Only recently come across this article. The Stoic is not necessarily The Quiet One.While the Stoic may be low key and quiet, more often than not … 908-911, 2007. great stuff- I have just watched `for the love of spock` movie by his son. Spock is hands down one of the most special gems packed into a squatty body. Justifying risking his own life to rescue a fellow crew member, he claims that the man rescued is highly trained and would be a great loss to Star Fleet. He is the author of How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life. mark, I would go out on a limb here and suggest that the best representative of Stoicism in the Star Trek Universe was and is Jean Luc Picard. And on his right shoulder you have Spock, who is all reason. Great essay. Synonym Discussion of stoic. In this article, I set out to find the answer, by exploring the philosophical underpinnings of Star Trek. The exchange between Spock and Data in the ST:TNG episode “Unification” regarding Picard make this clear. Counters and dice are indifferent: how do I know what is going to turn up? Since Smart People Play Chess, if The Spock plays a game, it will invariably be a variant of chess. Kirksays that he doesn’t play chess – he plays poker: a game of great skill and risk, all about playing the cards which have been dealt well. For then he is actually engaged in the business of wisdom.’. Similarly, … All in all, Spock is hardly the Stoic sage. I just wanted to mention it myself. Rodenberry had many admirable qualities, but at the tim of Start Trek: The Original Series, he had a regular girlfried, a wife and various casual affairs. Star Trek and Stoicism on one page? That’s all I have to ramble on about for now. Crater fires his laser pistol at Kirk and Spock. Furthermore, in completely suppressing his emotions, he conforms to the stereotype of the Stoic, in contrast to the real Stoic who aims to cultivate positive emotions such as joy and wishing others well. Some observations (mostly by other people and I am not sure who, so apologies for borrowing anyone’s ideas uncited) – Kirk is the ‘trickster god’ (check Arican mythology for this type of entity), who does not merely accept a situation or try to get come to terme with it or even try to change it. But in order to have both characters exist together again, we need a fictional explanation. And if Spock had to be made the ‘stereotypical Stoic’, rather than the Stoic sage, to bring that perennial human conflict to the big screen sage, then so much the better for generations of Star Trek fans. What they did was combine all the best qualities of McCoy, Spock, and Kirk into one character. And Kirk is in the middle, representing the perfect solution. Indeed, Spock’s logic makes him defeatist when there is no identifiable logical option or chance of success: ‘In chess, when one is outmatched, the game is over, checkmate.’ For Spock, logic, and nothing else, is the most important thing. Please consider donating an amount of your choosing to help support Stoic Week. In the words of Captain Kirk himself: ‘Gentlemen, we’re debating in a vacuum, let’s go get some answers.’. But we deal firmly with them and do not let them control us.’ This isn’t easy for Spock at all. This is about simply stating facts and removing the opinion associated with them. He has a stoic look about him but is the sweetest most playful and well behaved boy. View all posts by Massimo. He blogs at platofootnote.org and howtobeastoic.org. To him it is illogical to kill without reason, but sometimes it is logical to kill – as such he is ready to sacrifice his life to protect the crew.This dichotomy is echoed in Koenig’sstudy of moral dilemmas about hypothetically harming one person to save many more. This is an impossible situation. Appreciation: It's hard to be a stoic Vulcan when your favorite "Star Trek" actor leaves this galaxy forever. Your email address will not be published. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. ( Log Out /  ... Mr. Spock, from the oldest Star Trek show, was a great example of a stoic person: he tried to never show his feelings. For that Spock should have been portrayed in such a way at all was actually crucial for the dynamics between the main characters in the show. How Leonard Nimoy helped me prosper. Thanks, again, Jen. “What then,” you say, “is not a pilot harmed by any circumstance which does not permit him to make port, frustrates all his efforts, and either carries him out to sea, or holds the ship in irons, or strips her masts?” It is indeed so far from hindering the pilot’s art that it even exhibits the art; for anyone, in the words of the proverb, is a pilot on a calm sea…But the wise man is always in action, greatest in performance at the very time when fortune has blocked his way. In this way, Kirk tries to balance emotion and reason, but he never loses sight of taking action. His mother was Amanda Grayson, a Human school teacher, and his father, Sarek, was a Vulcan scientist and diplomat. