309:
cruelty or injustice. Calvin notes that a robot may avoid breaking the First Law if the "man" who is harmed is not a man, but another humanoid robot, implying that the heckler whom
Byerley punched may have been a robot. Calvin believes that Byerley's "teacher" is the real Stephen Byerley who after being severely disabled in his car accident, developed a human-like robot to achieve great things. In the binding text of
144:
131:
304:
The local election is discussed around the world and
Byerley becomes famous. During a globally broadcast speech to a hostile audience, a heckler climbs onto the stage and challenges Byerley to hit him in the face. Millions watch the candidate punch the heckler in the face. Calvin tells the press that
288:
photographs, but
Byerley wears a device which fogs the camera; he says that he is upholding his civil rights, as he would do for others if he is elected. His opponents claim that as a robot he has no civil rights, but Byerley replies that they must first prove that he is a robot before they can deny
300:
and boasts that he has never prosecuted an innocent man, but if he obeys the Laws it still does not prove that
Byerley is a robot, since the Laws are based on human morality; "He may simply be a very good man", Calvin says. To prove himself to be a human being, Byerley must demonstrate that he can
237:
for "Evidence" for $ 250. Asimov thought that he would become famous from a movie based on the story, but Welles never used the script. His wife, Gertrude
Blugerman, advised him to hold out for more money, but neither of them considered option payments which could be renewed every several years,
308:
Calvin again visits
Byerley. The mayor-elect confesses that his campaign spread the rumor that Byerley had never and could not hit a man, to provoke someone to challenge him. The robopsychologist says that she regrets that he is human, because a robot would make an ideal ruler, one incapable of
850:
246:
Stephen
Byerley is severely injured in a car accident. After a slow recovery he becomes a successful district attorney, and runs for mayor of a major American city. His opponent Francis Quinn's
840:
284:
of U.S. Robots, visit
Byerley. She offers him an apple; Byerley takes a bite, but he may have been designed with a stomach. Quinn attempts to take clandestine
576:
296:. Were he to violate one of the Laws he would clearly be a human, since no robot can contradict its basic programming. The district attorney never seeks the
835:
257:
Most voters do not believe Quinn but if he is correct
Byerley's campaign will end, as only humans can legally run for office. Quinn approaches
250:
claims that the real
Stephen Byerley was permanently disfigured and crippled by the accident. The Byerley who appears in public is a humanoid
743:
366:
254:, Quinn says, created by the real Byerley who is now the robot's mysterious unseen "teacher", now away doing unspecified scientific work.
687:
806:
659:
459:
313:
Calvin notes that Byerley had his body atomized upon death, destroying any evidence, but she personally believed that he was a robot.
569:
855:
258:
673:
845:
624:
562:
694:
371:
177:
73:
701:
666:
265:
robot brains, for proof that Byerley must be a robot. No one has ever seen Byerley eat or sleep, Quinn reports.
418:
645:
638:
603:
452:
293:
792:
652:
617:
542:
429:
411:
317:
148:
115:
341:
813:
722:
680:
631:
500:
486:
220:
750:
736:
610:
514:
799:
771:
586:
403:
305:
Byerley is human. With the expert's verdict disproving Quinn's claim, Byerley wins the election.
212:
189:
764:
729:
715:
521:
507:
493:
445:
247:
84:
375:
224:
165:
57:
281:
273:
269:
829:
554:
297:
195:
757:
591:
474:
277:
230:
208:
172:
31:
289:
his rights as a human, including his right not to submit to physical examination.
316:
Calvin promises to vote for Byerley when he runs for higher office. By Asimov's "
360:
234:
168:
27:
262:
708:
437:
469:
399:
272:
slowly persuades voters until it becomes the only issue in the campaign.
216:
183:
778:
528:
390:
268:
All attempts to prove or disprove Byerley's humanity fail, but Quinn's
136:
219:
in January, finished it in April in Honolulu while waiting to go to
285:
251:
558:
441:
238:
allowing the movie rights to relapse if Welles took no action.
