Pro-DeathPhilosophyin Star Trek Picard

Pro-Death Philosophy in Star Trek Picard

By David Brandt-Erichsen

ost filmed science fiction is really “anti-science” fiction. M For the most part, a shining exception has been Star Trek, which for decades has been consistently pro-science, pro-technology, and pro-space, and consistently depicting a future for humanity improving over time through science and technology and moving into space.

It hasn’t been perfect in that regard, of course. Star Trek basically ignored the idea that advancing technology would extend human life spans. But I can forgive them for that (provided they are at least neutral on the subject) because if all the characters lived for a thousand years, and the implications of advanced nanotechnology and transhumanism were really explored, it would be hard to come up with stories that the masses could relate to.

Another imperfection was the negative (and very strange) attitude toward cryonics in the one episode that dealt with the subject – the last episode of the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation (Episode 26, “The Neutral Zone”).

In this episode, Captain Picard is away when the Enterprise finds a derelict 20th Century spacecraft containing three cryopreserved humans. Commander Data brings them on board and Dr. Crusher revives them (each of them had died from a “minor medical problem easily cured” now but terminal when they were frozen). Dr. Crusher stated “They were frozen after they died [tone of surprise]. It was a fad in the late 20th Century. People feared dying. It terrified them.”

When Picard returned he was distracted by a dangerous situation with the alien Romulans and did not want to be bothered with these revived people, and he was annoyed with Data for bringing them on board. “But Data, they were already dead. What more could have happened to them?”

Data reiterated that “cryonics was never more than a fad” and Picard stated in a tone of disdain: “In this case it apparently worked. Well, they are alive now. We’ll have to treat them as living human beings.”

Later, there was an exchange between Picard and Ralph, one of the revived persons who had been portrayed as an arrogant financier who demanded a copy of the Wall Street Journal so he could see how much his stocks had appreciated over 400 years. Picard had arranged for the three to be taken back to Earth. Ralph: “But then what will happen to us? There is no trace of my money. My office is gone. What will I do? How will I live?”

Picard: “This is the 24th Century. Material needs no longer exist.

Ralph: “Then what’s the challenge?”

Picard: “The challenge is to improve yourself, to enrich yourself. Enjoy it!”

It is one thing to ignore that technology will extend life spans. It is another thing to misunderstand and disparage cryonics. But it is yet another thing to be actively in favor of death and to promote death as a good thing. That is actually the philosophy promoted in the final episode (Episode 10) of the first season of Star Trek Picard.

In this episode, Data is present as a conscious reconstruction within a simulation. He speaks to Picard: “I want you to terminate my consciousness. I want to live, however briefly, knowing that my life is finite. Mortality gives meaning to life. Peace, love, friendship – these are precious because we know they cannot endure. A butterfly that lives forever is really not a butterfly at all.”

At this point my wife, who was not paying attention to the show, was startled when I suddenly yelled out “What bullshit!” I’m sure Spock would say “Illogical!”

And then Picard, who had just been cured of a fatal heart condition, said, frowning, “You didn’t make me immortal [did you]?” Like that would be really awful, wouldn’t it? Do Picard and the writers really hate life that much? Picard goes on to say he wouldn’t mind another 10 years, or even 20.

I am reminded of the 1974 movie Zardoz, where a future group of immortal humans, whose needs are all taken care of, are so bored that all they want to do is die (and they can’t). I think that movie was one of the biggest piles of garbage ever put on film.

Other than the garbage-philosophy anti-life anti-science ending, Star Trek Picard was a beautiful production and a well-done story. But my image of Star Trek being a shining example of pro-science fiction has been shattered. 