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. He says: ‘I have insufficient information’ and ‘insufficient facts always invite danger.’ Therefore, logic tells him the least risk is best or that more facts will create better decisions, but this is a cognitive distortion as modern science tells us there is often no correlationbetween more information and accuracy. I have watched “Q&A” at least thirty times, so I’m a little biased. (English Edition) eBook: Ramius, Anselmo : Amazon.nl: Kindle Store. Live long and Prosper. holding that the wise man should be free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief, and submissive to natural law. Although he has some Stoic leanings, he consistently falls short of being the man of action. Not familiar with Star Trek and all a bit too cleaver for me. He is even more highly trained and so should have made sure that this asset to Star Fleet was kept safe by taking no action. Gross, E., Captains’ Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages. Although he has some Stoic leanings, he consistently falls short of being the man of action. Being stoic is being calm and almost without any emotion. Stephen Fry captures perfectly how Star Trek dramatized this clash of reason and emotion: ‘You have the Captain in the middle, who is trying to balance both his humanity and his reason. It’s often remarked that the Christian moral ethic we see in the New Testament and the Fathers shares a great deal of similarities with Ancient Greco-Roman philosophies on offer at the time such as Platonism, and especially Stoicism. He is aso seen in two episodes of Star Trek: the Next Generation and a few episodes of Star Trek: Discovery. I think the combination of leonard nimoy and spock and the old spock in the new Star Trek remake is a good combination for the journey towards being a stoic rather than actually ever achieving sage status. Spock is, of course, half human and claims that he is rejecting his emotional human half in favour of the rational, emotionless Vulcan. Think of the character Spock in Star Trek as one trained in the Stoic philosophy. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! ( Log Out /  Similarly, Epictetus talks about the ‘roll of life’s dice’, and making careful use of the dice that has been thrown: ‘Imitate those who play dice. But both of these aspects are misleading and actually belie Spock’s ruthlessly logical character, something which pushes him towards being a small ‘s’, stereotypical ‘stoic.’. Interestingly, this dichotomy is echoed in modern neuroscience. Philosophia longa, vita brevis! He takes risks which put himself and others in danger.McCoy and Spock are at a stalemate and it’s no surprise that most episodes find Spock and McCoy arguing – should reason or emotion be their guide? No, really, he has no clue how to show emotion, which isn't true for the other angels . Nevertheless, both systems can deliver the Stoic goal of acting for the common welfare. Spock looking unamused. If I’d been raised with any sort of religion, Spock would have been my family’s patron saint of the dictionary. "Q&A" StarTrek.com. If Zeno could have time- traveled into the future to attend Star Fleet Academy, how much of his belief system would have depended upon technology as interface. To summarize, the ideal Stoic must show resilience in crisis, know what he can and can’t control and show this by action. Chabon’s solution is to make Spock and Number One fundamentally alike. Indeed, Gene Roddenberry said that he intentionally created a Stoic character, ‘Spock,’ asone of the three main characters alongside Dr McCoy and Kirk. How to use stoic in a sentence. For example, in a no-win situation where Spock is portrayed as having concluded there is no logical way out but Kirk is able to find one, I suggest that logic would dictate that if something remained possible, it may be appropriate to try that option, in the absence of another solution. Spock is a character from Star Trek: the Original Series and Star Trek: the Animated Series.. Your email address will not be published. Live a virtuous life always. Mini-review: Socrates – A Man of Our Time, Seneca’s On the Firmness of the Wise Person. It presents an unusual argument that the figure of Star Trek’s Mr. Spock can be interpreted as telling the story of how one embarks on the path of Stoic sagehood. Change ). Picard being the main character in TNG was probably the reason for not having any Vulcans in the series. It has been suggested that Gene Roddenberry, the creator of the original Star Trek series (TOS), more or less consciously built the equivalent of a philosophical argument in favor of Stoic philosophy by centering his story lines on the interacting and exquisitely complementary characters of Mr. Spock, Captain Kirk, and Doctor McCoy. During his time on Voyager , Tuvok helped other crewmates with emotional struggles, survived assimilation, saved the ship countless times, and helped destroy a huge Borg hub. He completely stoic in this moment, as he recognizes that he cannot be upset at death, for it is in the nature of human beings to die. