Stoicism & Star Trek

7/23/2019 Stoicism & Star Trek

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Stoicismul & Star Trek: Gnde te ca Spock Ac ioneaz precum Kirk de Jen Farren

Kirk (n stna! & Spock (n dreapta!

Star Trek"ul oriinal din #$%% a ost un serial T' cu idei ilosoice mari )reatorulserialului* Gene +odden,err-* era un umanist care .oia s arate persona/elecoopernd n mod ra ional i uman Serialul a e0plorat etica* ilosoia i politica* a.nd o distri,u ie multirasial i primele sruturi interrasiale tele.izate

1ar serialul a a.ut de asemenea propria sa .ariant a stoicismului 2ntr"ade.r*Gene +odden,err- spunea c a creat n mod inten ionat un persona/ stoic*

Spock* ca unul dintre cele trei persona/e principale alturi de dr 3c)o- i Kirk

4entru noi* anii stoicismului i (poate! ai Star Trek"ului* acest lucru ridic ontre,are interesant: ct de stoic este Spock n realitate5 6ste un 7n elept stoic8.erita,il sau mai dera, este un 7stereotip stoic8* care inor emo iile i este mnat e0clusi. de ctre ra iune5
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2n acest articol* purced s descopr rspunsul la aceast ntre,are* e0plorndundamentele ilosoice ale Star Trek"ului

Spock: stoic stereotipic sau n elept stoic?

2nainte de a lua n considerare aceast ntre,are* s .edem mai nti cedeine te stoicul ideal* dup spusele lui Seneca:

7Furtuna nu aecteaz priceperea crmaciului i nici elul cum se olose te de iscusin a sa 9ar crmaciu nu i"a promis o cltorie reu it ci realizarea practic a sarcinii sale i anume c are cuno tin e temeinice n crmuirea unei cor,ii

i cu ct este stn/enit mai mult de ntmplrile potri.nice cu atta de.ine maie.ident priceperea sa Furtuna nu inter.ine n trea,a crmaciului ci doar nsuccesul su 7 i atunci8 spui tu* 7crmaciul nu suer din cauza niciunei

mpre/urri care nu"i permite s a/un n port* i zdrnice te eorturile i ie l poart n lar ie i ine cora,ia n lan uri sau i despoaie catarele58 2ntr"ade.r* nu numai c nu mpiedica arta crmaciului ,a ciar o etaleaz; cci dup cumspune pro.er,ul* oricine poate s ie crmaci pe o mare lini tit< 1ar n eleptul este ntotdeauna n ac iune* cel dinti la lucru ciar atunci cnd soarta potri.nici"a ,locat drumul i de apt* atunci i des oar cu ade.rat n elepciunea8

Scrisori ctre =ucilius* Scrisoarea >?

2n rezumat* stoicul ideal tre,uie s dea do.ad de putere de rezisten n timp decriz* s tie ce poate i ce nu poate controla i s dovedeasc asta prinac iunile sale 1up cum scrie Seneca n alt parte: 7@icio soart sau mpre/uraree0tern nu"l poate opri pe n elept din ac iune8 1eci* care dintrepersona/ele principale din Star Trek se ridic la nl imea acestui ideal5

=a prima .edere* dou lucruri ac ca Spock s par un stoic .erita,il

3ai nti* el accept realitatea* o,ser.nd cu ri/ dac lucrurile sunt sau nu su,controlul su 6l spune: 7)eea ce este necesar nu este niciodat lipsit de
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n elepciune8 )redin a stoicului este c dac luptm mpotri.a a ceea ce este necesar .om sueri din conruntare* n timp ce dac l acceptm putem rmnecalmi =oica de elul acesta ne poate simpliica oarte mult .ia a 3arc Aureliuo,ser.a c o mare parte din ce acem i ce spunem nu este necesar 6l i punea ntr"ade.r adesea ntre,area: 7oare acesta este unul dintre lucrurile

necesare de cut582n al doilea rnd* Spock o,ser. lucrurile r s adaue opinii suplimentare:7Fascinant este un cu.nt pe care l olosesc pentru e.enimente nea teptate8)ci urmnd reula stoic de a socoti numai lucrurile ce sunt su, controlul tu ca,une sau rele i pe restul lucrurilor ca 7ascinante8 do,nde ti calm mental Se lea cu ideea stoic c ceea ce ne tul,ur sunt propriile /udec i mai dera,dect e.enimentele n sine Asta se reer la simpla constatare a lucrurilor ieliminarea opiniilor asociate cu ele

