masters Award\". The

\"Isaac Asimov science fiction magazine,\" which is named after him, is one of the most

important American science fiction literature basements.

Science fiction has been studied both abroad and in our country. Its study has gone

through several important stages. Some people have made great efforts to study this new kind

of writing in the most conventional methods such as analyzing its language style and

structure. Then a man called Martin Bridgstock suggested a new approach to study the “hard”

science fiction, which is psychological. In his view, hard science fiction has many other

fascinations besides their novelty. Gradually, critics have begun to reveal their value in the

field of human personality. About Isaac Asimov, the writer this paper is going to talk about,

Thomas D. Clareson says, “Virgil Scott suggested that his fictions not only tell exciting

stories but also something about ourselves.”

1

This paper intends to study it in a philosophical view hoping to throw some light on the

human nature. Up to the present time, there hasn’t been any study in this field, with most of

them staying in the field of writing style. The significance of this paper is to reveal human

nature by introducing a new way of study coming from Arthur Schopenhauer who is

considered to have exerted enormous influence on world psychology to study science fiction.

This paper chose several fiction from his representative woks, studied the common spirit

that they all share. They are The Gods Themselves, The Ugly Little Boy, Nightfall, The

Bicentennial Man, All the Troubles of the World, The Last Question and Franchise. These

novels cover a wide range of his writing subjects such as robots, the almighty computer, and

2

creature from time traveling, parallel planet and life.

Through study, all these representative works of Isaac Asimov shared one characteristic

in spirit which is that life will is paramount for all life forms. As long as life exists, the life

will is sure to continue to preside over human life instead of reason, because reason is only

given and passive in action, it is a slave of will. Arthur Schopenhauer says in his book,

“Everything must serve and slave for these will and desire”

2

. Just as Bai Xinhuan says in his

essay, that reason and knowledge is only the tools of will. The will to live, to breed, to get

reputation and status and so on is selfish and endless. The assertion of it means pleasure, and

negation of it would bring pain. Though it plays the role of root for human acts and pain, it is

by no means possible for any creature to abandon it. They spare no effort to realize it during

their lifetime. Once a will is fulfilled, a temporary satisfaction is gained. But shortly after this,

people will get bored and they huger for new pursuits which in turn bring pain again, for “no

attained wish can give lasting satisfaction”

3

. So life will remain to be the root of human acts,

and the pain it brought shall never stop because it is endless.

The theory part comes from Arthur Schopenhauer’s masterpiece The World as Will and

Idea. In its first volume, he demonstrates both the world as idea and the world as will. In his

opinion, the world is nothing more than appearance and phenomena stemming from will. In

one aspect, the world is idea, and in the other aspect the world consists of absolute will. “The

world is my idea…And the world is my will.”

4

He claims that the world as idea has two “elemental, necessary, and inseparable

halves”,

5

one of them is the object, and the other half is subject which is present in every

living creature. These two halves limit and depend on each other, in other words, they live

together and disappear together if they are separated. He insists that people should consider

all objects that exist including our bodies to be simply ideas. The thing that can grasp the

world and cannot be understood is the subject, which acts as the supporter of the world and

the fundament of all phenomena, because all the things come being for the subject which

is the idea of human being.

The world of the idea includes things that people can sense and abstract ideas. The so

called abstract ideas or concept are the unique possession of human being. Schopenhauer

maintains, “The ability for these is the most significant thing which can separate human being

3

from animals is named reason.”

6

All the phenomena or idea in the world act on some set of principles, but there is “a

force, a quality or character that underneath these actions”

7

, or the inner nature of these

manifestations of the human body. The thing is called will, which is the key to understand

human actions. It demonstrates the phenomena and displays the inner mechanism of its being

and his movements. The action of the body is nothing other than the objectified will. They are

entirely in accordance. According to Schopenhauer’s theory, the movement of will is

nothing about knowledge and reason which involves intellectual activity, because

thinking and knowledge belong to phenomena. Will only desires to be fulfilled in no

matter what way. In fact, will is regarded as some unconfined impulse, or more

precisely, blind impulse or unreasonable desire. All of human’s actions are merely the

phenomena of it. No one can act beyond it, because it is uncontrollable. Will is the

thing acting of its own accord. Those considerations for the future are just abstract action

of reason which belongs to the world of idea instead of the world of will. These

considerations are not direct movement of will but decision interfered by reason, though

immediate act of will are supposed to be reflected in reality.