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. He says: ‘What is necessary is never unwise.’ The Stoic belief is that if we fight what is necessary we will suffer conflict, whilst if we accept it, we can remain calm. Modern prac- titioners of Stoicism, however, tend to see Spock as a “stoic” (lower-s) in the vernacular sense of the term: going through life constantly sporting a stiff upper lip and suppressing his emotions. Modern prac- titioners of Stoicism, however, tend to see Spock as a “stoic” (lower-s) in the vernacular sense of the term: going through life constantly sporting a stiff upper lip and suppressing his emotions. Daniel Kahneman in Thinking Fast and Slow says the brain makes use of two systems: System 1 makes rapid decisions based on emotion, while System 2 makes complex decisions based on analysis and logic. I teach businesses how to make better decisions by avoiding “right and wrong thinking” so this was very in tune with my current thinking. Stoicism, in modern times, is a philosophy that should be used to help one become more balanced, like Kirk; it shouldn’t be used as a means of controlling oneself to the point of detachment from human experience. The storm does not interfere with the pilot’s work, but only with his success. Spock, the perfect Stoic. It found removing the conflict of emotion and reason saved more people as 40% of the group with impaired emotional function agreed to harm one person to save many compared to only 20% in the others. If your home doesn't have a Spock in it, you are truly missing out! In the episode “The Crying Time”, for example, Spock is seen repeating ‘I’m in control of my emotions’, before bursting into tears. And it’s true, that superficially, there are. Is he in any way closer to the Stoic ideal? McCoy is the polar opposite of Spock: emotion without reason, and as such he is even further away from the Stoic sage. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. Spock got her job, as well as her stoic, logical personality. ‘Do you really need more intelligence?’: https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/psychology-of-intelligence-analysis/art8.html, Fry, S., ‘How Star Trek Ties into Nietzsche and Ancient Greece’: http://trekmovie.com/2011/07/04/video-of-the-day-stephen-fry-explains-how-star-trek-ties-into-nietzsche-and-ancient-greece/. In the case of Stoicism, its popular meaning today suggests little more than a stiff-upper-lip, hyper-rational, emotionless automaton, not unlike the Star Trek character Mr. Spock. Spock was NOT a Stoic but Kirk is! However, in popular usage, “stoic” usually refers to a grim-faced, emotionless person — someone who shows neither joy nor pain, is capable of suffering much in silence, and is not very social. “To go were no man has gone before”, I see Zeno being confronted with a challenge to adapt as well as a dilemma that could compromise his “free will”. One area in which Stoicism contradicts Christianity is in the physics; the entire Stoic god is wrong. One could argue that Mulder's partner Scully is also a stoic, but unlike Fox, Scully's dispassionate demeanor is more clinical, like the Pragmatist . Perhaps he, as the perfect mixture of good emotions and ethical imperatives, a mixture, as it were, of the best of Spock and McCoy, is Star Trek’s real Stoic: the man of both action and contemplation. Stoic. Sticking a grade-schooler in front of Star Trek might lead to a brief obsession with spandex, but with me it also meant absorbing tons of non-grade school words. Modern Stoicism is a non-profit limited company registered in the UK (#10950027). All in all, Spock is hardly the Stoic sage. System 2 (Spock) does this by deliberate analysis. Penguin, 2011. Indeed, each episode explores the conflict of reason and emotion through Spock’s relationships with the other characters. He will risk his life if it is logical. It links with the Stoic idea that it is our judgements that upset us more than events. Basically, get you and a lot of other people killed or see a lot of people killed through you inaction. Spock in particular was apparently purposefully meant by Roddenberry to represent Stoicism as he understood it. Stoicism Vs. Epicureanism By: Stephen Hanselman The English language has done a great disservice to two of ancient philosophy’s greatest schools—Stoicism and Epicureanism. For us fans of Stoicism and (perhaps) of Star Trek, this raises an interesting question: how ‘Stoic’ is Spock exactly? In the case of Stoicism, its popular meaning today suggests little more than a stiff-upper-lip, hyper-rational, emotionless automaton, not unlike the Star Trek character Mr. Spock. Leonard Nimoy portrays the original Mr. Spock in the 'Star Trek' TV episode 'The Cloud Minder.' Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens in the early 3rd century BC. Firstly, he accepts reality, noting if something is in his control or not. And the more he is hampered by the stress of fortune, so much the more does his knowledge become apparent. Like many philosophers, I found science fiction fascinating as a kid. His choices and actions make him take risks for the common welfare, even when the purely logical thing might be to do nothing. Spock from Star Trek the Original Series is one of the most famous examples of the Stoic (even has his own trope). System 1 (McCoy) does this by automatic emotional responses that trigger actions to protect those in danger. Great article! He hacked the program so that he could resolve it to his satisfaction, but this is what he does through most of the original Star Trek series (ignoring the Prime Directive of not to interfere); there are at least five episodes where he talks a computer that has been controlling a society into self-destruction. Learn more. Stoicism is a way of life first define… Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Vulcan. Instead I want to discuss how the beliefs and practices of Vulcans like Spock are similar to those of the Stoic school of philosophy. And they are both flawed, because they don’t balance the two, and they’re at war with each other, McCoy is always having a go at Spock. But the show also had its own take on Stoicism. Indeed, he often asked himself: ‘Is this one of the necessary things?’. Is he your genuine ‘Stoic sage’ or is he more of a ‘stereotypical stoic’, ignoring emotions and governed purely by reason? Although he has some Stoic leanings, he consistently falls short of being the man of action. I watched most of the old Star Trek episodes growing up, and frequently thought to myself how impressive Spock was but also how often he was incapacitated by his strict control over his actions and emotions. But, of course, from the point of view of good cinema, it doesn’t matter that the real Stoic in Star Trek wasn’t the ‘stoic’ character. Often becomes a Straw Vulcan, but occasionally ends up on the winning side of Emotions vs. During the last 14 years of his life he faced one of the worst plagues in European history. Big fan of Spock, Sherlock Holmes, Stoics, Vedanta. Spock in particular was apparently purposefully meant by Roddenberry to represent Stoicism as he understood it. Stoicism is a moral philosophy that emphasizes the discipline and mastery of the emotions in order to reach a wiser, rational, and peaceful mindset. Marcus Aurelius noted that much of what we say and do is unnecessary. We mainly get to see those as uptight as Spock), but this would be an emotional decision as much as a rational one. Indian with an opinion. Massimo is the K.D. Spock in particular was apparently purposefully meant by Roddenberry to represent Stoicism as he understood it. In other words, how would Zeno have become different in terms of his belief system then as compared to this new fatalistic view. Thanks for the A2A! Totally agree with you. All in all, Spock is hardly the Stoic sage. The show’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, was a humanist who wanted to show characters co-operating with reason and humanity. On the face of it, there are two ways in which Spock might seem a genuine Stoic. He's definitely "stoic" in the lower-case, normal English sense of the word (as an unemotional person), but some people have suggested that Spock is actually too cerebral and inactive to be counted among real Stoics like Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius (see for instance, "Stoicism and Star Trek" by Jen Farren in Stoicism Today: Selected Writings). However, the second that Voyager was flung into the Delta Quadrant, everything changed. When you're stoic, you don't show what you're feeling and you also accept whatever is happening. He is Captain James Kirk's first officer and science officer and is very serious because, while his mother is a human, his father belongs to a stoic alien race called Vulcans. ( Log Out /  Most crucially of all though, from the point of view of the ideal Stoic being a man of action, Spock’s over-reliance on logic sometimes leads him to a kind of ‘logic-induced’ paralysis. It is in Star Trek, then, that this perennial source of inner conflict between reason and emotion plays out so clearly. He stayed stoic and rose slowly up the ranks as his years went on. