The Many or the Few?

@pintac (165)
United States
November 3, 2006 10:50am CST
In a climatic moment in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," after having saved the starship Enterprise from destruction by entering a lethal-level radiation-filled warp engine core, Spock and Kirk have this exchange: Spock: Don't grieve, Admiral. It is logical. The needs of the many outweigh... Kirk: ...the needs of the few. Spock: ...Or the one. I never took the Kobayashi Maru test until now. What do you think of my solution? Spock's inner humanity rises above his own need for self preservation, exhibiting the noblest of the human condition where self sacrifice--even to the point of giving up his own life--becomes paramount. What are your thoughts? When should one help oneself? When should one be altruistic at the expense of oneself? Do we tend toward self preservation or toward self sacrifice to help others? What does it mean to be human?
1 person likes this
No responses