The Minority Report

“The Minority Report,” a short story by science fiction author Philip K. Dick, follows the story of Precrime Commissioner John A. Anderton as he decides whether or not he will commit the murder of a stranger, Leopold Kaplan, of which he has been accused approximately one week in advance of the event. Through this political and psychological dilemma, Dick explores the themes of predestination versus free will, the importance of personal values versus the greater good, and the passage of power to future leaders.

This guide refers to the edition of “The Minority Report” published by Citadel Press in the 1987 collection The Minority Report and Other Classic Tales by Philip K. Dick. The story was first published Fantastic Universe magazine’s January 1956 edition.

Content Warning: Some of the language used in this story, particularly in reference to cognitive condition and/or disability, may no longer be considered appropriate. The author’s original wording is preserved in quotations, but care has been taken to use more contemporarily accepted language throughout the rest of this guide.

The story, set in a future United States, opens with Precrime commissioner and founder John Anderton introducing his new assistant, Ed Witwer, to the Precrime law enforcement division. This system hinges on the predictions of three “precogs” named Donna, Mike, and Jerry: They are humans who can see up to two weeks into the future and prophecy events (73), including criminal activity. Anderton tells Witwer, “We seldom get actual murder or treason” (74). In fact, “Precrime has cut down felonies by ninety-nine and decimal point eight percent” (74).

When Anderton retrieves a precog punchcard delineating his future murder of a stranger, he hides the card before anyone else can read the contents. Insecure about his looming retirement and subsequent replacement, Anderton presumes Witwer is the culprit, possibly assisted by Anderton’s “slim and attractive young wife, Lisa” (75), who works for Precrime and takes an immediate liking to Witwer upon their introduction.

Anderton leaves the building before his deception is discovered and a warrant sent out for his arrest. However, Lisa is suspicious and confronts him outside Precrime about his odd behavior. Anderton shows her the card, explaining his own suspicions and his plan to lie low until the precog prophecy time limit has expired and he can prove that he hasn’t “the remotest intention of killing Witwer” (77). Lisa points out that the victim on the card is not Ed Witwer, but she cannot dissuade Anderton from his plan to prove his innocence.

Alone at home, Anderton is packing when a stranger kidnaps him and delivers him to the “luxurious private residence” of Leopold Kaplan (79), the very man Anderton is meant to murder. Kaplan introduces himself as “General of the Army of the Federated Westbloc Alliance” (79). His title explains how he knew about Anderton’s future crime; Kaplan saw the duplicate precog prophecy card delivered to the army. Anderton’s conversation with Kaplan is interrupted by the revelation that Witwer has assumed Anderton’s role as commissioner and is calling for Anderton’s arrest. Kaplan orders his men to take Anderton back to the Precrime agency; during the drive, these lackeys idly begin to question the Precrime system that Anderton founded, saying, “Maybe there’ve been other innocent people […] Maybe the whole system can break down” (81). Anderton is reluctant to engage with this query, instead wallowing in his own insecurity and despair.

Suddenly, the car collides with a bread truck. Before police arrive at the scene, Anderton is rescued by a stranger who introduces himself as Fleming and explains that the accident was a setup. Fleming gives Anderton a package, promises future contact, and then sends him on his way (82-83). Anderton heads toward the city slums, intending to hide out for the duration of the prophecy. He examines the package and finds, among other things, a note reading: “The existence of a majority logically implies a corresponding minority” (84). Anderton does not comprehend the meaning until he hears a radio broadcast from his rented hotel room explaining how the precog system works, as well as the existence of a “minority report,” via “the theory of multiple-futures” (85): Since more than one possible future exists, there are often differences between the precogs’ predictions.

Anderton realizes that his own murder prophecy has a minority report and returns to the Precrime agency the following day to view it. Upon examination, Anderton realizes it is a “multiple-future” scenario that proves Anderton’s original point about his lack of murderous intent. He makes a copy of the report, intending to use it to prove his innocence (88).

