What Could The Top Layer Of Arnold’s Pyramid On Westworld Be?
The Westworld Season 1 finale added a new level to Arnold’s pyramid, but what could it be?
During Westworld Season 1, we were shown Arnold’s drawing of a pyramid. This pyramid was designed to show the layers of consciousness in a host’s mind. The bottom layer was memory, the second was improvisation and the third was self-interest. The three-stage pyramid served as a road map to the artificial intelligence gaining consciousness; however, Dr. Ford revealed that the Pyramid was incomplete.
Dr. Ford showed us a fourth layer above self-interest, but he left it blank. This drove fans to attempt to decipher what the fourth slayer could be, but there has been no consensus. Since Season 2 is fast approaching, we thought it would be a good idea to tackle this topic, and see if we can solve Dr. Ford’s riddle.
The Psychology Of Westworld And Arnold’s Goal
[Credit: HBO]
If we are trying to understand what the top layer Arnold’s pyramid is, we must understand the bigger picture and what he was trying to accomplish.
The bulk of Westworld Season 1 centered around the relationship between the hosts and humans. This sounds like a simple concept; however, it was more about discovery than interaction. As the audience, we were shown pieces of the puzzle, and much like the hosts themselves, we were trying to figure out the bigger picture.
The main overarching theme in Westworld was the concept of consciousness. Questions like, what does it mean to be human and what is free will? These sorts of philosophical questions are not easy to tackle, and they are even harder to grasp. Westworld presented these questions as narrative arcs for both the humans and hosts, but they barely scratched the surface.
From what we understand from Season 1, Arnold’s mission was to create life. More specifically, He wanted to create an artificial intelligence that could operate of its own free will. Sadly, he did not live to see this happen, but he ultimately succeeded with Maeve. It’s an overwhelmingly complicated premise; however, his pyramid of consciousness was a success.
It’s easy to see the danger in making an A. I. self-aware, but it’s also extremely fascinating. So, what was the fourth level of the pyramid that Maeve attained? When you boil it down to the simplest of terms, the answer might seem obvious.
What Is The Final Layer Of Arnold’s Pyramid?
[Credit: HBO]Arnold’s pyramid is based loosely on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This model is also a pyramid, but it has 5 layers broken into 3 segments. The bottom two layers are basic needs. The first layer are physiological needs like food, water and shelter, and the second layer are safety needs.
The second segment compiles mankind’s physiological needs, such as a sense of belonging, relationships, self-esteem and a sense of accomplishment. This segment is comprised of the fundamental traits that make us human. The top of the pyramid is self-actualization, or to put it simply, the human need to be creative and achieve one’s true potential.
It’s easy to see the similarities between the pyramid, but Arnold’s is detailing the hosts cognitive function rather than its needs. The bottom layer of Arnold’s pyramid is the basic function of memory. All computer programs have it. The next step is improvisation, or the ability to step outside a set parameter to achieve a goal.
The third step is self-interest, which is where things get confusing. If we go purely off the one word description, it suggests the host is putting its needs and goals above its programming. This step could be a bit of a mislead, because it could have nothing to do with action. Recognizing your needs and acting upon them are two completely different animals.
If we look at the steps that proceeded it, the obvious choice for the fourth column becomes free will. This means the host not has the ability to recognize they have a choice, but they can also act upon it. We saw this from Maeve in the finale when she chose to go after her daughter instead of leaving the park. She stepped outside the bounds of her programming and acted of her own volition.
There are theories suggesting that the fourth layer could be the bicameral mind; however, we will tackle that idea in a future article. Make sure you follow Beyond Westworld on Twitter and Facebook for the latest new, theories and rumors regarding Westworld Season 2.