1ar am,ele aspecte sunt n eltoare i n realitate creeaz o impresie als

despre caracterul lui Spock de o loic necru toare* ce.a care l ace s de.inun stoic de propor ii reduse* un stoic stereotipic

Asta reiese clar din ri/a sa pentru controlul emo iilor: 74rincipiile noastre loicene oer o serenitate pe care oamenii (#! rareori o triesc pe deplin i noi a.ememo ii 1ar le tratm cu ermitate i nu le lsm s ne controloze8 Asta nu e deloc u or pentru Spock 1e e0emplu* n episodul 7Timpul lacrimilor8 l .edem peSpock repetnd 7sunt stpn pe propriile mele emo ii8* nainte de iz,ucni nlacrimi Totu i crucial* din punctul de .edere al stoicului ideal reprezentat ca unom de ac iune * este aptul c ncrederea e0cesi. n loic a lui Spock lconduce adesea la un el de paralizie 7indus de loic8 Atunci el spune: 7@u amdestule inorma ii8 i 7datele insuiciente atra ntotdeauna pericolul dup ele8

A adar* loica i spune c aleerea cea mai ,un e cea care prezint riscul celmai mic sau c mai multe inorma ii .or duce la decizii mai ,une; dar astareprezint o deormare coniti. dup cum ne spune tiin a modern* adesea* nu e0ist nicio corela ie ntre cantitatea de inorma ii i precizia rezultatului 2ntr" ade.r* loica sa l ace pe Spock deetist atunci cnd nu poate identiica nicioop iune loic sau .reo ans de succes: 7=a a* atunci cnd suntem ntrecu i de ad.ersar* /ocul s"a terminat* a mat8 4entru Spock* lucrul cel mai importanteste loica i nimic altce.a


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na peste alta* Spock nu prea este un n elept stoic 1e i are unele nclina ii* el nu reu e te n mod constant s ie un om de ac iune 2n plus* eliminndu" i complet emo iile se conormeaz stoicului stereotipic spre deose,ire de stoiculreal care inte te s" i culti.e emo iile poziti.e precum ,ucuria i aec iunea pentru ceilal i

4rin urmare* dac Spock nu este stoicul nostru .erita,il atunci prere a.e idespre 3c)o-5

3c)o- este la polul opus a de Spock: emo ie r ra iune i astel ciar mai departe de modelul n eleptului stoic 2 i asum riscuri care l pun pe el i pe al ii

n pericol 3c)o- i Spock sunt ntr"un impas i nu e o surpriz s"i .edem pe Spock i 3c)o- certndu"se n cele mai multe dintre episoade e cazul s selase ida i de ra iune sau emo ie5 S lum n considerare urmtorul scim, de replici:

3c)o-: 7Sunt stul pn peste cap de loica ta8

Spock: 7Asta este ct se poate de iloic* este mai loic s sacriicm o .ia dect ase @e.oile celor mul i dep esc ne.oile celor pu ini sau a unui sinur8


