This episode is one of many that explore the essence of a man and his personality vs. an android and his "persona".
The protagonist, Dr. Graves, is an expert in cybernetics. Living alone on a planet with a young woman associate, he has been exploring methodology aimed at adding a human persona to computer and android mechanisms.
The Enterprise is summoned by calls for help by his female aid, Kareen, because Dr. Graves is dying, as subsequently diagnosed. The Enterprise crew arrives to find Graves in pain and displaying bitterness, arrogance and regret over losing his life and the realization of many personal dreams.
The doctor makes particular effort to become close to Data, treating him as a grandson and telling him of his life and dreams. It becomes apparent that he has always loved Kareen and regrets the age difference that has prevented the possibility and consummation of a relationship.
After passing away, it becomes apparent that the doctor has transferred his persona into Data and has co-opted his body completely, suppressing Data's "persona" to an inactive state.
As his behavior in the body of Data becomes increasingly emotional, arrogant and erratic, the Enterprise staff figure out what has happened. The co-opted Data pursues Kareen and after being rejected accidentally injures her. This is followed by additional altercations and injuries to crew members, leading up to a plea from Captain Picard that the doctor relinquish control over Data's body thereby, according to the Captain "depriving another being of his life".
Once again we are confronted with the question of whether only a man can be considered a life form or whether an artificial machine with self-awareness should also be thus categorized and have his "right to life" protected.
As in previous reviews, I must once again point out the irrationality of such arguments and the degrading attitude they project on the human soul.
To my mind, all arguments about self-awareness defining a life form are absurd and reflect utter ignorance of computers and their programming.
No matter how much artificial intelligence, ranges of decision parameters, creative options and even random ideas that you program into an artificial mind, you can NEVER create anything like a human persona that has unlimited thoughts and feelings fashioned by his unique soul and identity.
The reason is simple: the android's programming - even if self-awareness is included - is never more than the programmed reaction possibilities written by the programmer. And the programmer is a human being who, along with all of mankind, has only limited understanding of himself and the human soul/mind.
More so, a program is just that - a preset rule-book of inputs and reactions - even if broad in possibilities, it remains totally preset and limited to an infinite degree, thus precluding any possibility of attributing such an android's decisions, words and actions to a unique persona of its own. The possibilities - however broad ranged - can never breach the bounds and idiosyncrasies of the program. Period.
Therefore, the android has no feelings and no independent identity, only reactions executed by the lines of code in the program.
The moral implications of comparing such an android to a human being are frightening and no less than a degradation and threat to the dignity and rights of true life forms.
Underlying this philosophy is a malevolent ulterior motive to neutralize the imperative of moral behavior, rendering all absolute human values relativistic.
"Obviously" it is claimed, any moral limitations and value judgments can be shown to be parochial and non-binding on others, by pointing out that these artificial "life-forms" can be programmed to simulate human life, with no acceptance of any or all human conventions and values. You can build a "Data" to do any vile or immoral acts with no compunctions about them, by simply programming him to lack all such values.
The goal of such a philosophy as appears in these episodes is precisely aimed at tearing down all societal expectations and moral absolutes, creating a "wild west" without human values - since "life forms" without such can be created - and where everyone can do exactly as he pleases as long as he has sufficient political backing to sanction his group's morality (or lack thereof) as a "valid" system.
The protagonist, Dr. Graves, is an expert in cybernetics. Living alone on a planet with a young woman associate, he has been exploring methodology aimed at adding a human persona to computer and android mechanisms.
The Enterprise is summoned by calls for help by his female aid, Kareen, because Dr. Graves is dying, as subsequently diagnosed. The Enterprise crew arrives to find Graves in pain and displaying bitterness, arrogance and regret over losing his life and the realization of many personal dreams.
The doctor makes particular effort to become close to Data, treating him as a grandson and telling him of his life and dreams. It becomes apparent that he has always loved Kareen and regrets the age difference that has prevented the possibility and consummation of a relationship.
After passing away, it becomes apparent that the doctor has transferred his persona into Data and has co-opted his body completely, suppressing Data's "persona" to an inactive state.
As his behavior in the body of Data becomes increasingly emotional, arrogant and erratic, the Enterprise staff figure out what has happened. The co-opted Data pursues Kareen and after being rejected accidentally injures her. This is followed by additional altercations and injuries to crew members, leading up to a plea from Captain Picard that the doctor relinquish control over Data's body thereby, according to the Captain "depriving another being of his life".
Once again we are confronted with the question of whether only a man can be considered a life form or whether an artificial machine with self-awareness should also be thus categorized and have his "right to life" protected.
As in previous reviews, I must once again point out the irrationality of such arguments and the degrading attitude they project on the human soul.
To my mind, all arguments about self-awareness defining a life form are absurd and reflect utter ignorance of computers and their programming.
No matter how much artificial intelligence, ranges of decision parameters, creative options and even random ideas that you program into an artificial mind, you can NEVER create anything like a human persona that has unlimited thoughts and feelings fashioned by his unique soul and identity.
The reason is simple: the android's programming - even if self-awareness is included - is never more than the programmed reaction possibilities written by the programmer. And the programmer is a human being who, along with all of mankind, has only limited understanding of himself and the human soul/mind.
More so, a program is just that - a preset rule-book of inputs and reactions - even if broad in possibilities, it remains totally preset and limited to an infinite degree, thus precluding any possibility of attributing such an android's decisions, words and actions to a unique persona of its own. The possibilities - however broad ranged - can never breach the bounds and idiosyncrasies of the program. Period.
Therefore, the android has no feelings and no independent identity, only reactions executed by the lines of code in the program.
The moral implications of comparing such an android to a human being are frightening and no less than a degradation and threat to the dignity and rights of true life forms.
Underlying this philosophy is a malevolent ulterior motive to neutralize the imperative of moral behavior, rendering all absolute human values relativistic.
"Obviously" it is claimed, any moral limitations and value judgments can be shown to be parochial and non-binding on others, by pointing out that these artificial "life-forms" can be programmed to simulate human life, with no acceptance of any or all human conventions and values. You can build a "Data" to do any vile or immoral acts with no compunctions about them, by simply programming him to lack all such values.
The goal of such a philosophy as appears in these episodes is precisely aimed at tearing down all societal expectations and moral absolutes, creating a "wild west" without human values - since "life forms" without such can be created - and where everyone can do exactly as he pleases as long as he has sufficient political backing to sanction his group's morality (or lack thereof) as a "valid" system.