851:
Works originally published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact
292:
Calvin observes that if Byerley is a robot, he must obey the
16:
Science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov
175:. It was first published in the September 1946 issue of
215:
from November 1945 to July 1946. He began the story at
335:
333:
111:
106:
98:
90:
80:
68:
63:
53:
45:
37:
21:
301:harm a human, which would violate the First Law.
320:", Byerley is head of the planetary government.
346:. Garden City NY: Doubleday. pp. 466–470.
570:
453:
8:
343:The early Asimov; or, Eleven years of trying
841:Robot series short stories by Isaac Asimov
577:
563:
555:
460:
446:
438:
383:
261:corporation, the world's only supplier of
425:
408:
395:
386:
329:
18:
367:Internet Speculative Fiction Database
7:
807:. . . That Thou Art Mindful of Him
14:
181:and reprinted in the collections
142:
129:
259:U.S. Robots and Mechanical Men
207:"Evidence" was the only story
1:
836:Short stories by Isaac Asimov
872:
178:Astounding Science Fiction
74:Astounding Science Fiction
702:The Tercentenary Incident
598:
481:
124:
26:
223:, and sold it to editor
744:Satisfaction Guaranteed
646:Robot AL-76 Goes Astray
340:Asimov, Isaac (1972).
294:Three Laws of Robotics
856:Works about elections
793:The Evitable Conflict
653:Victory Unintentional
543:The Evitable Conflict
430:The Evitable Conflict
365:title listing at the
318:The Evitable Conflict
149:The Evitable Conflict
814:The Bicentennial Man
660:Stranger in Paradise
221:Operation Crossroads
604:A Boy's Best Friend
211:wrote while in the
171:by American writer
846:1946 short stories
800:Feminine Intuition
688:Let's Get Together
587:The Complete Robot
404:The Complete Robot
213:United States Army
190:The Complete Robot
85:Street & Smith
823:
822:
765:Little Lost Robot
730:Catch That Rabbit
552:
551:
522:Little Lost Robot
508:Catch That Rabbit
436:
435:
248:political machine
158:
157:
154:
153:
863:
579:
572:
565:
556:
462:
455:
448:
439:
384:
376:Internet Archive
348:
347:
337:
282:Robopsychologist
225:John W. Campbell
146:
145:
133:
132:
126:
125:
99:Publication date
19:
871:
870:
866:
865:
864:
862:
861:
860:
826:
825:
824:
819:
594:
583:
553:
548:
477:
466:
427:
417:
410:
402:
397:
388:
381:
357:
352:
351:
339:
338:
331:
326:
244:
205:
166:science fiction
147:
143:
135:
130:
58:Science fiction
17:
12:
11:
5:
869:
867:
859:
858:
853:
848:
843:
838:
828:
827:
821:
820:
818:
817:
810:
803:
796:
789:
782:
775:
768:
761:
754:
747:
740:
733:
726:
719:
712:
705:
698:
691:
684:
677:
674:Segregationist
670:
663:
656:
649:
642:
635:
628:
621:
614:
607:
599:
596:
595:
584:
582:
581:
574:
567:
559:
550:
549:
547:
546:
539:
532:
525:
518:
511:
504:
497:
490:
482:
479:
478:
467:
465:
464:
457:
450:
442:
434:
433:
424:
407:
394:
379:
378:
369:
356:
355:External links
353:
350:
349:
328:
327:
325:
322:
274:Alfred Lanning
270:smear campaign
243:
240:
204:
201:
156:
155:
152:
151:
139:
122:
121:
113:
109:
108:
104:
103:
102:September 1946
100:
96:
95:
92:
88:
87:
82:
78:
77:
70:
66:
65:
61:
60:
55:
51:
50:
47:
43:
42:
39:
