In I, Robot, people can be quite foolish about robots. First, they can be foolish and think that robots are a threat (which is foolish because robots are not a threat… right?); second, some humans can be foolish in how they deal with robots—giving them dangerous orders or ambiguous orders that could be misinterpreted. If I, Robot had one lesson for us about foolishness, it's that we could avoid a great deal of trouble if only we thought a little harder before we spoke. Especially when we're speaking to robots. Be sure to take note.
Questions About Foolishness and Folly
- We think most of the examples of foolishness in this book are human foolishness. But are robots ever foolish? For instance, is Speedy foolish when he's acting drunk, or is that something else? What about Brain, when he becomes a practical joker?
- Is foolishness a tragic flaw or more of a minor problem? Do foolish people get their way ultimately? Is there anything good about foolishness?
- Is foolishness related to ignorance? Or are all people likely to be equally foolish? For instance, Grace Weston doesn't understand robots, and she's foolish; but Calvin does know about robots, and she makes some foolish mistakes as well.
- Who is the smartest person and who is the most foolish person in this book? How does Asimov tell us who is smart and who is foolish?
Chew on This
Fools never win in I, Robot, which is why this book is ultimately a happy book rather than a tragic book. If fools won, this would be tragic.
Foolishness is a human problem, which is equally spread among educated and uneducated people in these stories.