In season 1, episode 7 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, entitled "Dax", the trill species is explored in some detail. Trill are a species that can serve as a host for a symbiont species. In other words, a small, crab-like conscious organism can be joined with the internal organs of a trill so that two consciousness are joined into one. Upon joining, all memories & experiences of the symbiont and its prior hosts are incorporated into the consciousness of the host. Jadzia Dax is a crewmember on DS9. Dax is the name of the symbiont. Jadzia is the name of the woman who is joined with the symbiont. Although they were once two separate consciousnesses, Jadzia Dax is now one single consciousness. In this episode, Jadzia is charged with a crime committed when the symbiont was joined with a prior host, Curzon. In the episode, the characters debate whether Jadzia Dax is a different person than Curzon Dax and whether she should be responsible for what Curzon has done. In episode 8 of the same season, a criminal tries to escape punishment by hiding in the consciousness of other beings.
Both these episodes raise questions relevant not only to personal identity, but also to moral responsibility (our next topic)
BTW, all seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are available on netflix or on amazon prime. Amazon prime is free to students for one year if you register with your .edu email address. Just sayin...
No comments:
Post a Comment