One could argue that Dr. Frankenstein did not realize what the consequences of his actions would be.  Many scientists fall victim to this fate.  They get so tied up in research and testing, they forget to think about what will happen if/when they achieve their goals.  In the time period of the novel, Dr. Frankenstein would have been entering into uncharted scientific territory.  There had never been attempts at the type of project he undertook.  Dr. Frankenstein become engrossed in his work and did not realize what the outcome would be.  We can see the horror he experiences as soon has his creation comes to life.  Surely Dr. Frankenstein never intended any of the crimes against humanity to occur.  Modern day scientists experience similar difficulties with cloning, genetically altered fetuses, and other areas of research.  It is difficult to know what the consequences will be before the experiments are successfully completed.  Once people thought that cloning would have disastrous consequences.  As it turns out, science has applied the technology to better uses than was once feared.  We do not have clone armies or clones of those we have lost.  Instead, science works to create cloned organs to save lives and help people.  Any new scientific field is frightening because we cannot possibly know what far reaching consequences the work and research will produce.