Does R L Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde have a hidden anti-science agenda?

Question

In the novel [*Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strange_Case_of_Dr_Jekyll_and_Mr_Hyde), Dr. Jekyll creates a serum that turns him into Mr. Hyde. Mr. Hyde commits several crimes. Even though Dr. Jekyll recognises Mr. Hyde as evil, he cannot resist the temptation to drink the serum again.The serum is the result of scientific research. Does this mean that there is a hidden (or perhaps not so hidden) anti-science agenda in R. L. Stevenson's novel?

Answer 1

Yes! Absolutely. Same agenda is clear in the book Frankenstein, just FYI. Just making people think that pursuing science will lead to evil. A more modern tale involving an anti science agenda is called Gattaca (starring Uma Thurman)- great movie but the whole plot is just a warning against tampering with human DNA. And Jurassic Park is yet another example of anti science cautionary tales.

I’d be curious to read a bit more about the authors of these books and whether they were extremely religious (you must know all about the endless battle between religion and science, most famously culminating in the disagreements between Galileo and the church).

Carry on with the interesting analysis of literature- hope this helps! :)

Answer 2

No, it is not anti-science, per se. Stevenson’s is depicting the dark side of human personality. In the story Dr Jekyll, an admired member of the professional Victorian middle-classes, conducts a series of scientific experiments which unleash from his own psyche the bestial Mr Hyde. Stevenson’s genius with Jekyll and Hyde was to show the dual nature not only of one man but also of society in general. Throughout the story, respectability is doubled with degradation; abandon with restraint; honesty with duplicity.