Humanity One Very Interesting Aspect Essay

Total Length: 1841 words ( 6 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 10

Page 1 of 6



Picard: Like this hearing.

Maddox: Yes

With this acknowledged, Maddox admits Data is intelligent, but lacks self-awareness and consciousness.

Picard: What about self-awareness? What does that mean? Why am I self-aware?

Maddox: Because you are conscious of your existence and actions. You are aware of your own self and your own ego.

Picard: Commander Data. What are you doing now?

Data: I am taking part in a legal hearing to determine my rights and status. Am I a person or am I property?

Picard: And what is at stake?

Data: My right to choose, perhaps my very life.

Really, then, we see that if Data has information about his own beliefs and can extrapolate those consequences, he must then be self-aware and therefore, closer to being human.

Picard: Now tell me Commander [Maddox], what is Data?

Maddox: I don't understand.

Picard: What is he?

Maddox: A machine.


Picard: Are you sure?

Maddox: Yes

Picard: You see, he has met two of your three criteria for sentience. What if he meets the third, consciousness, in even the slightest degree? What is he then? I don't know -- do you? Do you? (Turning toward the Judge.). ….. Your honor, Starfleet was founded to seek out new life -- well there it sits. Waiting Essentially, then, what we see in the two extrapolations of myth -- R.U.R. And Star Trek., is the continuing redefining and moving of the label - human. Perhaps what humanity is less important that what it can become? and, perhaps less important in the humanness of the species is the ability of an organism to remain compassionate, empathetic, have a sense of self and others, and indeed, embodies humanness without necessarily being human?.....

Show More ⇣


     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Humanity One Very Interesting Aspect" (2012, March 05) Retrieved May 5, 2024, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/humanity-one-very-interesting-aspect-54750

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Humanity One Very Interesting Aspect" 05 March 2012. Web.5 May. 2024. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/humanity-one-very-interesting-aspect-54750>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Humanity One Very Interesting Aspect", 05 March 2012, Accessed.5 May. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/humanity-one-very-interesting-aspect-54750