Dexter Morgan. Just the title itself brings to mind memories of organized mayhem, a blood slide library, and that always soothing, slightly sinister voiceover. Dexter: Resurrection, the latest installment of the franchise (following Dexter: New Blood and Dexter: Original Sin), sees Michael C. Hall back in the role, grappling with the consequences of his actions and the potential inheritance of his "Dark Passenger" by his son, Harrison. Beyond the suspense and the familiar formula, there's a deeper philosophical question lurking: Can morality be codified? Can we program ethics? What happens when the code malfunctions?
Can Morality Be Smart Contracted?
Picture Dexter’s “Code of Harry” as a smart contract. Rather, it’s a complexly contrived set of moral principles devised by his adopted father that govern who Dexter can and cannot murder. A smart contract, in blockchain parlance, is an agreement expressed in computer code. It triggers by itself when certain specified criteria are fulfilled. Dexter’s killer code requires that he only kill other killers, the ones who’ve slipped through the cracks of the justice system. Sounds neat, right? A perfectly self-executing system of vigilante justice?
Here's the rub. Similar to smart contracts, Dexter’s code is only as good as the data it inputs. This is the "oracle problem" in blockchain. The main issue with smart contracts is that they usually depend on external data feeds (oracles) to push them into action. In other words, if the data is corrupt, the contract executes with bad data as its source, causing unintended consequences. Dexter’s targets, as selected based on community-sourced police report findings and investigations, are his oracles. What if that information is flawed? What if Dexter misinterprets the evidence? The system breaks down.
Dexter’s guilt over the murder of an innocent deputy in New Blood amplifies this basic flaw. No matter how well-intentioned the code, human judgment is fallible, and morality cannot be reduced to a binary equation.
Autonomy Versus Algorithmic Control
The libertarian in me shudders at the thought of pre-programmed morality, whether it's imposed by a "Code of Harry" or a government regulation. Whatever the rationale is, the intentions here are incredibly noble. They aim to create a society that’s safer, more inclusive, and more just. The truth is much more complicated.
Consider the potential for abuse. Who decides what constitutes "just" punishment? Who determines what the parameters of the code should be? In Dexter’s world, it was Harry—a basically good but misguided man. In reality though, in practice, it’s the elected officials and bureaucratic catastrophists, representing their own interests, their own biases.
Individual autonomy is a thing of beauty, even with the dangers it entails. It gives us the space to learn, take risks, change our minds, and shift our moral compass. Rigorous systems can kill innovation. Whether imposed by a smart contract or by government regulation, these rigid structures can have unintended and even catastrophic effects.
This is not to imply that all rules and guidelines are counterproductive. We should be careful about over-relying on algorithmic answers to complicated ethical questions. Humanity is messy, unpredictable, and gloriously flawed. Our morality should reflect that.
Blessing: A Glitch in the System?
Blessing (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine), the friendly ride-sharing driver, adds an additional fascinating twist. Blessing's unexpected act of kindness throws a wrench into Dexter's carefully constructed framework. Yet at the core of Mister Rogers lies the unpredictability of human interaction, the ability to create good even from the most unlikely of sources.
Blessing is the input equivalent of a rogue variable, an input that Dexter’s code cannot understand. Noah’s struggle is in part about realizing the limits of his pre-programmed morality. It opens his eyes to the idea that life could be about something deeper than just stalking and murdering. And so, can Dexter really be redeemed? Or is he doomed to always be controlled by the pernicious influence of his Dark Passenger and the Code of Harry.
Dexter: Resurrection, premiering July 11 on Paramount+ with Showtime, promises to explore these questions. Peter Dinklage, Uma Thurman, and Neil Patrick Harris are being added to the cast. Prepare yourself for lots of ethical dilemmas and plot twists! Let’s hope we can take a show like this to help start our contemplation about the moral gray occasionally in life. It equally warns about the blind faith in any system, no matter how lofty its intentions. This shouldn’t be too surprising, as even the best code is often found to have bugs! Sometimes, those bugs can be deadly.