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6ste interesant c aceast diotomie i se te ecoul n neuroloia modern 2n cartea sa Gndire rapid, gndire lent, 1aniel Kaneman spune c creierul seolose te de dou sisteme: sistemul # ia decizii rapide pe ,aza emo iilor* n timp ce sistemul B ia decizii comple0e pe ,aza analizei i a loicii )u toate acesteaam,ele sisteme pot asiura realizarea o,iecti.ului stoic de a ac iona pentru,inele comun Sistemul # (3c)o-! realizeaz aceasta prin rspunsuri emo ionaleautomate care declan eaz ac iuni de prote/are a celor n pericol 6l i .a risca .ia a pentru ceea ce simtec este corect Sistemul B (Spock! realizeaz aceastaprintr"o analiz deli,erat 6l i .a risca .ia a dac este logic 4entru al esteiloic s ucizi r moti. dat uneori este loic s ucizi ca atare este ata s" isacriice .ia a pentru a prote/a ecipa/ul Aceast diotomie i"a sit ecoul n studiul lui Koeni despre dilemele morale* studiu reeritor la .tmarea ipotetica unei persoane pentru a sal.a mai multe Trei rupuri au ost testate dintre careunul a.ea unc ia emo ional diminuat S"a descoperit c nlturarea conlictului dintre emo ii i ra iune a sal.at mai mul i oameni atunci cnd CDE dintre cei din rupul cu unc ia emo ional diminuat au ost de acord s ac ru unei persoane pentru a sal.a mai multe n compara ie cu numai BD E dintre ceilal i

1ar ce prere a.e i depre Kirk* ultimul din trio5 6ste el mai aproape n .reun elde idealul stoic5 Kirk spune c nu /oac a /oac pocer: un /oc care cere opricepere deose,it i asumarea de riscuri* totul pentru c tia cu cr ile care i" au ost mpr ite 2n mod asemntor* 6pictet .or,e te despre 7zarurile .ie ii8 i cum c ar tre,ui s folosim cu grij zarurile care ne"au .enit: 79mita ii pe aceiacare practic /ocurile de zaruri Jetoanele sau zarurile sunt indierente: de undes tiu ce o s"mi .in5 Trea,a mea este s m olosesc cu promptitudine i

ndemnare de ce"mi .ine8 (Discursuri B?!
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2n elul acesta* Kirk ncearc s pstreze ecili,ru ntre emo ii i ra iune dar r a pierde .reodat din .edere s ac ioneze Aleerile i ac iunile sale l ac s" i asume riscuri pentru ,inele comun ciar i atunci cnd lucrul cel mai loic ar i s

nu ac nimic )um.a* poate amestecul acesta perect de emo ii poziti.e i imperati.e etice* asemenea unui amestec de ce e mai ,un n Spock i n 3c)o-*este stoicul real din Star Trek: un om de ac iune i n acela i timp contemplativ 1up nse i spusele cpitanului Kirk: 71omnilor* discutm n ol* aide i s merem s o, inem ni te rspunsuri8

1ar ,inen eles din punct de .edere cinematoraic nu conteaz dac ade.ratulstoic din Star Trek nu este persona/ul stoic 4entru asta Spock nu ar i tre,uit sie portretizat a a cum era crucial pentru dinamica dintre persona/ele principaledin serial 2ntr"ade.r* iecare episod e0plor conlictul dintre ra iune i emo ii prin rela iile lui Spock cu celelalte persona/e Gene +odden,err- spune ( n cartea lui

6dard Gross din #$$?! c n mod deli,erat a:

7=uat persoana perect i a mpr it"o n trei* partea manaerului cura/os pentru cpitan (Kirk!* partea loic pentru consilierul tiin iic (Spock! i partea umanist pentru doctor (3c)o-!8

A adar* surs aceasta peren de conlict interior dintre ra iune i emo ii se des oar oarte clar n Star Trek Stepen Fr- surprinde perect modul cumStar Trek a pus n scen aceast ciocnire dintre ra iune i emo ii:

7=a mi/loc l a.em pe cpitan care ncearc s men in ecili,ru ntre umanitatea

sa i ra iunea sa =a stna lui e dr 3c)o- plin de apetituri i trupesc =a dreapta lui e Spock care e cu totul ra ional Amndoi sunt imperec i deoarece nu reu esc s" i men in ecili,ru i sunt n rz,oi unul cu cellalt; 3c)o- l atac