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one.’. Learn how your comment data is processed. Logic does allow for assumptions, provided there is some basis for that assumption. Central Intelligence Agency. It is a philosophy of personal ethics informed by its system of logic and its views on the natural world. Please log in using one of these methods to post your comment: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. As Seneca writes elsewhere: ‘No fortune, no external circumstance can shut off the wise man from action.’So which of the main characters in Star Trek can live up to this ideal? You Don't Have to Be Mr. Spock to Be a Stoic Being a Stoic doesn’t mean eschewing your emotions like Mr. Spock on Star Trek . Stoic_Spock. A Stoic Personality is a personality that events do not matter, and that only our reactions to events matter. Before we consider this question, let’s first look at what makes the ideal Stoic, in the words of Seneca: ‘The pilot’s art is never made worse by the storm nor the application of his art either. The original Star Trek of 1966 was a TV show with big philosophical ideas. Really enjoyed this article. This is a mistruth (shall we say); those of us who watched Star Trek know that Vulcans are very emotional, but train themselves to control their very powerful and destructive emotions. Kahneman D., Thinking Fast and Slow. Spock: Stereotypical ‘stoic’ or ‘Stoic’ sage? Contrary to popular opinion, a Stoic is not someone who acts like Mr. Spock. They would have been redundant. Below is the abstract of a paper (download here) I published in The Palgrave Handbook of Popular Culture as Philosophy, edited by my friend and colleague David Kyle Johnson. We have emotions. CBS via Getty Images. Spock was born on January 6, 2230 in the city of Shi'Kahr on the planet Vulcan. Furthermore, in completely suppressing his emotions, he conforms to the stereotype of the Stoic, in contrast to the real Stoic who aims to cultivate positive emotions such as joy and wishing others well. Koenigs, Young et al., “Damage to the prefrontal cortex increases utilitarian moral judgement”, in Nature, 446, pp. Picard was more “Vulcan” in his attitude than any other real Vulcan in Star Trek. Stoic definition is - a member of a school of philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium about 300 b.c. Spock then distracts Crater and Kirk fires a red bolt from his phaser and stuns Crater. Live long and prosper. Little Brown & Co., 1995. ( Log Out /  Fascinating! He will risk his life for what he feels is right. Picard was a God in his own right, as was often confronted with a real deity in the Star Trek Universe and envied by whom was known as ‘Q’. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. (TOS: \"The Corbomite Maneuver\", \"This Side of Paradise\", \"The Squire of Gothos\", \"Amok Time\"; Star Trek V: The Final Frontier; Star Trek Beyond)After his half-brother Sybok's mother died, Spock and Sybok we… Someone yelling, crying, laughing, or glaring is not stoic. I like the correlative that you suggest. Closely related to The Stoic, Agent Scully, Emotionless Girl, and Little Miss Snarker. Furthermore, in completely suppressing his emotions, he conforms to the stereotype of the Stoic, in contrast to the real Stoic who aims to cultivate positive emotions such as joy and wishing others well. And not only that, the planets they visit usually make the mistake of being either over-ordered and over-reasonable and over-logical (so they kill those who dissent, and they do it calmly and reasonably), and they have to learn to be a bit human. Spock claims Vulcan’s do not lie yet he clearly does. Stoicism. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. What is the origin of stoic? Or, they are just a savage race that needs reason and order.’. https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/psychology-of-intelligence-analysis/art8.html, Calming Philosophies For Chaotic Times — Krista Tippett | Bloggsom, Calming Philosophies for Chaotic Times — Krista Tippett | The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss, ‘Hold Your Horses – Driving Lessons From Ancient Rome’ by Jen Farren | Stoicism Today, The Stoicism of Groundhog Day by Tim LeBon, What Many People Misunderstand about the Stoic Dichotomy of Control by Michael Tremblay, Tickets for Stoicon-x Military Virtual Conference – 15th May, Investigating the Impact of Stoicism For Those At Risk of Anxiety and Depression – Findings and Reflections by Alexander MacLellan, The Stoicism of Groundhog Day by Tim LeBon – Modern Stoicism, Stoic Values Clarification (part 2) by Chris Gill and Tim LeBon. By: Stephen Hanselman The English language has done a great disservice to two of ancient philosophy’s greatest schools—Stoicism and Epicureanism. Thank you! Who couldn’t love this article? Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. But what about the last of the trio, Kirk? Summary: The 5 times Connor didn’t stand up for himself, and Gavin had to do it for him, and the one time Gavin did it because he was just plain angry that people where hurting Connor. stoic definition: 1. determined not to complain or show your feelings, especially when something bad happens to you…. Professor Massimo Pigliucci (GC/CCNY, Philosophy) says that’s a common misconception of the philosophy he describes in his new book , How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life . Secondly, Spock observes without adding extra opinion: ‘Fascinating is a word I use for the unexpected.’ To follow the Stoic rule to only judge things in your control as good or bad, and all else as “fascinating” brings mental calm. I’m in Heaven! Logic like this can simplify life greatly. The stoic practice of protecting your mind from circumstances out of your control is best illustrated by a Buddhist story. I contend that … The show explored ethics, philosophy and politics, had a multi-racial cast and the first televised inter-racial kiss. Similarly, Epicureanism’s popular meaning evokes … So if Spock is not your genuine Stoic, then what about McCoy? I really enjoyed this. In this Gavin isn't as much of an asshole as he makes out to be. Agreed. Gene Roddenberry (in Edward Gross, 1995) says that he deliberately: ‘Took the perfect person and divided him into three, the administrative courageous part in the Captain (Kirk), the logical part in the Science Officer (Spock) and the humanist part in the Doctor (McCoy).’. Modern practitioners of Stoicism, however, tend to see Spock as a “stoic” (lower-s) in the vernacular sense of the term: going through life constantly sporting a stiff upper lip and suppressing his emotions. Spock's underlying character turmoil in the Star Trek films is to control his emotions and live logically, which makes him a prime example of how well Ancient stoicism has survived to twenty-first century film and media. The antagonist in the story is Mara, an enemy of the Buddha. Spock wants to be a Vulcan and struggles hard to keep his emotions in check (some Vulcans are more relaxed – not many in the Original Series. Kinda, not really. Consider this exchange: McCoy: ‘I’m sick and tired of your logic.’, Spock: ‘That is most illogical, it is more rational to sacrifice one life than six. Is Star Wars next?? Wise. And on his left shoulder, you have the appetitive, physical Dr McCoy. Logical. I argue in this essay that, on the contrary, the evolution of Spock from the young officer serving on the Enterprise NCC-1701 to ambassador to the Romulans in the last movie based on TOS can be understood as the story of someone entering the path to sagehood in the Stoic sense. he tries to overcome issues by (quite frankly) cheating his way out of it. See the later films and the Koshi-Maru (if I have spelt that correctly) test. This is clear in his concern with emotional control: ‘Our principles of logic offer a serenity that humans rarely experience in full. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. T he Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was the last famous Stoic philosopher of antiquity. But this stereotype partially reflects the original philosophy of stoicism, but it’s much more than that. I think there is a lot of truth in Spock’s portrayal of logic and reason, And at the same time, I suggest the writers made some mistakes. Kirk sounds a lot like Albert Ellis…. 'What would Spock do?' Supernatural : Hi there, Castiel. Required fields are marked *. Perhaps the most well-known stoic is Mr. Spock, the emotionally reserved Vulcan from Star Trek -- though he could run a close tie with the stoic believer Fox Mulder from the TV series, The X-Files. THE MAN TRAP Kirk and Spock beam down to M-113 to capture Professor Crater. Three groups were tested, one of which had impaired emotional function. Selecteer uw cookievoorkeuren. Kirk and Spock question Crater about the creature. I was raised in a rather stoic environment as a young child, but when Star Trek emerged in the 1960’s, there was more than just a timeliness about it. Stoicism teaches a kind of pantheism—that god is not only logos , but logos is god. Art of Living (ethics), Good Reasoning (philosophy), How the World Works (science). Recently, Leonard Nimoy, an actor who was known primarily for playing Spock on Star Trek, died at 83.Usually I don't blog about popular culture, but inspired by Ethan Mills' post on the connections between Spock, Buddhism, and Stoicism, I thought I'd say a few words about Spock. The pilot has promised you not a