Discussion Post
Watch Star Trek Next Generation S2:E9 "The Measure of a Man" episode.
• Did Captain Picard make a persuasive argument to Data's personhood? Give detailed reasons for your answer
• If you think Data is a person, how do you know you are not mistaken? Data is a machine, after all. How do you know Data isn't just an elaborate, mindless mimicry of human behavior?
• If you think Data is not a person, how can you be so sure? Weren't whole groups of humans considered "soulless" in the past, a judgment we now regard with horror (as indicated in the episode)? Is your rejection of the personhood of Data grounded in a way that wouldn't also reject the personhood of another human?
• What do you think Data meant about the "ineffable quality" of an experience (as opposed to just the "mere facts" of that same experience)?
The response must include a reference list. One-inch margins, double-space, Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font and APA style of writing and citations.