I haven’t watched the show, but I’ve sometimes seen essays from people saying that Kirk, Spock, and Bones represent “body, mind, and spirit.” And whatever the creators’ intentions, there does seem to be a popular misconception that rationalists or rational people or both act like Spock.
I agree that there is a popular conception as you say, but I think Spock works more effectively as a warning against rational attire as opposed to rationality. I don’t actually know the creators’ intentions. I just think than when Spock admonishes Kirk for his illogical play in making the winning move in a chess game early on, it’s plain enough what’s up—although maybe it’s my trouble imagining a rational theory of chess wherein the correct move is one other than the one that puts your opponent in checkmate.
I can’t find any authoritative discussion of Spock’s intended purpose. I asked someone who’s seen the show in as non-loaded a way as I could, and ey said that Spock was generally intended to be perceived as rational, and that the chess games in particular are often a metaphor for the action of the episode. McCoy and Spock often function as Kirk’s System 1 and System 2, giving him advice that he combines into an instrumentally rational decision. I agree that Spock is often a good example of what not to do.
there does seem to be a popular misconception that rationalists or rational people or both act like Spock.
I suspect there a reasonable amount of truth to this belief. At least I suspect Spock was a reasonable caricature of the type of self-proclaimed “rational people” prevalent during the 50s and 60s.
I haven’t watched the show, but I’ve sometimes seen essays from people saying that Kirk, Spock, and Bones represent “body, mind, and spirit.” And whatever the creators’ intentions, there does seem to be a popular misconception that rationalists or rational people or both act like Spock.
I agree that there is a popular conception as you say, but I think Spock works more effectively as a warning against rational attire as opposed to rationality. I don’t actually know the creators’ intentions. I just think than when Spock admonishes Kirk for his illogical play in making the winning move in a chess game early on, it’s plain enough what’s up—although maybe it’s my trouble imagining a rational theory of chess wherein the correct move is one other than the one that puts your opponent in checkmate.
I can’t find any authoritative discussion of Spock’s intended purpose. I asked someone who’s seen the show in as non-loaded a way as I could, and ey said that Spock was generally intended to be perceived as rational, and that the chess games in particular are often a metaphor for the action of the episode. McCoy and Spock often function as Kirk’s System 1 and System 2, giving him advice that he combines into an instrumentally rational decision. I agree that Spock is often a good example of what not to do.
I suspect there a reasonable amount of truth to this belief. At least I suspect Spock was a reasonable caricature of the type of self-proclaimed “rational people” prevalent during the 50s and 60s.