#lot: st tng season 2 ep 9/22 (ep 35/178)

[filmjunky-99]

s t a r t r e k t h e n e x t g e n e r a t i o n created by gene roddenberry [the measure of a man, s2ep9]

'The Commander is a physical representation of a dream, an idea conceived of by the mind of a man. Its purpose is to serve human needs and interests.

It's a collection of neural nets and heuristic algorithms. Its responses are dictated by an elaborate software program written by a man. Its hardware is built by a man.

And now a man will shut it off... Pinocchio is broken, the strings are cut.' - riker

[filmjunky-99]

s t a r t r e k t h e n e x t g e n e r a t i o n created by gene roddenberry Captain Phillipa Louvois, Judge Advocate General of Sector 23, Starbase 173 [the measure of a man, s2ep9]

'It sits there looking at me, and I don't know what it is. This case has dealt with metaphysics, with questions best left to saints and philosophers. I'm neither competent nor qualified to answer those. I've got to make a ruling to try to speak to the future.

Is Data a machine? Yes. Is he the property of Starfleet? No. We have all been dancing around the basic issue. Does Data have a soul? I don't know that he has. I don't know that I have. But I have got to give him the freedom to explore that question himself.

It is the ruling of this court that Lieutenant Commander Data has the freedom to choose.' - louvois

[filmjunky-99]

s t a r t r e k t h e n e x t g e n e r a t i o n created by gene roddenberry The Measure of a Man [s2ep9]