David Seems To Be The One With The More Profound Questions Over Others...

David8 understands complex human emotions but does not feel them himself ...

Kind if contradictory no ?

Perhaps, it's the absence of emotion that leads him to bolder questions than his "human counterparts" ......

thats BS, if a very complex android wouldnt have artificial set or developed feelings he couldnt work with humans at all... animals do have complex feelings, so does Dave..lol

David might have very complex evaluations of things that mirror our emotions functionally, but I'm assuming that at this point in the future (the timeline of the film) we still don't fully understand our own emotions, so how could they be programmed into David? If David is very curious I can easily see there being something about his programming that encourages him to explore, and there being some kind of reward feedback loop built in that makes him "feel good" about discovering new things, but I am dubious that he develops his own "human emotions" over the course of his time on Earth and during the journey. That said, I don't see why the Engineers couldn't reprogram him to have emotions if he makes that kind of contact with their systems. They likely understand the biochemical mechanisms of our emotions—at least the ones that traveled to Earth in the past likely did. Who knows what information is stored at this particularly facility and why.

I think the "more profound questions" you're talking about have to do with David seeking a purpose for his life. If there is dialogue in the movie as what you wrote above, David may be wrestling with the problem of seeing himself as more than just an android and seeking to be no different than his human makers. If that is the case, then there is a certain course of logic that follows that David was created by humans for no purpose other than we could and mankind was created by the "gods" for no other purpose than they could. David's conclusion would therefore be that his creators' lives are just as meaningless and expendable as his own.

"understands complex emotions [in others]" - in some philosophy, being able to do that is fundamental to having an emotional response oneself. When I have a pain in my foot, it's not as if that pain is like a stone that I can simply pass to you in my shoe, but you understand what I mean when I say it. That's a fundamental assumption that we all have to make in order to get along in human society. Does David feel basic physical pain? Is he motivated internally to do things? That could be a start if he can store his reactions to experiences.

Sirius Cybernetics introduces androids with Genuine People Personalities! David, he's your plastic pal that's fun to be with! [img]http://gal.darkervision.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/marvin-paranoid-android.jpg[/img]

David could well be a conscious being, but there is no way to know this scientifically. He does seem to have the hardware/software to behave emotionally (we see this in the viral featurette, which is done in a bit eerie way). One alarming feature is that he apparently has been given the capability of pride also (his posture in walk and words about "superior" species as he enters the star map room). Also, he seems to have a sense of what is dangerous or a challenge, when he says: "The adventure begins..".

Again, I will point to HAL as a possible inspiration. HAL tells Dave that he is afraid. Couldn't be clearer. HAL doesn't want to die. And just look at the threads about Ash and feeling. Scott, in the box set says Ash wanted to rape a woman. Now, wanting is not an intellectual decision made clinically. Ash may not "feel" but he wants to feel. Ultimately, both HAL and Ash are having an emotion without even knowing it, possibly. It is debatable, but saying robots/androids don't feel is just shutting a door that I think Scott wanted left open. No definite answers, but definite possibilities.

Just my opinion… So, the question is: Is PROMETHEUS’ android-David, a sentient being? Is he, or IT…a truly self aware, sentient creation? David is not a man, or even a human being. Neither was Ash, Bishop, or Call. So far, the ALIEN universe androids are basically, complex machines…crafted by flawed and fallible mankind, in his own image. They’re not made of organic “stuff.” They are humanlike robots. Glorified toasters...as charming as some of them are capable of acting. At least the BLADE RUNNER androids were some kind of flesh and blood. Whether or not the Replicant’s basic cell structures were based on real live human cells is unknown to me. But if they were, it would make a big difference to me personally, as to whether they experience true, actual emotions and feelings. I have always liked to imagine that at the cellular level, Replicants are some form of cloned HUMAN material, and therefore carry the true “spark” of life within. Which would in turn, allow for real feelings…and therefore rights. In this case, David is a machine…and incapable of experiencing true emotion. ~N

@Neurion -"In this case, David is a machine…and incapable of experiencing true emotion." Interesting. On begs to ask also: Can you be sure anybody besides you is experiencing emotion? (are they conscious?) And I don't mean to be facetious.

@AlsoKnownAsNate... awesome! I've read what everyone else has to say, and i agree with all sides. Man makes robot, robot is to be like human however different. Robot could become something entirely else... evolution.

takka x'3 said it better than me though! Damn that cat avatar is messing with me!