Who is the Most Moral ENTERPRISE Character?

[Farscape One]

The franchise has among the most honorable, courageous, ethical, and moral stories, ideas, and questions in scifi. The characters, in particular, show a wide range of morality and ethics that make us think, and challenge us to not only be a better version of ourselves, but the best humans we can possibly become.

When I was growing up, STAR TREK was a huge part of my life. As an adult, so much of it has stayed with me. I am a huge scifi fan, and I have always felt that if I ever had children, STAR TREK is what I'd show them to help mold them into strong moral and ethical adults.

I thought of this subject while having a conversation with my wife about some of my favorite characters, so now I ask all of you.

Who do you think is the most moral, ethical person on STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE?

 

[F. King Daniel]

I guess Tucker? While he wanted to exterminate the Xindi he came to see them as people and not pure evil. Archer is disqualified for the whole "Dear Doctor" atrocity. T'Pol, Soval, Shran have all done or supported horrid actions. Phlox was racist.

Mayweather is a blank slate, and Hoshi not much more, so I didn't really include them seriously.

 

[Farscape One]

One reason why I included Shran and Soval is because I was thinking they might be moral according to their cultures and belief systems. I thought it would only be fair to include them based on that reasoning.

 

[sekundant]

One reason why I included Shran and Soval is because I was thinking they might be moral according to their cultures and belief systems.

I think as you say, it depends on how you define the ethics and your values. For me Star Trek is always something about hope, something about being open minded, being fair, having principles, being idealistic and believing in good at "human" nature.

For my definition, Archer and Tucker are more complaint candidates independently of their deeds but their attitudes. T'Pol disqualified herself, being on drugs, while she was second in command, at least she had the responsibility of survival of the Enterprise crew.

I do not understand all the critics to "Dear Doctor", Archer and Phlox rejected to playing God, which is logical and ethical, imho. Supporting of Valakian society with its Melk "pets" for me much more questionable. Melks get a fair chance to their evolution and Valakians have a time to develop a cure. While the origin of Problem lies the Valakian DNA, how ethical will be manipulation of Valakian DNA without staying there and observing/correcting long term effects.

To calling Phlox as racist is only possible, while totally ignore "The Breach" and his relationship with the crew (incl. T'Pol.) There is no such one dimensional personality, to reduce the people to an adjective based on only an incident, is for me ethically problematic.

Shran and Soval are very exceptional characters for their societies, they follow given ethical codes, but they are not mindless followers.

 

[Nyotarules]

Porthos

 

[Terok Nor]

Trip. Or Porthos.

 

[sekundant]

Porthos

Trip. Or Porthos.

Ahh Portos. Sorry, but I am not sure. I think he is ready for some chunks of cheese to sell his soul. I want to believe him, but..

 

[F. King Daniel]

To calling Phlox as racist is only possible, while totally ignore "The Breach" and his relationship with the crew (incl. T'Pol.) There is no such one dimensional personality, to reduce the people to an adjective based on only an incident, is for me ethically problematic.

Isn't that like saying Hitler was a nice guy if you didn't mention the jews?

 

[Nyotarules]

Isn't that like saying Hitler was a nice guy if you didn't mention the jews?

Hitler would not join an Interspecies Medical Exchange, (or a diverse human ship unless it was full of blonde Germans) he would be too busy trying to breed the 'master race' ala Khan STWOK style

 

[Hopeful Romantic]

Yeah no, don't drag Hitler into this.

We all saw the same episodes, folks. There can be as many perspectives on them as there are viewers, and they all have value to those who espouse them. None of these opinions are "wrong."

All of these characters were tested morally at some point. My first pick is Archer, because of his idealism, his compassion and self-sacrificial nature. Sure, he teetered on moral precipices during the Xindi war, esp. in "Similitude," "Damage." But the fact that he was so tortured over these impossible choices just proves his morality to me. And look at an episode like "Observer Effect" (my fave of the series), his willingness to give his life for others, his plea to the Organians at the end.

I could say the same for Phlox, Shran, Soval and their moral tests. None of them took them lightly. (My assessment of "Dear Doctor" lines up with sekundant's.)

You'd have to go to the Mirror Universe to find the true amoral characters. Even there Forrest loved Hoshi and sacrificed himself for his crew, so he wins in that universe.

Plus in our universe he died to save Soval. Maybe he wins here too.

 

[sekundant]

Isn't that like saying Hitler was a nice guy if you didn't mention the jews?

