I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that this episode introduces the weekly poker night, which becomes symbolic of the crew’s camaraderie throughout the series. Disregarding the nature of that agreement, for the express purpose of preventing Data from exiting the agreement, seems downright Kafkaesque. The acceptance of his application innately suggests a mutual agreement between two parties with equal standing under the law. More to the point, if Starfleet wanted to lay claim to Data as equipment, it should have articulated that claim before letting him enter the Academy. Data was constructed by a civilian (presumed dead at this point) and abandoned on Omicron Theta at best Starfleet’s claim of ownership depends on salvage law. Maddox’s analogy is that the Enterprise computer can’t refuse a refit, but Starfleet built that computer.
#The measure of a man tng android
What I find curious about the hearing is that everyone focuses on whether an android is inherently property without bothering to first establish whether this android is Starfleet’s property. Over time, the franchise would use Maddox’s definition as shorthand to indicate “personhood.” This usage seems to come up mainly when it isn’t obvious to a character that some entity should not be treated as property, which speaks to the legacy and impact of this episode’s themes. However, Maddox overloads the term to include intelligence, self-awareness, and consciousness. In this context, sentience is an adequate distinction between a person and a sophisticated computer. Strictly speaking, “sentience” refers to the ability to experience things subjectively, not to any particular degree of intelligence or self-awareness. It’s not the first time Star Trek uses the word, but I think this is where it’s meaning becomes confused. This episode uses the term “sentience” to describe the qualities at issue in the hearing.
Since legal counsel is not yet available at the starbase, Captain Picard represents Data in a hearing to challenge the ruling, while Commander Riker is obliged to oppose the challenge. JAG officer Phillipa Louvois rules that Data cannot evade the order by resigning his commission, as he is Starfleet property. Commander Data is reassigned to Bruce Maddox, who is authorized to disassemble him for research.