Old Rossum, the dude who figured out how to make robots, was an atheist. He wanted to create human beings to prove that there was no God and man was an entirely material critter. R.U.R., though, overall seems to reject Rossum's argument. Robots aren't humans unless they have some kind of soul, and getting that soul in them seems to require more than just material tinkering—at the end it seems to involve a miracle of sorts. R.U.R. ultimately seems to believe in God—though whether it's a god of robots, of humans, or of both isn't entirely clear.
Questions About Religion
- Is Old Rossum a religious man compared to Young Rossum? What parts of the play give you your answer?
- Is there an entirely material, non-religious explanation for the love between Helena and Primus? What is it, and is it convincing?
- Nana believes that the robots are an affront against God. Does the play think she is right? How can you tell?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
In R.U.R., humanity is saved by God.
Sorry, friend, but in R.U.R., God is replaced by humanity.