I was always perplexed by the Prime Directive--not to interfere with societies and yet they always did.
But someone made an observation on the philosophy in TOS. They often went to planets that had some kind of blissful non-aggressive utopia, and they introduce conflict into it--as if the message is - one cannot find their true potential unless there is some rugged individual/Darwininian struggle/Survival of the Fittest contest involved.
The episode where those flowers make everyone indifferent and lazy--that is a major example.
But also in ones like ARENA--Kirk purges his anger about the colony destruction by the struggle in combat and having to build a weapon to defend himself.
And in SPACE SEED, the ending is that Khan and his followers can find some purpose on a wild planet where they can use their abilities for survival.
Contrast that with The Next Generation--where the Federation has become blissful and there's no struggle anymore.
Tachyion fields to the rescue. Was that survival of the fittest philosophy on view in TNG?
But someone made an observation on the philosophy in TOS. They often went to planets that had some kind of blissful non-aggressive utopia, and they introduce conflict into it--as if the message is - one cannot find their true potential unless there is some rugged individual/Darwininian struggle/Survival of the Fittest contest involved.
The episode where those flowers make everyone indifferent and lazy--that is a major example.
But also in ones like ARENA--Kirk purges his anger about the colony destruction by the struggle in combat and having to build a weapon to defend himself.
And in SPACE SEED, the ending is that Khan and his followers can find some purpose on a wild planet where they can use their abilities for survival.
Contrast that with The Next Generation--where the Federation has become blissful and there's no struggle anymore.
Tachyion fields to the rescue. Was that survival of the fittest philosophy on view in TNG?