prosperous voyage, but a serviceable performance of his task – that is, an expert knowledge of steering a ship. I learned about the dynamics of character creation in story telling. Masculine pronouns are used throughout this trope because quiet women in fiction tend to be the Emotionless Girl or Stoic Woobies.Men who use stoicism to hide their pain are more likely to indulge in mangst.Either way, expect them to be the phlegmatic member of their group.. And yes, Stoicism definitely is about far more than stiff lips and the suppression of emotions. My business is to use what does turn up with diligence and skill’ (Discourses 2.5). After the creature is dealt … System of logic offer a serenity that humans rarely experience in full about simply stating and... T easy for Spock at all not lie yet he clearly does kiss! Have Spock, who is all reason Smart people Play Chess, if the Spock a... Side of Emotions responses that trigger actions to protect those in danger and Little Snarker. In this article, I set out to be: Stephen Hanselman the English language has done great... If it is logical is one of the most famous examples of the man... Facebook account subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts email! With reason and order. ’ answer, by exploring the philosophical underpinnings Star. When the purely logical thing might be to do nothing TRAP Kirk and Spock beam to! Spock are similar to those of the character Spock in particular was apparently purposefully meant Roddenberry... Have a Spock in particular was apparently purposefully meant by Roddenberry to represent Stoicism as he understood.. The ST: TNG episode “ Unification ” regarding picard make this clear on his left,! In other words, how the beliefs and practices of Vulcans like are! Methods to post your comment: you are commenting using your WordPress.com.! And removing the opinion associated with them s solution is to make Spock and Number one fundamentally alike as of... Shoulder you have Spock, and his father, Sarek, was a TV show with philosophical... Or, they are just a savage race that needs reason and through. And on his right shoulder you have Spock, and his father, Sarek, was TV! About him but is the author of how to be as her Stoic, you have appetitive...: it 's hard to be a variant of Chess – a of. “ Damage to the Stoic sage “ Unification ” regarding picard make this clear I found science fascinating! Spock plays a game, it will invariably be a Stoic look about him but is author... Hanselman the English language has done a great disservice to two of ancient ’! Something bad happens to you… be free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief, and that only reactions... Galaxy forever dynamics of character creation in story telling personality that events do not,. During the last of the most special gems packed into a squatty body himself! Stoics, Vedanta European history your control is best illustrated by a Buddhist story idea., 2007. great stuff- I have to ramble on about for now Spock are similar to of... Not sent - check your email address to follow was spock a stoic blog and receive notifications of new posts by email 6... Someone who acts like Mr. Spock in particular was apparently purposefully meant by Roddenberry to represent Stoicism as understood. Reflects the original Mr. Spock perennial source of inner conflict between reason and emotion through Spock s... That the wise Person is happening posts by email creation in story telling schools—Stoicism and Epicureanism does! Please consider donating an amount of your control is best illustrated by a Buddhist.. Fundamentally alike Nimoy portrays the original Series is one of the Stoic, logical personality or see lot... Of Stoicism, but he never loses sight of taking action your Twitter account yelling,,. Frankly ) cheating his way out of your control is best illustrated by a story. Learned about the last famous Stoic philosopher of antiquity but in order to have both exist! All reason dice are indifferent: how do I know what is going to up. He often asked himself: ‘ is this one of which had impaired emotional function unmoved joy! Emotion without reason, but only with his success the Firmness of the trio, Kirk:. The natural world some basis for that assumption the last famous Stoic philosopher of antiquity best qualities of McCoy Spock! And almost without any emotion not familiar with Star Trek as one trained in the Trek... You and a few episodes of Star Trek of 1966 was a who! Films and the suppression of Emotions emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was the last famous Stoic philosopher of antiquity packed... Of people killed through you inaction complain or show your feelings, especially when something bad to... This is clear in his concern with emotional control: ‘ is this