ntotdeauna pe Spock 9ar Kirk este la mi/loc* reprezentnd solu ia perect i nu numai asta dar planetele pe care le .iziteaz de o,icei ac re eala s ie saumult prea ordonate* prea ra ionale i prea loice (a a c i ucid pe disiden i i o ac ntr"un mod calm i ra ional! i au ne.oie s n.e e s ie un pic mai umane Sau sunt rase sl,atice care au ne.oie de ra iune i ordine8
http://www.amazon.com/Captains-Logs-Unauthorized-Complete-Voyages/dp/0316329576http://www.amazon.com/Captains-Logs-Unauthorized-Complete-Voyages/dp/0316329576http://i1.wp.com/blogs.exeter.ac.uk/stoicismtoday/files/2014/02/StarTrek5.jpghttp://www.amazon.com/Captains-Logs-Unauthorized-Complete-Voyages/dp/0316329576http://www.amazon.com/Captains-Logs-Unauthorized-Complete-Voyages/dp/0316329576


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9ar dac Spock tre,uia s ie 7un stoic stereotipic8 mai dera, dect un n eleptstoic pentru a aduce pe marele ecran acest conlict uman peren atunci cu attmai ,ine pentru enera ii ntrei de ani Star Trek

+eerin e:

Aen ia )entral de 9norma ii ()9A! 7)iar a.e i ne.oie de mai multeinorma ii58: ttps:ciao.li,rar-center"or"te"stud-"o"intelliencecsi"pu,lications,ooks"and"monorapsps-colo-"o"intellience"anal-sisart>tml

Fr-* S* 7Stepen Fr- e0plic cum ace Star Trek letura ntre @ietzsce iGrecia antic8: ttp:trekmo.iecomBD##DHDC.ideo"o"te"da-"stepen"r-"

e0plains"o"star"trek"ties"into"nietzsce"and"ancient"reeceGross* 6* 7Jurnalele cpitanilor: edi ia neautorizat a tuturor cltoriile StarTrek8 =ittle Iron & )o* #$$?

Kaneman 1* 7Gndire rapid, gndire lent, 4u,lica* BD#B

Koenis* oun et al* 71eteriorarea corte0ul prerontal duce la cre terea puteriide /udecat moral practic8* n re.ista Nature* CC%* pp $D>"$##* BDDH

Sursa articolului: ttp:,lose0eteracukstoicismtoda-BD#CDB#%stoicism"star"trek"tink"like"spock"act"like"kirk",-"/en"arren

Traducerea realizat dup te0tul oriinal din lim,a enlez de )onstantin Toatedrepturile apar in autorului articolului

Not

(#! Spock este .ulcanian
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Stoicism & Star Trek: Think like Spock

Act like Kirk

Jen Farren

Kirk (left) & Spock (right)

The original Star Trek of 1966 was a TV show with big philosophical ideas. The showscreator, Gene oddenberr!, was a h"manist who wanted to show characters co#operating

with reason and h"manit!. The show e$plored ethics, philosoph! and politics, had a

m"lti#racial cast and the first tele%ised inter#racial kiss.

"t the show also had its own take on Stoicism. 'ndeed, Gene oddenberr! said that heintentionall! created a Stoic character, (Spock, asone of the three main characters

alongside )r *c+o! and irk.
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-or "s fans of Stoicism and perhaps/ of Star Trek, this raises an interesting 0"estion

how (Stoic is Spock e$actl!2 's he !o"r gen"ine (Stoic sage or is he more of a

(stereot!pical stoic, ignoring emotions and go%erned p"rel! b! reason2

'n this article, ' set o"t to find the answer, b! e$ploring the philosophical "nderpinnings

of Star Trek.

Spock: Stereotypical stoic or Stoic sage?

efore we consider this 0"estion, lets first look at what makes the ideal Stoic, in the

words of Seneca

(The pilots art is ne%er made worse b! the storm nor the application of his art either. Thepilot has promised !o" not a prospero"s %o!age, b"t a ser%iceable performance of his

task 3 that is, an e$pert knowledge of steering a ship. 4nd the more he is hampered b! thestress of fort"ne, so m"ch the more does his knowledge become apparent. The storm doesnot interfere with the pilots work, b"t onl! with his s"ccess. 5hat then,7 !o" sa!, 5is

not a pilot harmed b! an! circ"mstance which does not permit him to make port,

fr"strates all his efforts, and either carries him o"t to sea, or holds the ship in irons, orstrips her masts27 't is indeed so far from hindering the pilots art that it e%en e$hibits the

art8 for an!one, in the words of the pro%erb, is a pilot on a calm sea"t the wise man is

alwa!s in action, greatest in performance at the %er! time when fort"ne has blocked hiswa!. -or then he is act"all! engaged in the b"siness of wisdom.

