It is hard to take the ethical dilemma of “I, Borg” seriously, because I never bought into the idea that the Borg were stupid enough that they would all get sucked into Geordi’s puzzle of death.
Best and Worst Treatment of Ethical Dilemmas
- Thread starter DonIago
- Start date
It is hard to take the ethical dilemma of “I, Borg” seriously, because I never bought into the idea that the Borg were stupid enough that they would all get sucked into Geordi’s puzzle of death.
I agree, had I been in Picard's position, I probably would have wiped the Borg, or at least tried to. But then, I tend toward brutal pragmatism.
But that's the Star Trek philosophy, I think. What's morally right matters more than what's the greatest good for the greatest number. The needs of the one can indeed outweigh the needs of the many. Look at "Latent Image"... Janeway risks allowing Voyager's only qualified physician to destroy himself because Seven convinces her that it's somehow morally wrong to modify his memories. I know a lot of people like that one, but it's never sat right with me. Especially when she threw the flesh and blood Tuvix under the bus, to save far fewer lives.
But up until that point, the show made it very clear that Picard coming back from assimilation was a one-time thing, an extraordinary circumstance that could not be repeated. So all of those people were functionally dead already. It's basically debating if it's ethical to kill a zombie.
Perhaps I'm forgetting something, but when did the show make that clear exactly? As far as I'm aware, de-assimilating anyone else had never been attempted.
Crusher explained that without the link to the rest of the collective, removing the Borg tech was routine microsurgery. As long as it was active, it wasn't possible to de-assimilate someone without killing them. After the Borg cube self-destructed, she took Picard to Sickbay and removed the tech easily.
In any case, Picard knew the Borg better than anyone else, and he instructed his crew that if they encountered other crew who had been assimilated: "Don't hesitate to fire. Believe me, you'll be doing them a favor."
In any case, Picard knew the Borg better than anyone else, and he instructed his crew that if they encountered other crew who had been assimilated: "Don't hesitate to fire. Believe me, you'll be doing them a favor."
Picard said that in the same film in which he was shown to be blatantly emotionally compromised, and where it was revealed that Crusher hadn't exactly removed all the Borg modifications as thoroughly as she believed, soooooo....
Just because Picard may have been emotionally compromised doesn't mean he was incorrect.
Given everything we know of assimilation... I agree kiling them would be a mercy. If I was assimilated, I certainly would look at it that way.
Given everything we know of assimilation... I agree kiling them would be a mercy. If I was assimilated, I certainly would look at it that way.
