THE PRIME DIRECTIVE

MAIN DISCUSSION

EARLY SLANTS IN INTERPRETING THE PRIME DIRECTIVE

It is noticeable that in [TOS] to be technologically-advanced is universally accepted (possibly subconsciously) by the writers (basically, Roddenberry, the show's creator and executive producer) as being morally superior, not just technologically-superior.

There is also in [TOS] an element of United States patriotism, e.g. in [TOS: The Omega Glory]. I cannot say if it is still as acceptable today within the USA, but globally it is not as acceptable today as when the show first aired. That is ironic coinciding as it has done with the increase in international dialogue that Roddenberry hoped would one day happen. The overdone USA patriotism perhaps should not have been as acceptable in the 1960s either because it seems contrary to Gene Roddenberry's forward-thinking in his effort to make the show globally relevant e.g. having crewmembers of other races and even Spock who is half of another species. Commenting with the benefit of hindsight, this patriotism, especially in [TOS: The Omega Glory], was ill-advised as it sticks out like a sore thumb, however a dramatic moment with the Yangs' flag brought in to the sound of a beating drum (see screenshot), and this detracts from the serious theme of the Prime Directive. As regards the Prime Directive theme, the patriotism went hand-in-hand with the main message that Kirk's morals, which happened of course to accord with Roddenberry's, had priority. This led to Kirk violating the Prime Directive in several societies, with Picard trying harder to comply with the Prime Directive, then with Commander Sisko bending it in [DS9: Captive Pursuit], leading to Janeway bending or breaking the Prime Directive though usually when she judged the very survival of ship and crew to be at stake.

In stories relating to the Prime Directive, this aspect of "technologically-advanced" equals "morally advanced" is often tempered, however, by reverse snobbery whereby the ultimate message given out by [TOS] scriptwriters is that, however well-intentioned the advanced visitors are ("advanced" used in all three senses of technological, moral and feeling snobbish), interaction with the primitive society ends up being undesirable or even destructive. By [TNG] real or off-screen humanity had 'advanced' in becoming a little more humble, providing a refreshing look at the subject in [TNG]-stories onwards. A further refreshing look at the subject occurs in [Voyager]. In [#49 Sacred Ground], Janeway's fundamental trust in scientific explanations lets her down and she develops a respect for the Nechisti mystic arts, even though she is later told the scientific explanation for the "mystical" power of the Nechisti shrine; in that story, science and technology are not "better". And in [#10 Prime Factors], Janeway is faced by a people, the Sikarians, who have their own equivalent of the Prime Directive.

After gaining insight and respect for the Nechistic mysteries, Janeway determinedly carries Kes into the Shrine, despite scientific data indicating that to do so would kill both of them. As a result, Janeway newfound faith in the Nechisti mysteries is successful in protecting her and curing Kes.

In [TNG: Who Watches The Watchers], the presumption is made in a meeting of senior Enterprise-D officers and the chief anthropologist who has been observing the primitive culture on Mintaka III, that allowing the revival of religious belief in Mintakan society would regress the society's development returning them to "the dark ages of superstition and ignorance and fear", while the anthropologist says "without guidance [from Picard] that religion could degenerate into inquisitions, holy wars, chaos."

Janeway's violations of the Prime Directive are usually connected with immediate threats to the safety or even the very survival of Voyager and crew, and some involve temporal factors. There are new thematic twists to Prime Directive involvement caused by being stranded in the Delta Quadrant with its myriad dangers, and these are discussed separately in [Voyager] and the Prime Directive.