Moral Dilemma Anyone Who Know

Moral Dilemma

Anyone who know anything about the Star Trek Universe knows about the Prime Directive which bans any Federation personnel from interfering in the internal affairs of non-spacefaring civilizations. In other words, the Federation is not allowed to influence the cultural development of primitive worlds. When a Federation starship visits one of these planets, the Prime Directive can lead to some interesting moral issues which the producers of the television series have confronted directly. One such issue is the difference between moral universalism and moral relevance; and this issue was faced by the character of Jean Luc Picard in the Star Trek the Next Generation episode entitled "Justice." In this episode, Captain Picard is faced with a choice, obey the Prime Directive, or break it in order to save the life of a member of his crew.

Without summarizing the episode, on the planet inhabited by a people called the Edo, Wesley crusher faces execution for a minor infraction of the rules. But on this peaceful yet primitive planet, any violation of the rules results in instant death. There is, however, an extremely advanced alien presence guarding the planet and directing it's development. This alien presence demands that the Edo's laws be obeyed by anyone visiting the planet, while Picard attempts to convince the aliens that there must be justice for his crew as well. The alien presence is attempting to enforce moral universalism on the crew of the Enterprise, while Picard argues that moral relativism is the crew's philosophy and it too should be respected.

Throughout the story there are a number of moral dilemmas faced by the characters. First and foremost in the idea of the Prime Directive. It forbids the Enterprise from interfering in the development of primitive worlds, but the Edo are a people that are already being interfered with by an even more advanced group of aliens. When the advanced aliens made their presence known, they exposed the Edo, not as primitive people developing on their natural course, but as the pawns of an advanced alien race. Picard's failed attempt to beam Wesley off the planet seems to indicate that Picard had decided, correctly, that the interference of the more advanced aliens changed the nature of this "contact," and that the Enterprise was really dealing with an advanced culture where the Prime Directive did not apply.

Seeing how the Prime Directive should no longer apply, Picard was free to do whatever was necessary in order to save his crewman. However, the advanced technology employed by the aliens forced Picard to argue for the life of Wesley Crusher. His argument centers around the idea that this conflict is over whether or not moral universalism, or moral relativism would apply in the case of Wesley Crusher. Picard argues that the Federation does not interfere with other cultures because they believe that all cultures have equally value and the capacity for development. However, they are dealing with an alien race that is violating that principle. The aliens have decided that their moral universalism is correct for the Edo, and by extension, anyone who visits their planet. But Picard argues, correctly, that each culture must respect the rights of other cultures to develop in their own way. And the Prime Directive would seem to indicate that Wesley should die, the rules by which the Edo live have been imposed by an outside influence, the aliens, and therefore those rules are not valid and also should not apply to another outside force like the Enterprise and its crew.