35:
34:
24:
23:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
868:
857:
854:
852:
849:
847:
844:
842:
839:
837:
834:
833:
831:
815:
811:
808:
804:
801:
797:
794:
790:
787:
783:
780:
776:
773:
769:
766:
762:
759:
755:
752:
748:
745:
741:
738:
734:
731:
727:
724:
720:
717:
713:
710:
706:
703:
699:
696:
692:
689:
685:
682:
678:
675:
671:
668:
664:
661:
657:
654:
650:
647:
643:
640:
636:
633:
629:
626:
625:Point of View
622:
619:
615:
612:
608:
605:
601:
600:
597:
593:
589:
588:
580:
575:
573:
568:
566:
561:
560:
557:
544:
540:
537:
533:
530:
526:
523:
519:
516:
512:
509:
505:
502:
498:
495:
491:
488:
484:
483:
480:
476:
472:
471:
463:
458:
456:
451:
449:
444:
443:
440:
431:
423:
421:
416:
414:
406:
405:
401:
392:
385:
382:
377:
373:
370:
368:
364:
363:
359:
358:
354:
345:
344:
336:
334:
330:
323:
321:
319:
314:
312:
306:
302:
299:
298:death penalty
295:
290:
287:
283:
279:
275:
271:
266:
264:
260:
255:
253:
249:
241:
239:
236:
232:
228:
226:
222:
218:
214:
210:
202:
200:
198:
197:
196:Robot Visions
192:
191:
186:
185:
180:
179:
174:
170:
167:
163:
150:
140:
138:
128:
127:
123:
120:
118:
114:
110:
105:
101:
97:
93:
89:
86:
83:
79:
76:
75:
71:
67:
62:
59:
56:
52:
48:
44:
41:United States
40:
36:
33:
29:
25:
20:
785:
758:Galley Slave
695:Mirror Image
592:Isaac Asimov
585:
535:
475:Isaac Asimov
468:
426:Followed by:
419:
412:
398:
396:Included in:
387:Preceded by:
380:
361:
342:
315:
310:
307:
303:
291:
280:, the Chief
278:Susan Calvin
267:
256:
245:
242:Plot summary
231:Orson Welles
229:
227:that month.
209:Isaac Asimov
206:
194:
193:(1982), and
188:
182:
176:
173:Isaac Asimov
161:
159:
116:
72:
69:Published in
32:Isaac Asimov
667:Light Verse
235:film rights
169:short story
64:Publication
28:Short story
830:Categories
420:Foundation
372:"Evidence"
324:References
263:positronic
233:purchased
203:Background
107:Chronology
91:Media type
22:"Evidence"
716:Runaround
709:First Law
639:True Love
494:Runaround
81:Publisher
786:Evidence
536:Evidence
470:I, Robot
400:I, Robot
362:Evidence
311:I, Robot
276:and Dr.
217:Camp Lee
199:(1990).
187:(1950),
184:I, Robot
162:Evidence
94:Magazine
54:Genre(s)
46:Language
779:Escape!
618:Someday
529:Escape!
409:Series:
391:Escape!
374:at the
164:" is a
141:
137:Escape!
49:English
38:Country
723:Reason
681:Robbie
632:Think!
501:Reason
487:Robbie
422:Series
415:series
134:
119:series
112:Series
751:Lenny
737:Liar!
611:Sally
515:Liar!
413:Robot
286:X-ray
252:robot
117:Robot
772:Risk
590:by
473:by
30:by
832::
432:"
393:"
332:^
816:"
812:"
809:"
805:"
802:"
798:"
795:"
791:"
788:"
784:"
781:"
777:"
774:"
770:"
767:"
763:"
760:"
756:"
753:"
749:"
746:"
742:"
739:"
735:"
732:"
728:"
725:"
721:"
718:"
714:"
711:"
707:"
704:"
700:"
697:"
693:"
690:"
686:"
683:"
679:"
676:"
672:"
669:"
665:"
662:"
658:"
655:"
651:"
648:"
644:"
641:"
637:"
634:"
630:"
627:"
623:"
620:"
616:"
613:"
609:"
606:"
602:"
578:e
571:t
564:v
545:"
541:"
538:"
534:"
531:"
527:"
524:"
520:"
517:"
513:"
510:"
506:"
503:"
499:"
496:"
492:"
489:"
485:"
461:e
454:t
447:v
428:"
389:"
160:"
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.