Does The Doctor Have Real Genuine Emotions?

[Zameaze]

Minsky argues that there is no difference between emotions and other kinds of thinking. He contends that emotions are "ways to think" for different "problem types" that exist in the world and that the brain has a rule-based mechanism that turns on emotions to deal with various problems.

If this be the case, I see no problems with a programmed hologram having emotions. But, then again, if Minsky is wrong….

 

[DalekJim]

The Doctor has genuine emotions for sure, it isn't a simulation. He really does and is able to care.

 

[Anika Hanson]

Yes. I dont know how but he did, quite a wide range of feelings actually.

 

[The Grim Ghost]

Most of you already know how I feel about this question. After the mobile emitter, I say yes for sure. Future tech + weird reboots + weird interfaces with alien tech + the Doc changing his own program + plus being left on a long time + the ability to go out into the real world + being originally programmed by an eccentric holo genius + various other things = sentience in my book.

Before that, especially in the 1st couple of seasons...who knows?

 

[DalekJim]

I've been watching the first season over the past few days and he has real emotions even then, especially evident in the beowulf episode. A fantastic performance from the actor(As always).

 

[The Grim Ghost]

I've been watching the first season over the past few days and he has real emotions even then, especially evident in the beowulf episode. A fantastic performance from the actor(As always).

Yes, that is one of those little annoying things that wasn't planned out well.

It seems at least as far as the Doctor is concerned, that being programmed by an eccntric holo genius really went a long way.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Well it depends if Barclay got lazy and used Moriarty as a template basis for the Doctors "personality"?

If so then yes, if not, then no.

He's no more unpredictable than a very large pick a path novel.

Clue: He was massproduced and they're all the same.

 

[The Grim Ghost]

^ Ah yes Guy, but they all just started the same. The end result of the EMH prime was a bit different than the others. The others are all hanging out in a mining colony reading Photons be Free and probably not really getting it.

But yeah, the real problem here is that he was implied to have emotions straight out of the box. That doesn't really make sense.

I would argue that his early emotion-like actions started out more 'choose your own path' like and later evolved into something a bit more over time.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I liked it how in the second episode or so that kes was going on about his feelings and he was doing a data claiming she was talking tosh.

 

[The Grim Ghost]

Well I think at the time she probably was wrong. It makes sense. Kes was incredibly naive at the beginning, you could probably have shown her a puppet show and convinced her it was a new alien culture.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Now, you're just making fun of Farscape for no good reason.

 

[Pemmer Harge]

Insofar as it would be possible for a computer programme to have emotions he clearly does. Whether he feels the same way humans do, who knows?

 

[Misco]

I voted yes but with some reservations. I certainly like to think the Doc has real genuine emotions because I really like the character but I do find it very difficult to truly believe that a machine or a computer program could develop emotions in a true sense. Saying that though, I have no doubt the writer's intent was to make the emotions real and I have no problem with the Doctor being given sentient rights like Data (with whom I have the same issues by the way) because it's better to err on the side of caution when it comes to debates like that IMO.

 

[freak]

Some would say that the Doc is just a trick of light and nothing more, but I saw him as a genuine member of the crew since day one of the show. I always thought he showed emotions in EVERY episode..he either always made me laugh or made me cry at times as well. That's what made him so unique and is also why he was the most popular character in Trek.(I think) In the first season, I thought he was really dry and witty and he cracked me up in the ep "Parralax" when he shrank in the end and Tom goes: "you know, I like you better this way". The doc obviously had a sour puss look on his face and it was priceless!
I really started seeing some emotion in him in the episode "Latent Image"..he kept going over a scenario about a crewmember over and over again in his mind..what choice should he make about saving the life of a crewmember. It was interesting to watch to say the least.

 

[Guy Gardener]

What about the Equinox's Doctor? Picardo not only played him almost the same, but what is this shit that his "ethics" are all in a partitioned and easily removed box on the edge of his programming, like he has an easy set Mengala-Mode.

Or what about in Life line when they put his personality on a diet so he could make the trip home, after some one loses weight at a fat farm do they really want to be refed the lard they some how lost (Cherish anyone?) during their excercising regime? So thy cut him until he was a slightly different person. Which is Tuvix, no, Riddles if he starts screaming how he is happy as half a "man" and they shouldn't ply him down with all that rubish again, but that can be said anytime he hums down from the ECH programming (Yeah, that's Tuvix.).

 

[exodus]

No, not at first I think up until "Latent Image" much of the EMH's emotions are based on Dr. Zimmerman's programmed personality within him.
The fact that in "Latent Image" emotions are causing him pain & turmoil, IMO show his programming is evolving to have a true emotional response to things. No ones preprogrammed.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I thought that latent image was about how he couldn't summon the emotions (yet) to make a decision between two completely equal and same options. there was no logical or issue of degrees of probability for saving Kim over Jetal or that of Jetal over Kim. The impractical leap to go beyond his programming was wrenching and jarring to the point of mummification.

We take it for granted that janeway just decided to wait it out and let the Doctor figure his "feelings" out about letting that adorable little girl buy the farm was sweet, but really, how long would she have waited after the ending credits rolled? A day, a week, a month, 1/2 an hour? How long before she just said "fuck it" and rewrote his memories again (Remember Picard in Clues and his do-over to erase a few days from his own memory?) but better this time so that he didn't figure it out and they could plod on waiting for the next time the Doctor hit that glass ceiling which could only be described as the limits of Reginald Barclay.

 

[exodus]

I thought that latent image was about how he couldn't summon the emotions (yet) to make a decision between two completely equal and same options. there was no logical or issue of degrees of probability for saving Kim over Jetal or that of Jetal over Kim. The impractical leap to go beyond his programming was wrenching and jarring to the point of mummification.

Yes, but he was in emotional turmoil after he made his choice because he felt he could have saved them both but chose the one he was closer friends with instead.

 

[Guy Gardener]

My computer often gives me lenghty gobblygook error reports I don't understand and can't be bothered reading.

He has "reel" emotions.

It's a wonder I don't call him "it".

 

[KimMH]

we essentially start out mass produced and are much alike - mostly two eyes, two ears, nose, mouth, bilateral symmetry, centralized nervous system. etc etc. so this becomes another version of the nature vs nurture argument regarding a program of light. is it really the programming and can we/he overcome it and expand on it? we do all the time and the Dctr proved sufficiently to convince me he had real emotions.

less voluably; yes.