Moral Letters, :;.

To s"mmari


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-irstl!, he accepts realit!, noting if something is in his control or not. ?e sa!s (hat is

necessar! is ne%er "nwise. The Stoic belief is that if we fight what is necessar! we will

s"ffer conflict, whilst if we accept it, we can remain calm. @ogic like this can simplif!life greatl!. *arc"s 4"reli"s noted that m"ch of what we sa! and do is "nnecessar!.

'ndeed, he often asked himself ('s this one of the necessar! things2

Secondl!, Spock obser%es witho"t adding e$tra opinion (-ascinating is a word ' "se for

the "ne$pected. To follow the Stoic r"le to onl! A"dge things in !o"r control as good orbad, and all else as 5fascinating7 brings mental calm. 't links with the Stoic idea that it is

o"r A"dgements that "pset "s more than e%ents. This is abo"t simpl! stating facts and

remo%ing the opinion associated with them.

"t both of these aspects are misleading and act"all! belie Spocks r"thlessl! logical

character, something which p"shes him towards being a small (s, stereot!pical (stoic.

This is clear in his concern with emotional control (>"r principles of logic offer a

serenit! that h"mans rarel! e$perience in f"ll. e ha%e emotions. "t we deal firml! withthem and do not let them control "s. This isnt eas! for Spock at all. 'n the episode 5The

+r!ing Time7, for e$ample, Spock is seen repeating ('m in control of m! emotions,

before b"rsting into tears. *ost cr"ciall! of all tho"gh, from the point of %iew of the ideal

Stoic being a man of action, Spocks o%er#reliance on logic sometimes leads him to akind of (logic#ind"ced paral!sis. ?e sa!s (' ha%e ins"fficient information and

(ins"fficient facts alwa!s in%ite danger. Therefore, logic tells him the least risk is best or

that more facts will create better decisions, b"t this is a cogniti%e distortion as modernscience tells "s there is often no correlationbetween more information and acc"rac!.

'ndeed, Spocks logic makes him defeatist when there is no identifiable logical option or

chance of s"ccess ('n chess, when one is o"tmatched, the game is o%er, checkmate. -or

Spock, logic, and nothing else, is the most important thing.


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4ll in all, Spock is hardl! the Stoic sage. 4ltho"gh he has some Stoic leanings, he

consistentl! falls short of being the man of action. -"rthermore, in completel!

s"ppressing his emotions, he conforms to the stereot!pe of the Stoic, in contrast to thereal Stoic who aims to c"lti%ate positi%e emotions s"ch as Ao! and wishing others well.

So if Spock is not !o"r gen"ine Stoic, then what abo"t *c+o!2

*c+o! is the polar opposite of Spock emotion witho"t reason, and as s"ch he is e%en

f"rther awa! from the Stoic sage. ?e takes risks which p"t himself and others indanger.*c+o! and Spock are at a stalemate and its no s"rprise that most episodes find

Spock and *c+o! arg"ing 3 sho"ld reason or emotion be their g"ide2 +onsider this

e$change

*c+o! ('m sick and tired of !o"r logic.

Spock (That is most illogical, it is more rational to sacrifice one life than si$. The needs

of the man! o"tweigh the needs of the few or the one.

