Prime Directive

[stephane]

Hello,

I tried to search the forum for more Prime Directives informations, but didn't find what I'm looking for.

I'd like to read this famous directive (is it available somewhere?), and your opinion about it. Watching the different series I found out that it was sometimes quite screwed.

I think I understood this: according the PD, the PC don't offer technologies to pre-warp civilisations (including the knowledge of other species existence).

Now what about the rest: they aren't suppose to interfere with species not in the Federation ? If a species is part of the Federation, do the PC have the right to interfere with them versus another race which is not part of the federation ?

I'm rather confused and so is my post, but I'd like to know how you manage this prime directive in your series.

Thanks

[Sea Tyger]

Let's see if I can put some light on your confusion.

The Prime Directive states that the Federation is not allowed to interfere in the natural development of a species.

For the most part this means you cannot give a pre-warp species advanced technology, introduce them to alien life forms, nor influence their socio-political or cultural advancement (or lack thereof).

Now, several planets appear to have been "grandfathered" in before the development of the Prime Directive (Eminiar, from "A Taste of Armageddon," for example), and apparently had diplomatic relations with the Federation at some point, despite being a pre-warp culture.

It's also apparent that Starfleet was more lenient on possible PD violations during the great expansion of the mid-to-late 23rd Century.

[Dan Gurden]

The Prime Directive wording, most commonly found on the internet is as follows;

General Order 1: The Prime Directive

As the right of each sentient species to live in accordance with its normal cultural evolution is considered sacred, no Starfleet personnel may interfere with the normal and healthy development of alien life and culture. Such interference includes introducing superior knowledge, strength, or technology to a world whose society is incapable of handling such advantages wisely. Starfleet personnel may not violate this Prime Directive, even to save their lives and/or their ship, unless they are acting to right an earlier violation or an accidental contamination of said culture. This directive takes precedence over any and all other considerations, and carries with it the highest moral obligation.

However, this may be fan based and non-canon as this text is not printed in the Encycliopedia, which only offers us;

General Order 1: The noninterference directive, prohibiting intervention in the normal development of any society.

Theres also quite a significant chunk of text under Prime Directive that I cannot be arsed to type out just now.


As Sea Tyger said, this is most often applied to pre-warp cultures, but equally applies to warp capable cultures, as the Prime Directive was cited as the reason why Starfleet would not pick a side during the Klingon Civil War. but oddly, it can be recinded, for some pre-warp cultures (ie; The Bajorans)... So it is worth noting that the definition is quite fluid and possibly Commanders in the field have a lot of leeway when it comes to breaches of the Prime Directive, with a possible enquiry after the fact to judge if the actions were neccesary (ie; Kirk providing Flintlocks to counter the Klingon Weapons, etc).

[Owen E Oulton]

There is no official wording for the Prime Directive - the wording quoted above is from the Franz Joseph Star Fleet Technical Manual, and is wide-spread in Trek fandom.

Basically, the Prime Directive is designed to protect pre=Warp civilisations which may be damaged by the introduction of outside influences. It is clear from TOS that not all pre-Warp civilisations are protected under the Prime Directive, and it is never made clear what the criteria are.

The Prime Directive was badly abused during the run of TNG, being applied in many instances where it clearly wasn't meant to be.

[stephane]

Thank to you all for the answers. I think I'll go with the definition which is clear enough.

Actually, your comment about TNG is even more useful, as the show was the reason of my confusion. I think I'll go without Picard's team concept of the prime directive.

[Owen E Oulton]

It does simplify things, doesn't it?

[Lord Kjeran]

Chello!

I remember seeing a fanflic in which Picard says something to the effect of: "You're right...the PD is our most cherished ideal and I cannot interfere here." He turns, starts to walk away, stopes, and says, "Oh, to Hell with teh Prime Directive!!!" whirls and starts firing his phaser repeatedly.

iirc, it was Star Trek: the Pepsi Generation.

Always wanted to really see that in an episode!

Tony

[pesterfield]

I don't think the Bajorans were an exception, they already knew about other species after being conquered by one.

Basically no contact if they don't know about aliens. What if they're actively searching though, could a Starship answer a message found on a probe like Voyager or respond to radio messages trying to contact aliens?

As to Picard letting species go extinct to avoid violating the PD, I certainly hope he was twisting it beyond recognition. Kirk's Enterprise tried to destroy an asteroid that was headed for a planet protected by the PD and it sounded like an ordered mission.

[Tobian]

Actually Pesterfield, your exact question was answered in an episode of Voyager, Futures end (the time travel 2 parter) - in that instance an astronamer had been given (Rain Robinson) the exact parameters for a warp signature, so despite shielding themselves from 20th century technology she detected them, and sent them a floury of text and images welcoming them to Earth.

In that case Voayger blanked her because (well as well as a temporal prime directive here!) it would have interfered with the prime directive!

Primative cultures looking for warp capable one's in the Federation wouldn't have been contacted under any circumstances (normally).

