Spock's Argumentative Analysis

“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few,” is a phrase that many are familiar with even if they are unaware of who said it and its origins. This phrase comes up many times in society today when we speak on race relations, LGBT rights, religious rights, and even when speaking on a moral code to live by. A brief background of the quote makes it easier to understand so that is a good starting point. It is first said by Spock a fictional character in the Star Trek series. He is of a race of people who are strictly logical and do not use any emotion to aid in any decisions (Vulcan - Fanlore). Spock first says it in the Star Trek movie, The Wrath of Khan. It sets up a pivotal scene where Spock sacrifices himself to save the rest of

. .” Kirk finishes for him, “The needs of the few.” Spock replies, “Or the one.” (Armstrong). Now we know that Spock fully believed that it is logical to place the needs of the many over the needs of the few, but he also would later say that sacrificing the best interests of the many to help the few was only human. Therefore, we are left with the question, is it correct to say that the needs of the many outweigh the few, and how does that answer change based on who you speak to? Ayn Rand wrote Atlas Shrugged and attacked the very foundation of the statement. In this book, Rand paints a dark global future in which dictatorships have taken over many of the world governments. They are able to take over due to the increasing popularity of the tenets of utilitarianism such as, self-sacrifice is noble, self-interest is evil, and greedy producers and businessmen have a moral obligation to serve the “greater good” of society (Biddle). Therefore, Rand concludes that this belief system can take away free thought and create a society of followers who never question authority, which can be dangerous to freedom, science, and private enterprise. So, it would seem like Spock was wrong. He made a statement that sounds great in a vacuum, but in practice is