Dualism In Star Trek

After watching the Measure of a Man episode from Star Trek: The Next Generation, it seems clear that its theme causes several philosophical inquiries to arise, such as metaphysical debates like freedom of choice and the mind and body problem. For instance, during Data's hearing over his right to choose, considering he is artificial intelligence, JAG strips down the dilemma to one main question, "Does Data have a soul?" JAG admits that is a question she is unqualified to answer for Data and even for herself, however, she recognizes that Data must have the liberty to analyze that inquiry himself (Snodgrass & Sheerer, 1989). Now, it is important to first acknowledge that this statement by JAG declares freedom of intellectual exploration, which
Picard's view of Data seems a bit emotional considering it is clear that Data can be shut off quite easily, so this theory does not seem to be as supportive as Picard lets on. However, Hasker goes on to explain that materialist theory does not seek to explain the mind but the material organism (pg. 70) and that is what Picard attempts to do. Maddox, on the other hand, seems to adhere to the dualism theory. The dualism theory is a proposed solution to the mind and body problem that states physical properties are linked to the body and mental properties are linked to the mind and they interact (Hasker, 1983). Hasker puts it this way, "One can conceive of the mind-brain relationship as being like that between a computer operator and her computer" (pg. 66). Obviously, Data was easily shut down in one scene by the simple turning off of his system, so it seems fitting to assume that is a case where the computer operator over rided the computer's functions. Maddox views Data strictly as a machine, an "it" to be analyzed, controlled, and replicated.