Is Troi ethical?

[Mojochi]

Considering how easily she can often feel what cosmozoans and crews on other ships feel that the Enterprise encounters, I'm not sure about if she doesn't register it.

For an example, remember how much she was influenced by the emotions of the Space Jellyfishes in "Encounter at Farpoint" for an early example.

The Jellyfish are a pretty extreme example though. It would be hard to confuse that. I DO think she's in tune with the amorous feelings of the crew around her. I just think it would be a bit too specific for her to know who specifically was feeling it, or toward whom, unless she was in the room observing them & the person it was directed toward

For example, her noticing Picard's feelings for Nella Darren at the concert. Would she know that was him were she elsewhere in the ship, & would she know who it was being felt about? I just don't see that level of specificity in her skills. She had to be there to see it happening.

If she'd been on the bridge, she only knows someone down below was feeling amorous towards someone else, kind of the way she knew there were hurt people in Disaster, but couldn't really pinpoint. Troi's got an emotion Geiger counter

 

[Unimatrix Q]

The Jellyfish are a pretty extreme example though. It would be hard to confuse that. I DO think she's in tune with the amorous feelings of the crew around her. I just think it would be a bit too specific for her to know who specifically was feeling it, or toward whom, unless she was in the room observing them & the person it was directed toward

For example, her noticing Picard's feelings for Nella Darren at the concert. Would she know that was him were she elsewhere in the ship, & would she know who it was being felt about? I just don't see that level of specificity in her skills. She had to be there to see it happening.

If she'd been on the bridge, she only knows someone down below was feeling amorous towards someone else, kind of the way she knew there were hurt people in Disaster, but couldn't really pinpoint. Troi's got an emotion Geiger counter

Let's say she's on the bridge or around some other crewmembers elsewhere on the ship and there's one or more extremely horny colleagues (maybe even one or more telepathic aliens with extremely strong feelings), wouldn't that be a problem for Troi, especially as @Kor said before if she can't help herself picking up emanations without being able to block them out.

Wouldn't it compromise the way she feels and her decisions around and about them?

 

[BillJ]

“The Loss” from TNG season four might help some people with what her powers are.

 

[Mojochi]

Let's say she's on the bridge or around some other crewmembers elsewhere on the ship and there's one or more extremely horny colleagues (maybe even one or more telepathic aliens with extremely strong feelings), wouldn't that be a problem for Troi, especially as @Kor said before if she can't help herself picking up emanations without being able to block them out.

Wouldn't it compromise the way she feels and her decisions around and about them?

I don't really think so. From her conversations with Tam Elbrun, I get the impression normally they tune out or dim a lot of it or barrier themselves some by experience, so not to get too overwhelmed. It was Tam that had the difficult rare exception of not being able to.

There is that one conversation she had with Picard about how she wouldn't like to horse ride, because the joined experience causes them to get entangle with the beast's feelings, but outside that merged experience, I believe they can maintain some distance within themselves

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

I suppose they still use the same cues we do, in conjunction with their senses, for confirmation.

There is that one conversation she had with Picard about how she wouldn't like to horse ride, because the joined experience causes them to get entangle with the beast's feelings,

In constant physical contact with the creature, adrenaline firing, I can see why it would be heightened.

 

[Ragitsu]

Imagine if Data put his full processing power to use reading body language and analyzing behavior (based on culture/species/profession/et cetera); that would be equal parts scary and cool.

 

[Ragitsu]

The real question imo is how does Deanna deal with the fact of a lot of people on the Enterprise having the hots for her and probably constantly feeling their emotions and urges

That reminds me of a Marvel panel ->

Spoiler

 

[fireproof78]

The real question imo is how does Deanna deal with the fact of a lot of people on the Enterprise having the hots for her and probably constantly feeling their emotions and urges

Without an issue since this is the 24th century and being upset that someone is marrying another is totally acceptable vs. mourning the loss of your mom (Haven and The Bonding, respectively). She also comments on the people finding Yar attractive in "Code of Honor."

 

[Guy Gardener]

Imagine if Data put his full processing power to use reading body language and analyzing behavior (based on culture/species/profession/et cetera); that would be equal parts scary and cool.

We saw his Holmes.

In the 19th century, work play and life indented ongoing unique damage on a person, that a rather impossibly intelligent person can read.

In the 24th century, 99 percent of everyone in the Federation were idle jobless wankers, that even the most intelligent android in the universe could not differentiate from.

"From the very obvious evidence, I deduce that you wake up at 3 pm every day, masturbate, try to finish that play you've been tooling around with since college, masturbate, and then go to sleep at 7 pm."

Humans have turned into cats.

 

[Ragitsu]

8 pm*

 

[Unimatrix Q]

The problem with Deanna's abilities I see is that she probably can't escape feeling the emotions of others, wether she wants to or not.

Might be often extremely stressful and unpleasant. Not to talk about the issues about consent, because neither Deanna herself can stop herself from feeling emotions from others she don't want to feel nor have most people around her the ability to stop her from knowing about their feelings.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

The problem with Deanna's abilities I see is that she probably can't escape feeling the emotions of others, wether she wants to or not.

Being in crowded rooms must be difficult for her. I imagine she finds attending funerals and other high-stress situations more difficult than non-empaths for that reason.

 

[TRON JA307020]

Well she can't read minds like her mom only feelings/ emotions. Most people can donthst to a degree studying body language and speech. So no she isn't unethical.

 

[Unimatrix Q]

Well she can't read minds like her mom only feelings/ emotions. Most people can donthst to a degree studying body language and speech. So no she isn't unethical.

The only difference imo is that Lwaxana's intrusion of the privacy of Federation citizens and even telling others about what they think was completely unethical and probably even criminal. The only thing speaking for her is that she probably couldn't stop herself hearing the thoughts of others imho.

 

[TRON JA307020]

The only difference imo is that Lwaxana's intrusion of the privacy of Federation citizens and even telling others about what they think was completely unethical and probably even criminal. The only thing speaking for her is that she probably couldn't stop herself hearing the thoughts of others imho.

Yeah Lwaxanna was a lure Betazed. It was just the way of her species. So she cam be forgive. Troi can't read a person's actual thoughts so she wouldn't worry me at all.

 

[at Quark's]

Troi herself can't help being empathic, she was born that way.

Telepathy and empathy (in the Betazoid sense) exist in the Trek universe, just like there are species with exceptional intelligence or body strength. So any species who have met a decent number of other species would be aware of that fact. In that respect, I think empathy and telepathy would be treated as just another skill some beings have, and people would take that into account accordingly, after a (possibly difficult) transition period, getting used to the fact. But that time would be decades or centuries behind them by the time TNG starts. That would include the 'hostiles' they meet - they probably would be aware of the possibility their thoughts or feelings were scanned, being aware of the existence of such species.

The alternative would be to go the Devore way (Voyager) and the Federation clearly did not choose that path.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

What subtle abilities would surprise them at that point, I wonder.

 

[BillJ]

What subtle abilities would surprise them at that point, I wonder.

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[NigellaDeanna20]

The thing is, Troi doesn't read minds as such. What she does is sense emotions. That's not scanning anyone's brains so to speak. I don't think she'd be a parft of Starfleet if she was in any way unethical. Think about it. She's an officer on the flagship of the federation commanded by the most moralistic and ethical captain in Jean Luc Picard. If she was unethical in anway she'd have been reprimanded on more than one occasion.

 

[JesterFace]

Space can be a dangerous place and when encountering something possibly dangerous there's no way to know who can be trusted.
I think it would be a good idea to use any edge they can to keep around 1000 people safe.