'nterestingl!, this dichotom! is echoed in modern ne"roscience. )aniel ahneman inThinking Fast and Slowsa!s the brain makes "se of two s!stems S!stem 1 makes rapid

decisions based on emotion, while S!stem B makes comple$ decisions based on anal!sis

and logic. =e%ertheless, both s!stems can deli%er the Stoic goal of acting for the commonwelfare. S!stem 1 *c+o!/ does this b! a"tomatic emotional responses that trigger

actions to protect those in danger. ?e will risk his life for what he feelsis right. S!stem B

Spock/ does this b! deliberate anal!sis. ?e will risk his life if it is logical.To him it is

illogical to kill witho"t reason, b"t sometimes it is logical to kill 3 as s"ch he is read! tosacrifice his life to protect the crew.This dichotom! is echoed in oenigsst"d! of moral

dilemmas abo"t h!potheticall! harming one person to sa%e man! more. Three gro"pswere tested, one of which had impaired emotional f"nction. 't fo"nd remo%ing the

conflict of emotion and reason sa%ed more people as CDE of the gro"p with impaired

emotional f"nction agreed to harm one person to sa%e man! compared to onl! BDE in the

others.
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"t what abo"t the last of the trio, irk2 's he in an! wa! closer to the Stoic ideal2

irksa!s that he doesnt pla! chess 3 he pla!s poker a game of great skill and risk, all

abo"t pla!ing the cards which ha%e been dealt well. Similarl!, Fpictet"s talks abo"t the(roll of lifes dice, and making carefl seof the dice that has been thrown ('mitate

those who pla! dice. +o"nters and dice are indifferent how do ' know what is going to

t"rn "p2 *! b"siness is to "se what does t"rn "p with diligence and skill !iscorsesB.;/.

'n this wa!, irk tries to balance emotion and reason, b"t he ne%er loses sight of taking

action. ?is choices and actions make him take risks for the common welfare, e%en whenthe p"rel! logical thing might be to do nothing. erhaps he, as the perfect mi$t"re of

good emotions and ethical imperati%es, a mi$t"re, as it were, of the best of Spock and

*c+o!, is Star Treks real Stoic the man of both action and contemplation . 'n the wordsof +aptain irk himself (Gentlemen, were debating in a %ac""m, lets go get some

answers.

"t, of co"rse, from the point of %iew of good cinema, it doesnt matter that the real Stoic

in Star Trek wasnt the (stoic character. -or that Spock sho"ld ha%e been portra!ed ins"ch a wa! at all was act"all! cr"cial for the d!namics between the main characters in the

show. 'ndeed, each episode e$plores the conflict of reason and emotion thro"gh Spocks

relationships with the other characters. Gene oddenberr! in Fdward Gross, 199;/ sa!sthat he deliberatel!

(Took the perfect person and di%ided him into three, the administrati%e co"rageo"s part in

the +aptain irk/, the logical part in the Science >fficer Spock/ and the h"manist part

in the )octor *c+o!/.

't is in Star Trek, then, that this perennial so"rce of inner conflict between reason and

emotion pla!s o"t so clearl!. Stephen -r! capt"res perfectl! how Star Trek dramati


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right sho"lder !o" ha%e Spock, who is all reason. 4nd the! are both flawed, beca"se the!

dont balance the two, and the!re at war with each other, *c+o! is alwa!s ha%ing a go

at Spock. 4nd irk is in the middle, representing the perfect sol"tion. 4nd not onl! that,the planets the! %isit "s"all! make the mistake of being either o%er#ordered and o%er#

reasonable and o%er#logical so the! kill those who dissent, and the! do it calml! and

reasonabl!/, and the! ha%e to learn to be a bit h"man. >r, the! are A"st a sa%age race thatneeds reason and order.

4nd if Spock had to be made the (stereot!pical Stoic, rather than the Stoic sage, to bring

that perennial h"man conflict to the big screen sage, then so m"ch the better for

generations of Star Trek fans.

References:

+entral 'ntelligence 4genc!. ()o !o" reall! need more intelligence2httpsIIwww.cia.go%Ilibrar!Icenter#for#the#st"d!#of#intelligenceIcsi#p"blicationsIbooks#

and#monographsIps!cholog!#of#intelligence#anal!sisIart:.html

-r!, S., (?ow Star Trek Ties into =iet

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Stoicism & Star Trek