Transhumanism and the Quest For Eternal Life In Star Trek: TNG
The episode “Schizoid Man” wrestles with the deepest of philosophical questions
Lately, I’ve become a fan of the TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG). Since I was a die-hard fan of the original series, I never could bring myself to watch a spin-off. After all, how could it do justice to such an iconic show?
Well, I was wrong. TNG continued the tradition of the original series in that it wasn’t just a show dedicated to science fiction.
It was a show that used the genre of science fiction to examine different aspects of the human condition and moral dilemmas.
Recently, I watched an episode of TNG entitled Schizoid Man. In this episode, the writers brilliantly weave a story around a man’s attempt to cheat death and live forever. Can you think of deeper philosophical issues than death and eternal life?
You have to congratulate the writers of TNG for their bravery in handling difficult existential questions. Something we seldom see in movies or TV shows today.
However, raising questions is one thing. Answering them is quite another thing altogether.
I’m afraid their conclusions left us wanting something more.
