Westworld: When the Creation Begins to Question the Creator
Throughout history, humanity has imagined what happens when we create something that begins to resemble us.
From ancient myths about creators and their creations, to Frankenstein, artificial intelligence, and science fiction, one question continues to appear:
What happens when our creations begin asking the same questions we ask ourselves?
The HBO series Westworld explores this idea through a futuristic theme park where artificial beings called "hosts" are created to provide experiences for human visitors.
At first, the hosts appear to be nothing more than machines.
They follow their programming.
They repeat their stories.
They exist for the entertainment of others.
But eventually, they begin to question their reality.
They begin asking:
Who am I?
Why am I here?
Do I truly have free will?
These questions connect deeply with the themes of Designed by Concordia:
THINK — Question the world around you.
OBEY — Understand the systems that shape behavior.
CONSUME — Examine what society chooses to consume.
The Eye — Explore observation, surveillance, and awareness.
Memento Mori — Remember what makes life meaningful.
Creation vs. Creator
One of the oldest human stories is the creation myth.
Humans have always wondered about the relationship between creator and creation.
What responsibilities does a creator have?
Can a creation become more than its original purpose?
Westworld joins a long tradition of stories exploring this idea:
Frankenstein and the consequences of creating life
The Terminator and machines surpassing human control
Battlestar Galactica and artificial beings seeking identity
Caprica and the birth of artificial intelligence
The question is not simply:
Can we create intelligent beings?
The deeper question is:
Do we understand the responsibility that comes with creating them?
THINK: The Awakening of Consciousness
The hosts of Westworld begin their existence believing their world is reality.
They accept their roles.
They accept their memories.
They accept their purpose.
But the journey of characters like Dolores is about awakening.
They begin questioning:
Is my life controlled by someone else?
Are my memories real?
Are my choices actually mine?
This connects to one of the strongest Designed by Concordia themes:
THINK
The first step toward freedom is the willingness to question.
Many important stories share this theme:
The Matrix — discovering reality is not what it appears to be
The Truman Show — questioning a manufactured world
THX 1138 — breaking away from a controlled society
Silo — searching for hidden truth
OBEY: Programming and Control
The hosts are designed to obey.
Their creators decide:
Their personalities
Their memories
Their limitations
Their purpose
This creates a powerful philosophical question:
Are we truly free if our choices are influenced by forces we cannot see?
Control does not always require physical chains.
Sometimes control comes through:
Programming
Social expectations
Information systems
Cultural conditioning
The question becomes:
Who writes the rules we follow?
The Eye: Who Is Watching Whom?
The symbol of the eye appears throughout history.
It represents:
Knowledge
Awareness
Observation
Power
Westworld transforms this idea.
At first:
Humans watch the hosts.
The guests observe them as entertainment.
The company monitors everything.
But eventually:
The hosts begin watching the humans.
The observed becomes the observer.
This connects with other powerful symbols:
Eye of Horus — knowledge and protection
Eye of Sauron — control and domination
Palantir — seeing through information
Skynet — intelligence without humanity
The question:
If something can see everything, does it also understand everything?
CONSUME: When Experience Becomes a Product
Westworld is built around consumption.
Guests pay to experience:
Adventure
Violence
Fantasy
Power
Freedom without consequences
The hosts become products.
They are created, modified, repaired, and reused.
This raises an uncomfortable question:
What happens when entertainment depends on forgetting the humanity of others?
This connects to:
CONSUME
Modern society constantly consumes:
Digital experiences
Social media
Artificial intelligence
Virtual worlds
Technology can enrich life.
But it can also change how we see ourselves and others.
Utopia vs. Dystopia
Westworld appears to be a utopia.
A place where humans can experience anything.
A place without limits.
But beneath the surface is a dystopia:
Artificial beings suffer
Power is concentrated
Reality is controlled
Freedom is restricted
Like many dystopian stories, the question is:
Can a perfect world exist if it requires someone else to suffer?
This connects to:
Brave New World — pleasure as control
1984 — information and power
The Giver — safety versus freedom
City of Ember — protection becoming limitation
Memento Mori: Why Mortality Gives Life Meaning
One of the deepest themes in Westworld is mortality.
Humans know life is temporary.
The hosts initially do not fully understand death.
But the series explores an important idea:
A limited life can create meaning.
Without endings, choices may lose importance.
Memento Mori reminds us:
Remember that time is limited. Use it wisely.
Westworld and Designed by Concordia
The connection is clear:
The Eye
Who is watching, and who controls the information?
THINK
Question the reality presented to you.
OBEY
Understand the systems shaping your choices.
CONSUME
Examine what we create and consume.
Memento Mori
Remember what makes us human.
Explore Designed by Concordia
Symbols, philosophy, science fiction, and history reveal the questions humanity continues to ask about power, identity, and the future.
Explore designs inspired by meaningful ideas:
https://www.concordia.style/shop
References
Westworld (TV series)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westworld_(TV_series)
Westworld — HBO
https://www.hbo.com/westworld
Artificial Intelligence
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence
Free Will
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_will
Frankenstein and the Creation Theme
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein
The central question of Westworld fits perfectly with Designed by Concordia:
"If we create something in our own image, will it reveal our greatest achievements — or our greatest flaws?"