When one’s will is realized, pleasure will be produced. On the contrary, if the action of

the body is not performed in accordance with will, pain will be produced. These feelings are

the immediate effect produced by the manifestation of the genuine will. In the course of

fulfilling will, action is supposed to be operated in accordance with will, though reason may

interfere and cause a variety of the phenomena. But reason is not the decisive element in

human activity. Because, will is the real root of the world of phenomena, reason is only a

servant to will, which only serves as a tool to help will realize human’s true desire and then

achieve satisfaction and pleasure. What’s more, the manifestation of will is accompanied by

knowledge but not directed by it, will functions instinctively and is expressed by human body

by acting voluntarily. The rational knowledge which originates from will is only a kind of

tool or implement, its fate is to be supportive of what will aims at, and it is passive, obedient

in accomplishing the task which will give. Arthur Schopenhauer says in his book that “reason

is feminine in nature.”

8

Schopenhauer here means that reason is not the decisive factor in

human actions, because it is given by will and it belongs to the world of idea or the

4

phenomena. So his function is just a slave or a tool. Though sometimes it can change or

distort the appearance, reason is not the origin.

He also insists that “in the same way, virtue and holiness do not stem from reflection or

reason.”

9

For example, the ethic principles and dogmas are almost the same in the all the

civilizations in the world of reason. But people’s reactions to them are entirely different. So

the good deeds do not come from abstract concepts but feelings. Though ethic codes give

people the guidance in the form of reason, people act according to his own will which is

underneath the appearance. It is difficult to identify the real source of human behavior due to

the confusion of other factors, because will is mysteriously hidden. However, one’s action

which originates from will and is in compliance with the abstract rules can give people great

pleasure and satisfaction. The application of reason or abstract ideas can contribute to the

good deeds, it’s just not the real source of the virtuous action, it serves as a principle when

one made a good decision in order to fend off any distraction when one is not very decisive,

thus helping the will to achieve its virtuous aim. In the same way, when one tend to do

something evil, he will also turn to suitable reason for help, for what he really desires can not

be changed. Will tends to achieve pleasure and satisfaction, so reason is just a slave, a tool, an

assistant in the process of the realization of will.

Schopenhauer explains this also in the appendix, virtuous action guided by reason does

not really mean virtue, it has no real ethical value at all, and it is very far away from virtuous

deeds. Because reason can be attached to both good and evil will, which means it can be used

by both through contributing powerful force to either of them. The root lies in will which is

the true origin of the phenomena of human deeds, and reason is only “receptive, feminine,

retentive, and not spontaneous.”

10

On the other hand, though reason can not guide the

genuine will, it can indeed change the appearance of will which is phenomena.

Just because human beings do not act on so called “perfect reason”, people will never be

able to get free from the torture and control of will which is the root of pain and suffering.

People live in the temptation of impulsive and blind desire instead of reason which can save

them from troubles and vexations. Pain will be produced if inner will is not fulfilled, so the

feeling resulted by frustration and the desire to realize it is the trouble that always afflicts

people. Yet will is something that won’t stop, people always has something to desire,

5

consequently, pain is limitless, human is destined to suffer, which seems inevitable. The only

solution to the pain is to give it up.

Will, the blind and impulsive human nature, is endless and people driven by it spend

their lives struggling for pleasure and fighting desperately against pain. All the substances in

the world have the tendency to attain something that hasn’t been gained. This endless pursuit

is always hindered in the process, and human will can never ever be satisfied and subsided.

Every time one goal is reached, another aim will appear, so one will’s end is another will’s

beginning. As a result people live in an endless circle. Just like any other creature in the

world, they pursue the pleasure brought by fulfillment of will generation after generation.

This process has never been stopped yet, if they themselves can not reach it, than they breed

offspring which are supposed to continue the journey. If the fulfillment of will comes at a

relatively fast speed, then one will feel relatively happy, if the realization of will comes

slowly, then, one shall feel frustrated and upset, Such is also human nature. If will stops

functioning one shall feel monotonous, dull and empty though not painful. Life without hope

will gradually become depressed. In the meantime, in the light of reason, one will find

something new to get, which then makes life full of desire and pain again.

