Human 2 Essay, Research Paper

What Does It Mean To Be Human?

To be human, is to be involved in social and cultural interactions that shape our personality. Our culture is formed from our social interactions, and our social life’s continuation depends on our culture. As Charlie demonstrates in the Star Trek episode “Charlie X”, if you do not have social interaction and cultural ideas, values, and rules developed from a society, then you will not form a proper self-image, and

conscience.

Charles Evans, was the only survivor of a crashed colonizing expedition to the planet Thasus. Charlie was only three when the ship crashed, leaving him with only the Thasians to raise him. The Thasians gave him “The Power” to take care of himself, and he had no interaction with anyone. So when Charlie boards the U.S.S. Enterprise, he has a lot of problems dealing with the newly imposed “social norms” of their society. After all he has no contact with a society, and therefor has no internal regulation of his

behavior.

Charlie doesn’t know what life is all about. He wants and needs, but has no regard for others. His ID is there, but his Ego has not been able to be developed through social interaction. The Thasians don’t feel or love, so he becomes a social misfit. He shows a lack of grief, and guilt for the people he was acting inappropriately towards. Charlie gives inappropriate touches to Yeoman because he finds her attractive, and has no self-control. When she starts getting upset with him and tells him that his actions are

not acceptable, he doesn’t seem to understand and get the hint. Charlie continues to pursue Yeoman, and also gives her a gift, which is not appropriate because they were not in a relationship and she did not want to initiate one. He can’t grasp the idea of “Social Norms”, and doesn’t know how to follow them.

When Charlie is angered, he begins to act in a way that is totally unacceptable; he begins making people disappear. Charlie makes Yeoman Rand disappear when she refuses his advances, and he shows no guilt or remorse for this. When the Vulcan disciplines Charlie, he breaks Spock’s legs. He also causes injury and harm to anyone that he thinks is laughing at him, or getting in his way. This is because he has no internal regulators.

Charlie is eventually sent back to the Thasians to live with them, strongly against his will.

This episode of Star Trek shows us that without social interactions and cultural ideas, values, and rules integrated into our own lives, a healthy, productive, society would not be possible. We depend on others for our physical survival (to grow and transport food, to provide shelter and clothing, to provide protection from enemies, ex.). And we also depend very much on others for our psychological wellbeing we need love, support, meaning, and happiness. So this means that human survival is dependent upon social affairs, which are both physical and emotional, that are met through interactions with others.