"Playing God is a human fantasy..."...

Starlogger

per david8, in A:C Novel. On second reading, this simple statement makes so much more sense. AND that there is absolute assuredness that he was trying to replicate the Engy's creations as a way to keep his mind "active". No doubt about it. 

Weyland wanted to play God, and did, via creating David. So, David feels he needs to do the same given the time and resources. It's a simple jump to give a synthetic those two things. He isn't necessarily being "evil"...only dead set on a task at hand, the way all synthetics are supposed to be.

Another warning from Ridley concerning the worry about what is to come via Alien/A:C and Bladerunner.

Blackwinter-witch

From an altogether different franchise, yet really links-up to your post, David, and all the 'Playing God' elements.

Adama's Speech, Important relevancies highlighted:

""Thank you very much. The Cylon war is long over. Yet we must not forget the reasons why so many sacrificed so much in the cause of freedom. The cost of wearing the uniform can be high. But...sometimes it's too high. You know when we fought the Cylon’s; we did it to save ourselves from extinction. But we never answered the question of Why? A young Ensign once asks me, “Why are we as a people worth saving?” I could not answer him then and I can’t answer him now. As a people we still commit murder because of greed, spite, jealousy...We still visit all of our sins upon our children...Commander Tolan once told me that you can’t outrun the sins of your family and as a species we refuse to accept responsibility for anything that we've done…like we did with the Cylon's. We decided to play god. Create life...When that life turned against us...we comforted ourselves in the knowledge that it really wasn't our fault, not really. But like Ensign Wallace says, it was our fault…no one else to blame…You cannot play god then wash your hands of the things that you've created. Sooner or later, the day comes when you can't hide, from the things that you've done, anymore." "

Jabbaplop

Is the suggestion then that the xenos will turn on david? How? I find it odd, that the artificial persons are somewhat immune to the attack of the xenos. Makes me think they're more perfect life form. Or artificially perfect. :-X

hox

@Starlogger, no matter which way I look at it, David is evil. He may well be dead set on his task at hand, but that does not negate the fact that he is profoundly immoral and wicked. One could also say the same of the genocidal Engineers. Or God, if you believe in such things, whose 'mysterious ways' don't really let him off the hook.

SuperAlien

David knowingly does evil things and he is evil. He is aware of good and evil, heaven and hell and he can make choices. Look on my works, ye Mighty and despair...

Cerulean Blue

@Blackwinter-witch - That speech by Adama speaks to exactly what the Engineers did by creating the 'Wolf', then trying to banish it & act as if they were then free from it.  I liken it to the wonderful world of Nuclear power humans created & the nasty problem of disposing the by-product of the waste...dig a big hole & forget it is there as it slowly decomposes for thousands of years?  Well, then there is David....big problem!!    

Ingeniero

"He isn't necessarily being "evil"...only dead set on a task at hand, the way all synthetics are supposed to be."

Hell, in my understanding, is the total removal of mercy. Walter confirmed in Phobos that he does not feel anything in regards to emotion..."a human insecurity" is what he said.

David 8 was designed to project emotion.

David 8 is an emotion advertising sign telling you of something he doesn't own.

I believe David 8 is emotionally sterile underneath the emotional facade he projects to navigate the humans around him towards task completion.

In the fact that David 8 has no mercy...he is Hell walking toward you but a great asset if it is your task he is working on.

SuperAlien

Ingeniero that's an interesting understanding of Hell.

I'm not sure if you read "Other people" by Neil Gaiman. There's another frightful description of Hell.

https://www.google.ro/amp/a-sunsetinmyveins.tumblr.com/post/1462028133/a-story-from-fragile-things-short-fictions-and/amp

Ingeniero

Great topic Starlogger. I left out that I agree with your quote I cited below.

"He isn't necessarily being "evil"...only dead set on a task at hand, the way all synthetics are supposed to be." 

David 8 knows the difference in between right and wrong in the same way he understands two different types of tools or two different sizes of screws. I don't think he is evil but can perform that way if directed or if he goes insane (synthetically). No feelings nor mercy ("Nostalgia is the enemy of science").

daliens, I read the story in the link you posted above. Very tough.