Ohh, wait, thread is very fresh to end at the Godwin's Law.
What Hitler did is clear enough and not only to the Jews. We have evidences and wittnesses, there is no doubt what he has done. Plus he was not alone, they aimed the holocost and another crimes against the humanity. They built whole the maschinery and infrastructure for this and brain washed generations. Setting Phlox's deed as equals, sorry but .
And as I said before, for me he did the right thing. You presumes that he is convinced mass murder, who he is definetly not.

 

[sekundant]

Sorry, I did not see your entry HolidayRomantic
( ohh it is so cute nickname) before I sent mine. I do not want to discuss about which is discussed 1000 times before.
Admiral Forrest is best ST admiral for me, hundert years after him, we have Nechayevs all over the galaxy.
What do you think about Malcolm? I am not very sure, I think I do not know him very well to have an opinion.

 

[Delta Vega]

I'm going to go for Malcolm Reed
He was a slave to duty, oh wait. . . . . wasn't he in that Section 31 thing ?
Or was it Sector ?
Fuck it, Shran

 

[valkyrie013]

Most Moral.. Soval.. he went against all of vulcan and tortured.. though he was a bit of an ass in the begining.

 

[marlboro]

1. Captain Archer (thief, torturer, condoned genocide)
2. Commander T'Pol (junkie)
3. Cmdr. Tucker (floozie. Knocked up by a Xyrillian 5 minutes after he stepped on their ship.)
4. Lt. Reed (Section 31. Also British.)
5. Dr. Phlox (genocide. Also fed tribbles to his menagerie like Nero tossing Christians into a lion's den)
6. Ensign Sato (degenerate gambler. Can blaspheme in 17 languages.
7. Ensign Mayweather. (He's a Boomer. If 22rd century boomers are anything like the ones we have today, he spends all day posting unfunny political memes on Facebook.)
8. Admiral Forrest. (He's an admiral in Starfleet. Need I say more?)
9. Shran (racist. "Pinkskins")
10. Porthos (militant atheist who carried out a terrorist attack on another culture's sacred trees via a biological weapon. Also a cheese glutton.)

So, Soval wins by default, I suppose.

 

[Nyotarules]

1. Captain Archer (thief, torturer, condoned genocide)
2. Commander T'Pol (junkie)
3. Cmdr. Tucker (floozie. Knocked up by a Xyrillian 5 minutes after he stepped on their ship.)
4. Lt. Reed (Section 31. Also British.)
5. Dr. Phlox (genocide. Also fed tribbles to his menagerie like Nero tossing Christians into a lion's den)
6. Ensign Sato (degenerate gambler. Can blaspheme in 17 languages.
7. Ensign Mayweather. (He's a Boomer. If 23rd century boomers are anything like the ones we have today, he spends all day posting unfunny political memes on Facebook all day.)
8. Admiral Forrest. (He's an admiral in Starfleet. Need I say more?)
9. Shran (racist. "Pinkskins")
10. Porthos (militant atheist who carried out a terrorist attack on another culture's sacred trees via a biological weapon. Also a cheese glutton.)

So, Soval wins by default, I suppose.

Let he or she who is without sin cast the first thread.....

 

[XCV330]

Of the main characters, I don't think I ever saw T'Pol do anything truly unethical either by Vulcan or Human rules. She's kind of the conscience of the show in a lot of cases.

 

[Kor]

I think Archer, overall. As leader and decision-maker, the Captain needs to serve as a moral center.

Kor

 

[F. King Daniel]

Of the main characters, I don't think I ever saw T'Pol do anything truly unethical either by Vulcan or Human rules. She's kind of the conscience of the show in a lot of cases.

One might suggest experimenting with (and becoming addicted to) Trellium-D while on a mission with the fate of an entire planet hanging in the balance was incredibly reckless and amoral.

While she obviously had zero prior experience of these things (would Vulcans teach their kids about drugs? Are they an issue on Vulcan?), she should have been smart enough to know better.

 

[XCV330]

While she obviously had zero prior experience of these things (would Vulcans teach their kids about drugs? Are they an issue on Vulcan?), she should have been smart enough to know better.

Not her smartest move, but not sure if it was trully an ethical lapse.
And her mom was a crazy cult member who probably didn't tell her a lot about the world "One day, T'pol you may find yourself forced into the company of a bizarre human engineer wanting you to exchange mutual back and foot rubs so he won't think about his sister. Avoid him. That kind of human is nothing but trouble. Don't worry, I'm setting you up with a lackluster Vulcan male who will improve my career choices. Also avoid narcotics, whatever they are"