Created by Captain Michael Turlogh Kane on Aug 16, 2016 @ 3:32pm

THE PRIME DIRECTIVE

General Order Number 1, also known as the PRIME DIRECTIVE, is the highest ethical principle any Starfleet officer must follow. It states that all Starfleet personnel must refrain from interfering in the natural development of any pre-warp civilisation, even at the cost of their own lives.

The ethical dilemmas of if and how primitive species should be interacted with was long debated even before the Federation was founded. While generally accepted that the sudden introduction of advanced technology and knowledge into a primitive society was dangerous to that society's development, questions over subjects such as humanitarian aid to peoples in need were common.

In 2168, the starship Endurance under Captain George Dilby was conducting a study of the society on Giana II. The Gianans were split into two competing factions that had reached a late 20th century development. As the Endurance watched, nuclear war broke out between the two factions. Aware that Gianans were destroying themselves, Captain Dilby ordered the missiles destroyed from orbit by the Endurance's shipboard phasers, inadvertently revealing the existence of alien life to the Gianans. Although he had only wanted to spare their world from the ravages of a nuclear holocaust, Captain Dilby was court-martialed and dishonourably discharged from Starfleet.

The modern Prime Directive was born from this and other similar incidents. Starfleet personnel are prohibited from any contact with pre-warp civilisations and must do their utmost to ensure that no advanced technology, science, or knowledge is revealed to them.

However, the Prime Directive is not intended to be an absolutist law. Attitudes towards it can vary. Its interpretation, especially by ship captains, is driven by the context of the situation and the circumstances to hand. If contamination of the primitive society has or is likely to occur, for example, then it must be minimised.

As time has passed and both the Federation and Starfleet has matured, violations of the Prime Directive became fewer, but the nuances surrounding its interpretation increased. Today, it remains the Federation and Starfleet's highest law and a cornerstone of Federation philosophy.