Lisa discovers him and convinces him to take a police ship to escape. She goes with him and learns about the minority report and its contents. She too begins to question the Precrime system and wonders if Anderton is the only falsely accused criminal (89). Anderton rejects this notion, though he can no longer completely shut out the possibility. He voices his intent to take the report to Kaplan to prove his innocence and acquire protection from law enforcement. Lisa agrees that Anderton is innocent, revealing that Witwer investigated Kaplan and discovered that “Kaplan heads an unusual kind of exclusive veterans’ organization [...] with a few restricted members” (89). Discussion turns back to the minority report; Lisa points out that if Anderton believes the minority report is genuine, then the majority report must be too. Also, Witwer’s behavior since assuming the post of commissioner suggests that he is trustworthy and merely wants to ensure the stability and efficiency of the Precrime system. To uphold these values, Lisa believes that Anderton must turn himself in.

Anderton strongly disagrees. Lisa threatens him at gunpoint, forcing him to turn back to the Precrime agency. However, the sudden movement of the vehicle reveals a stowaway in the ship: Fleming, who attempts to play on Anderton’s paranoia about Witwer and now Kaplan. According to Fleming, their conspiracy is why Kaplan’s name was on the prophecy, and why Lisa had the ship waiting to leave; the goal was to separate Anderton from his allies. Lisa denies this; Fleming ignores her and hints that Anderton’s subordinate, Page, has betrayed him as well. Then Fleming attempts to strangle Lisa in order to conveniently dispose of her while in transit.

Anderton knocks Fleming unconscious with his own gun, gives control of the vehicle to Lisa, and searches Fleming for answers. Anderton discovers that Fleming is under Kaplan’s command and finally realizes the truth: Kaplan wants to keep Anderton out of police custody, and Lisa and Witwer have not been conspiring against him after all. Anderton requests that Lisa put him in contact with Witwer, who tells him that Kaplan just left the Precrime agency after acquiring copies of all precog reports on Anderton’s case.

Anderton and Lisa return to the agency and meet with Witwer. Anderton explains that Wally Page has been an army spy in Precrime all along. Recognizing that Witwer is not conspiring against him, Anderton now worries that Kaplan will come out victorious in the current political struggle between the army and the Precrime agency. Witwer allies himself with Anderton; though he acknowledges he wants the position of precrime commissioner position, he admits that he still has much to learn about the job. Meanwhile, Anderton decides to study the other precog reports about his supposed murder as they “might give [him] some ideas” (95).

Anderton assumes the other precog reports will “be identical” (95); however, he is mistaken. Anderton tells Witwer that despite having no desire to murder Kaplan—the minority report is “absolutely correct” (96)—he has no other choice but to murder him to uphold the Precrime system. As a final request, Anderton asks that Witwer arrange for his exile to a colony planet instead of life imprisonment.

To carry out his mission, Anderton finds General Kaplan and convinces him that he (Anderton) still desires to prove his innocence, even if that means destroying the Precrime system. Kaplan in turn explains how he intends to proceed: By comparing both reports and using Anderton as an example, he will reveal the flaws of the current system and upset the status quo. Anderton goes along with the plan, joining Kaplan onstage at the army rally and listening to Kaplan give his speech. However, before Kaplan can reveal the minority report, Anderton assassinates him and is apprehended by the police.

Time passes. Anderton and Lisa prepare for their exile to the colonies. Witwer, now officially Precrime commissioner, comes to bid farewell and to demand an explanation of the precog reports on behalf of the Senate. Anderton tells Witwer that “[e]ach report was different [...] was unique” and that each subsequent report canceled out its precursor (101). However, because no report followed the third one to disprove it, it was therefore the “correct” one (101).

As Anderton and Lisa prepare to depart, Witwer asks a final question: “Will it [Anderton’s case] happen again?” (101). Anderton replies that it could, but only in one circumstance: Only the police commissioner would have “access to the data” (101). Anderton takes satisfaction in observing Witwer grappling with the same politics of the position that Anderton himself once did, and he tells Witwer, “It might happen to you at any time” (102).