In the world, there exist phenomena of all creatures’ will. Yet the will itself can only be

found in its inner self. So everyone longs for desirable things for themselves, want to take

everything possession, or at least conquer and manage them. If this desire is obstructed

and hindered, he will destroy all the things or people that stand in the way, for all the

tempting things and all the other individuals only exist in one individual’s world of idea. Thus

one’s will is all that he follows in the whole world. Each individual pursue his own desire

without being aware of other’s will. All the others are nothing more than phenomena in his

world. Then every individual is very insignificant compared with the whole world, he regards

himself as the centre of the world, he always considers his own existence and interest to be

paramount. In order to realize his desire and achieve his will, he is willing to give up

everything in the world for his welfare. Even if the whole world becomes the victim of his

will, he would still keep himself being fulfilled. This is egoism which serves as the

fundamental human psychological quality. Egoism is manifested in each individual in the

identical way, thus leading to the conflict of different will which exist in numerous

6

individuals. Schopenhauer reveals, “The sight or the description of the sufferings of others

affords us satisfaction and pleasure”

11

. In a word, His world is his will, any other thing are

inferior compared with his will.

Everyone treats his own death as if it were the end of the whole universe, whereas, he

regards other’s death as something trivial, this lack of sympathy proves that the real existence

of egoism. Under the condition of egoism, the conflict will be performed in the most fierce

and cruel form. Sometimes, one will’s affirmation involves other will’s negation, which

means selfish will usually force other will to serve its own interest. If other people’s strength

helps with his realization of his will, he will have no sympathy in the sacrifice of other’s will.

If the will of other’s contradicts with his, he tends to destroy them. Schopenhauer holds that

“the real virtuous deed comes from something called compassion”

12

. As he explained before,

virtue is something that can not be taught. Neither can evil be stopped by dogmas. What’s

more, the selfish egoism makes people tend to treat themselves as the only center of the

world. So the only source of virtuous deeds is compassion, which enables people to see the

others as themselves, thus treating the others in the same way he treats himself. But

compassion may conflict with will, so how people behave depends on whether it can conquer

all the other selfish wills. Schopenhauer come to the conclusion that, only through art and the

denial of one’s desire can human achieve everlasting happiness.

7

Chapter I Will Over Reason

Generally speaking, all creatures’ behavior or action including that of the alien stems

from the overwhelming will, no matter whether these deeds appear to be good or evil. All the

impulse or intuition guiding actions is irrational and illogical. Just as Schopenhauer holds that

the quality or the character which is called will instructs these actions, the inner nature

decides the phenomena. While at the same time, this unconfined will has nothing to do with

reason which includes all kinds of cultural conventions and ethical teaching.

A .The Foremost Root of Human Behavior

：

Irrational Will

Asimov’s science fiction The God Themselves shows many scenes concerning human’s

paramount will. In this novel, most of the characters reveal their true nature through their

deeds and thoughts. There has been a study on it called ‘the causes and effects of the main

characters’ being egoist as seen in Isaac Asimov’s The Gods Themselves ’, which revealed the

paramount and selfish will of human being by demonstrating the focus of their own interest.

Iskandar, Ryan Yeremia holds that “many characters pursue their own self-interest and they

act egoistically.”

13

It seems that human beings are a kind of creature that has sober reason,

but in fact all of them comply with a universal rule of will. This paper will demonstrate this

point in detail.

Lamont, the scientist who discovered the drawback of the Inter-Universe Electron Pump

was prompted by his hatred towards “the father of it”, Dr. Frederick Hallam to study the

pump. The Inter-Universe Electron Pump is a system which can transfer energy from one

planet to the other

，

and it is firstly identified by Dr. Hallam worshiped by people around the

world to be the greatest scientist. Nevertheless, the pump was firstly set up by the

parallel-Universe creature, which is not willingly admitted by Dr. Hallam, because the fact

will prove that human beings are less intelligent than the creature in the parallel planet. What

is worse, the pump has a very vital shortcoming which is that it will cause the solar system’s

downfall which in turn leads to the total destruction of the earth creatures.

8

When Lamont mentioned that the parallel planet creature was directing the pump and

they might be more intelligent than we were, Hallam lost his temper and criticized Lamont

severely without any reasoning. Lamont was deeply irritated and he felt obliged to revenge

for the cruel censure he received, he determined to repay Dr. Hallam in this point. Lamont’s

pain was caused by Hallam’s rude ignorance of the truth and his stubbornness in the

suggestion that human being are superior in intelligence to the other creature, and this pain

was the real stimuli for Lamont to make a further exploration. He intended nothing beyond

that at first. The fiction says, “He yearned to smash Hallam, destroy him utterly.”

14

So Lamont’s resolution to find the truth about the pump stems from his endless

exasperation towards the so called authority

—

Hallam. It was personal feeling and impulse

which played the first significant role in doing the right deed. In his mind, Hallam became no

more than a phony and a fraud. He was going to strip him thereby punishing him for


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