Planets like Bajor are an exception because the letter of the law with regards to the Prime directive is that they don't interfere HOWEVER Bajor was invaded by and annexed by Cardassia, so by definition the Federation didn't do that. In all technicality we don't know that Bajor isn't a warp capable society, all we know is that they don't have any warp capable ships, which given they were under the yolk of the oppresive Cardassian reigime for years makes it unlikelly they could own any, but they could have had them once. In that instance, Cardassia 'broke' the prime directive, but since it isn't part of the Federation, it wasn't obliged to follow it!

The Federation did mediate on their behalf on the galactic stage to have them set free but that's diplomacy, not war. We've seen the Federation step in in the context of providing mediators and trained neutral third parties if planets ask them to be there; and if a warp capable civilisation asks to join, then it has to adhere to the laws of joining the Federation (and keep them up)

Like any of the laws of the Federation and Starfleet there is always a grey line when a situation becomes dire. yes technically a captain is supposed to forfeit his life and the whole crew if it means preventing a violation of the prime directive, but some tend to bend under that sort of pressure! and of course where do you draw the line, one ship, 3 ships, a planned, 15 trillion innocent people, all members of the Federation. yes the Federation respects that it should not interfere with the natural development of a species even if it means their death, but it does help it's self - that's what it's there for!

The Destruction of Yoyonda is a point in case. yes destroying it could mean interfering with the natural evolution of that species.. but if it means the death of millions of federation citizens?? that's a thorny knot to unravel!

I am not sure on the letter of the laws, because nothing was ever specifically detailed on sceen, (just fan stuff) but the implication is that the Federation will help to mediate a conflict if both parties want that. It won't however aid with weapons ships or personel - the Klingon civil war being a prime example. the Klingons were both happy for Pickard to act as a mediator, but once the civil war began, Pickard could not lead the Federation to support one side over the other.

There have been several pre-warp civilisations seen in all of the series, where the Federation had friendly meetings with. However it was never stated that it was the Federation that initiated it. it could have happened by accident, or indeed by one of the member worlds long before they joined the Federation - it's the past, it's done now, you can't put the genie back in the bottle!

There are also cases where the Federation HAS to act to interfere, because the prime directive has been violated already! It has to move to try and undo the damage to that civilisation, especially if it was the one who caused it! A prime example of that is the episode 'Who watches the Watchers' - Where picard has to show the Mintakans that they are not gods, because by believing in gods again, it would change the whole course of their cultural evolution. That technically is upholding the prime directive because it is simply trying to correct the damage it caused!

[pesterfield]

I didn't mean the Yonada asteroid, but the one headed for the planet of Preserver transplanted indians where Kirk became a god. The Enterprise was going to destroy the asteroid before it hit, though it was going to be far out in space so the natives wouldn't see anything.

As to the Mintakans I wonder if permanent contact was established. Just leaving with no follow up could over time turn them into gods again, through exaggeration of the story and time.

[Tobian]

Oh sorry yes. now that you mention it yes it technically was a breach of the prime directive. Kirk doing what he did didn't break the prime directive.. because he lost his memory, and therefore you can't breach the prime directive when you don't know who you are. However, remind me.. were they trying to save all the people or were they trying to save Kirk? (of course both are still a breach!) But since the enteprise tried to blow up the asteroid, THAT would have been a breach So basically yes, very dodgy BUT they didn't technically breach it, they just intended too!

The Mintakans.. well yes and no. I suspect the Federation won't interact, but instead 'monitor' them, to make sure that they don't lapse. Perhaps subtly interfering to help correct their mistake. However there is little they can really do, as even if they have truly rid them of the sense of them being gods, the fact that they now have the image of the federation and 24th century technology might ireperably change their outlook on life. We would see an optimistic viewpoint as a good thing, but then that is STILL change!

[pesterfield]

Why would stopping the asteroid be a breach? They were doing it while the rock was two months away from impact, nobody on the planet could possible know what was happening. Saving a planet without the natives knowing shouldn't be a breach.

Now beaming down in front of crowd, that's a breach.

On another note why'd Spock and McCoy appear completely mistified about Kirk having a wife? You'd think one of them could put two and two together.

[Cybrludite]

Originally posted by pesterfield
On another note why'd Spock and McCoy appear completely mistified about Kirk having a wife? You'd think one of them could put two and two together.

More likely suprised either that he had only one wife or that he got hitched at all.

[Tobian]

No that's not the reason why it would bea breach.

The effective tennent of the Prime directive is not to interfere with a culture's natural development, and that development includes being killed.

In the TNG episode Pen pal, Data effectivelly broke the prime directive by stoping the planet blowing up, and therefore killing all of the inhabtents of that planet (including his pen pal) They got round it by the technical precept of Data having been asked. Another example is when Worf's brother brought up the whole Village of aliens who were doomed to be made extinct - if that is their fate, then that is their fate, and that is what is meant by not interfering.

[pesterfield]

Now that's just cold hearted, and cruel. Hopefully any captain or admiral who went by such a strict definition would have their head handed to them.

Both those are 24th century examples when the PD had been interpreted to an absurd level. Kirk's time was much more lenient.