the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few origin

#The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few origin movie
#The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few origin tv

Later in the film, when crewman Chekov is in trouble, Spock insists that the crew save him, even at risk of jeopardizing the crew’s vital mission to save Earth and everyone on it. She replies, “Then you are here because of a mistake-your friends have given their future to save you.” (The crew had broken the law and had gone on the run in order to rescue Spock.) Spock says that humans are sometimes illogical his mother answers, “They are, indeed!” At the beginning of this film, Spock’s mother, who is human (his father is Vulcan), asks him whether he still believes that, by logic, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. We find an answer in the next film, The Voyage Home (1986). Kirk answers, “Because the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many.” This is, as Spock might say, a fascinating reversal of the message in the previous film. Once restored, Spock asks Kirk why the crew saved him. In the next film, The Search for Spock (1984), the crew of the Enterprise discovers that Spock is not actually dead, that his body and soul survive separately, and that it may be possible to rejoin them-which the crew proceeds to do. ” Kirk finishes for him, “The needs of the few.” Spock replies, “Or the one.”

Spock quickly perishes, and, with his final breaths, says to Kirk, “Don't grieve, Admiral. With the Enterprise (ship) in imminent danger of destruction, Spock enters a highly radioactive chamber in order to fix the ship’s drive so the crew can escape danger. In The Wrath of Khan (1982), Spock says, “Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” Captain Kirk answers, “Or the one.” This sets up a pivotal scene near the end of the film (spoilers follow).

Let’s first consider some instances and the relevant contexts. This claim is made in various scenes in the films, including in the latest one. When your party turns into a debate about ethics, you know it's either time to drop the bass or pack your bags and go home.With this week’s DVD release of Star Trek into Darkness, now is a good time to evaluate or reevaluate the oft-stated Star Trek claim, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few” (or “the one”). If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison 'awww' or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10. This quote leads to lively debates in philosophy and ethics classes, depending on how caffeinated the students are.ĭo a little Googling and you'll find bloggers arguing that the dark side of this quote could be used to justify terrible things like slavery and genocide. Maybe Spock wasn't as logical as we thought.

#The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few origin movie

Because he cares more about saving the crew than his own life.īut, hey, Spock got brought back in the next movie and even showed up in the 2009 reboot via time travel, so things didn't turn out too badly in the end.

#The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few origin tv

(Also, Vulcans aren't burdened by a pesky thing called ego.) The return of the Kirk/Spock combo comes in handy when on this 'routine' mission, they run into Khan, a super-powered tyrant, who is angry because Kirk marooned him back in the Star Trek TV show.Īnd Spock's quote comes back to make all the Star Trek characters and fans cry as he goes into a room flooded with radiation and sacrifices himself to fix the Enterprise's warp drive and save the day. This predisposition has launched a thousand memes and is key to his character and decisions in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.Įarly in the movie, Spock relinquishes control of the Enterprise to Kirk for a rescue mission, because Kirk was born to be a Starfleet captain. When you think about the iconic character Spock from Star Trek, the second thing that comes to mind, after pointy ears, is his obsession with logic. This line was spoken by Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy) in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, directed by Nicholas Meyer (1982). Society Politics Death Intelligence Movie Star Trek Franchise Assorted Movie Character Government Truth Context