To me it seemed like the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey does not just represent reaching a level of advancement within a species. Instead, it represents the development or at least the introduction of a new intelligent species. I considered whether the monolith was the beginning of a line of intelligent species all of whom are observers when the next is created.
Just the very basics of the idea are these. The first time the monolith appeared the monkeys who were previously just normal animals pick up a bone and become the first intelligent beings that we see: humans. Shortly after we see the monolith for the second time we are introduced to our second intelligent being, although we don’t see his development: HAL. And then finally the third time we see the monolith we are in a fancy mansion and are introduced to the third (probably) intelligent being: the star baby.
Now onto the thing I couldn’t convince myself of. The idea that the monolith is simply the first in a chain of intelligent beings who all create their successor in the chain and are all present with the introduction of each species. The first and most obvious link is again the monolith being there to create humans by expanding their brains and teaching them to use tools. Then again the monolith is there as the humans it made literally create HAL allowing the chain to continue. But here’s where this theory falls apart. It relies on the idea that the final part of the movie is the final electron pulses of HAL who has lost most of his memories and thinking capacity. So if that were true the chain would continue with HAL creating the star baby while both the monolith and a human were present.
Then theoretically the chain could continue with the star baby creating its own form of intelligent life and on and on forever inside of HAL’s last few moments. This then raises the quite off-putting question of whether or not it’s actually possible for us to say that we ourselves are not just random electrical pulses from a ‘dying’ computer.
Then theoretically the chain could continue with the star baby creating its own form of intelligent life and on and on forever inside of HAL’s last few moments. This then raises the quite off-putting question of whether or not it’s actually possible for us to say that we ourselves are not just random electrical pulses from a ‘dying’ computer.
You had a lot of good points. I myself have been interested in the origin of the monolith and what it means. I've read other people's theories that it's God. That would work well with your idea of it being a super intelligent entity.
ReplyDeleteI liked this, but the last sentence was pretty depressing
ReplyDeleteSomeone could argue that the space baby is created by HAL, although indirectly. Dave is the only one left in this mission so he's the only one that goes through the whole space baby ordeal, and he's alone because HAL basically killed everyone else off. That might be a bit of a stretch though.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that there's an ancient species that goes around essentially guiding other species on a path to achieve sapience and further evolve isn't new to me, but it certainly wasn't a lens I had applied to this movie. Interesting food for though.
ReplyDeleteSure--I'm not convinced that it's an exact chain, either. It IS interesting to think of HAL as the next step of evolution--not only the space baby.
ReplyDeleteHere's something I still wonder about: What are we meant to think about Dave's killing HAL (or about HAL's killing the rest of the crew)? It's self preservation, in both cases. It happens. Are we meant to draw some sort of ethical conclusion, or not? (Are we meant to draw an ethical conclusion about ANY of the deaths in the show?)
Sure--I'm not convinced that it's an exact chain, either. It IS interesting to think of HAL as the next step of evolution--not only the space baby.
ReplyDeleteHere's something I still wonder about: What are we meant to think about Dave's killing HAL (or about HAL's killing the rest of the crew)? It's self preservation, in both cases. It happens. Are we meant to draw some sort of ethical conclusion, or not? (Are we meant to draw an ethical conclusion about ANY of the deaths in the show?)
I agree that the monolith could signify each time an intelligent species is created by another, but I have no explanation for the Star Baby. Also, I don't think HAL could have created anything in real life (cause he's a computer and has no tools to make something)... but there are other computers like him, so who knows.
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