Young Spock''s Answer in "Star Trek".

In the beginning of the movie, when young Spock is in the training sphere, he answers "It is morally praiseworthy but not morally obligatory."\ \ What does this mean, and what question (or kind of) would it have been an answer to?

• Clearly the question refers to something which goes above and beyond the call of duty. It could be something as simple as: "If as a general principle we do not kill sentient beings, is it necessary to avoid stepping on the ground in case we inadvertently crush insects who are too small to be seen with the naked eye?"

• I haven''t seen the movie, but I suppose he''s referring to something that''s not strictly required, but is a good thing to do regardless. \ \ In DL terms, it''s like letting your trick take a shower at your place the next morning and maybe even feeding him breakfast, although you only have two towels and turkey meatballs you were saving for yourself.

• Define virtue.

• R3, stop trying to corrupt the youth of DL.

• lol, R2.

• Echoing R1, it could apply to saving someone''s life when it puts your own life in grave peril. It would not be immoral to refuse to act in such a situation.

• "It is morally praiseworthy but not morally obligatory"\ \ In Catholicism, it means you give the kid a reach-around.

• OMG R7! That was so wrong! Yet I''m laughing my ass off!!!

• The question revolves around the definition of an act of supererogation.

  http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/supererogation/

• The answer also relates to the Vulcan understanding of deontic logic, i.e. "logic of obligation, permission, and prohibition," vs. the human understanding.\ \ It is the idea of moral heroism and how it is interpreted by the two cultures.\ \ It is one of the struggles Spock endures as a product of both cultures.

  r9

• Extending unemployment benefits is morally praiseworthy, but not morally obligatory.

• "Going in the barrel" when you''re on a submarine.

• Reading "help me" or advice threads on DL is morally obligatory for the schadenfreude it induces. Actually responding to them with useful advice is morally praiseworthy but not morally obligatory. Responding to them in a sarcastic, yet cuttingly humorous, manner which makes matters worse for the OP and leads to suicidal feelings is sublime and grants one a piece of precious hell on earth to brighten one''s day even momentarily.

• W&W for r7.

• Define "superogeration"

• Supererogation is defined at R9's link.

• [quote] It is morally praiseworthy but not morally obligatory I'm guessing that "the needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few - or the one" fits into this philosophy, as well. This statement is morally praiseworthy, but not necessarily obligatory. When Spock sacrificed himself in "Wrath of Khan," it wasn't logical, because Spock was more valuable to the Enterprise by keeping himself alive. He had no compulsion to sacrifice his life for everyone on the Enterprise. And yet he did. It just illustrates the internal conflict that Spock faced for his entire life, being both human and vulcan. Vulcans wouldn't do the dumb shit that Kirk does, because it's not logical. However, through his service on the Enterprise, he taps into his human side, experiencing and demonstration "heart" and emotion. JJ Abrams' Star Trek had to explore the early years of Spock, before he had encountered Kirk. He was rigid, cold, and robotic. As the movie progressed, you start to see a slight shift in his mentality, towards a more humanistic viewpoint. I love this aspect of Spock. It's like being bi-racial, where the person is torn between being half this and half that, and all the baggage that comes with it. Abrams did a good job with the Spock storyline.

• Totally agree, r17.

• "Above and beyond the call of duty" shares this meaning.

• vegetarianism might be a good example.

• vulcans are (sometimes) supposed to be vegetarians.