Spock's Use Of Reasoning In Star Trek

Justin Walker

Gateway Technical College

Television has become a mass viewed medium for entertainment, education, news, politics, gossip, and advertising. The information that is displayed allows for people to make their own opinions about certain situations and events that have occurred or are occurring at the time. The shows are meant to appeal to certain audiences, whether it’s for strictly entertainment or educational purposes. However, Star Trek: The Original Series does a fantastic job of keeping the audience entertained in the 23rd century, while also touching on important aspects of life through certain characters. Airing

1966). Spock looks at every detail to analyze the current situation and proceeds with the logical approach, even if it means the loss of crew members or friends. Since Spock is half-human and half-Vulcan his decision making skills are torn between logic and emotion. "He had to subdue his emotional side to become more cerebral and logical," she said. "So that's problematic” (Ito, R. 10/08/2016). Although his use of logic has saved many from death and doom from space, his approach to certain situations caused conflict. Spock’s thought process is “the needs of many outweigh the needs of the few”, however, this is also his downfall, because he doesn’t allow himself to think emotionally. He gives off the impression that he is right and just in his decision making, but remember he is human… or at least

Spock, being half-human and half-Vulcan struggles with the power of emotion more than a regular Vulcan person. Unfortunately, in real life, humans mask emotions in the attempt to feel better about life or situations that occur. In the short term, this can be effective and suppress the emotions, however, in the long run it is only going to catch up to the person and the emotions would be amplified. Spock’s half-human nature is what makes him so relatable to the audience because not only does he think like a human, he is human. People have taken this scenario and used it to make Spock’s character even more relatable, in the sense that they come from a biracial background. Even though Spock is mocked for his biracial background, he doesn’t let the insults interfere with the focus of the mission or tasks at hand. “But as Spock's complicated racial backstory is spun out in detail in the new "Trek" -- right back into childhood -- the Obama parallels keep deepening. Like Obama, Spock is the product of a mixed marriage (actually, an interstellar mixed marriage), and he suffers blunt manifestations of prejudice as a result” (Daly, S. 5/04/2009). This connection has empowered many individuals that have been mocked for having a biracial background to not be afraid to be