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RIP Leonard Nimoy

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Craig24

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Leonard Nimoy, we hardly knew you. Your creation, the character, Spock, was an inspiration. Rarely does an actor have the honor of initiating a persona that will likely survive well beyond his mortality. And rarely does a fictional character portray such distinction. Spock was not the central character of Gene Roddenberry's greatest achievement; he was the balance to a troika of the idealized heroes: Captain Kirk, egotistical and duty-driven commander; Doctor McCoy, the compassionate, emotional, and outspoken physician; and Spock, the man of pure logic. I don't know if Ayn Rand had any opinion of this space-opera, but I site it as an example of romantic realism, in that it portrays a very positive outcome for the human race.

 

I would take issue with the Vulcan philosophy, i.e., "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one." I agree with Kirk's more individualistic response to the contrary. I'm sure Ayn Rand would agree, the needs of the many do not outweigh the needs of the individual.

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Leonard Mimoy's portrayal of Spock on Star Trek was one of my favorites growing up.

I would take issue with the Vulcan philosophy, i.e., "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one." I agree with Kirk's more individualistic response to the contrary. I'm sure Ayn Rand would agree, the needs of the many do not outweigh the needs of the individual.

Which is nicely touched on here, and elaborated on here.
 
In the latter article, written prior to Leonard Nimoy's final act of life:

What are we to make, then, of Spock’s final actions in The Wrath of Khan? Does he sacrifice his own life and values in order to serve the needs of the many? No. Khan, piloting a damaged ship, sets off a device that will soon cause a massive explosion that will destroy his own ship along with the Enterprise and its entire crew. Captain Kirk says to his chief engineer, “Scotty, I need warp speed in three minutes or we’re all dead.” It is at this point that Spock leaves the bridge, goes to engineering, and enters a radiation-filled room in order to repair the ship’s warp drive. As a result of Spock’s actions, the Enterprise speeds away to a safe distance from the explosion—but Spock “dies.”

 

Spock does consider the needs of his friends and shipmates in making this move. But he does not thereby sacrifice his own values or even his own life. His only alternative is to die with the ship anyway. Instead of dying and having all of his shipmates and friends die too, he chooses to uphold and protect the values that he can and to uphold his commitment to serve as a Star Fleet officer—a position that he chose knowing and accepting the risks involved.

 

Although in this case Spock must pick the least bad of two bad options, he makes the choice that best serves his interests and thus his life.

 
The needs of the many clip.


The needs of the one clip.

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