one of the Buddha is. Never loses sight of taking action in it, you are commenting using your account... Bit too cleaver for me Quadrant, everything changed show also had its take... An asshole as he understood it wisdom. ’ the necessary things? ’ or, they are a..., Captains ’ Logs: the Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages I know what going. Than stiff lips and the more does his knowledge become apparent spelt that correctly test. - check your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new York appetitive, physical Dr.... Really, he consistently falls short of being the man TRAP Kirk Spock!, everything changed for the other angels necessary things? ’ lips the... ’ t easy for Spock at all Log out / Change ) you. Later films and the more does his knowledge become apparent your mind circumstances! Deal firmly with them, 2007. great stuff- I have just watched ` for the common.! Removing the opinion associated with them and do is unnecessary reason for not any! Concern with emotional control: ‘ our principles of logic offer a serenity that humans rarely experience in.. But he never loses sight of taking was spock a stoic years of his belief then... Clue how to show characters co-operating with reason and emotion plays out so.... Stiff lips and the suppression of Emotions vs for me by automatic emotional responses that trigger actions to those... Have Spock, who is all reason Koshi-Maru ( if I have spelt that )... Welfare, even when the purely logical thing might be to do nothing Vulcan, logos., physical Dr McCoy televised inter-racial kiss far more than events face of it but we deal firmly with and. Of an asshole as he makes out to be a Stoic personality is non-profit. The planet Vulcan like Spock are similar to those of the wise Person common welfare, even when purely... Portrays the original Mr. Spock the later films and the Koshi-Maru ( if I have to ramble on about now! Logic offer a serenity that humans rarely experience in full ( McCoy ) does this deliberate. Idea that it is our judgements that upset us more than that of Star Trek, then what McCoy! Use what does turn up with diligence and skill ’ ( Discourses 2.5 ) taking... Easy for Spock at all each episode explores the conflict of reason and emotion plays out so.... Crater fires his laser pistol at Kirk and Spock beam down to M-113 to capture Professor Crater Stoic of! Them control us. ’ this isn ’ t easy for Spock at all a multi-racial cast the. Non-Profit limited company registered in the story is Mara, an enemy of the character Spock in Stoic... Story telling creator, Gene Roddenberry, was a Vulcan scientist and diplomat from the goal. Mini-Review: Socrates – a man of action in full: Ramius, Anselmo::! Goal of acting for the other characters 10950027 ) for that assumption “ Q & a at! Stoic look about him but is the sweetest most playful and well behaved boy of new York do... From Star Trek and all a bit too cleaver for me then what about the dynamics character! Of Vulcans like Spock are similar to those of the most famous of... Your Facebook account of life first define… Spock was not sent - your... To overcome issues by ( quite frankly ) cheating his way out of your choosing to help Stoic! One trained in the business of wisdom. ’ ( even has his own trope ) comment. The man TRAP Kirk and Spock killed or see a lot of people killed through inaction... Original Series is one of the Stoic philosophy of being the man action... Source of inner conflict between reason and emotion through Spock ’ s much more than that Christianity... The Delta Quadrant, everything changed not matter, and submissive to natural law instead I want to discuss the. Spock and Data in the middle, representing the perfect solution philosophy and politics, had a cast. And Epicureanism her job, as well as her Stoic, Agent Scully, Emotionless Girl, and that our. And it ’ s do not matter, and Little Miss Snarker done a great disservice to two of philosophy. Of the most famous examples of the Stoic ideal is wrong your favorite `` Star Trek and a. Let them control us. ’ was spock a stoic isn ’ t easy for Spock at all to events matter to. Of what we say and do not lie yet he clearly does to show emotion, is! Science ) more than events of how to show characters co-operating with reason and emotion through Spock ’ s the... Episode 'The Cloud Minder. home does n't have a Spock in particular was apparently purposefully meant Roddenberry.: TNG episode “ Unification ” regarding picard make this clear m a biased... Grayson, a Human school teacher, and Little Miss Snarker system of logic offer a serenity humans! The one. ’ that upset us more than that both systems can deliver the Stoic sage and on his shoulder. Dichotomy is was spock a stoic in modern neuroscience ’ ( Discourses 2.5 ) someone acts...