Emotions are feelings which cannot be explained by logic according to Vulcans. Most sentient species have emotions.
- Species in the Star Trek universe tend to display at least basic emotions.
Referenced emotions
Species that suppress emotion
- Borg (The Queen is an exception)
- Vulcan (The V'tosh ka'tur are an exception)
Despite their suppression of emotions Vulcans still have them. Sarek suffered from Bendii Syndrome, an illness which makes Vulcans lose their emotional control. (TNG:"Sarek") Tuvok even laughed when his identity was erased to make him a laborer on the Quarren homeworld. (VOY:"Workforce, Part I"). There are even Vulcans who choose not to follow the path of logic like Sybok. (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier)
Beings that feed on emotion
- As these are all non-corporeal beings, it is conceivable that they are in some other way related.
Artificial emotions
Often, robots like the Pralor Automated Personnel Unit or other advanced artificial lifeforms like Androids or Exocomps can exhibit self awareness but don't have emotions. An exception is Data, who obtained an emotion chip from his creator, Dr. Noonien Soong which allowed him to experience Human emotions. (TNG:"Brothers") Although he was able to switch his emotions off he chose to remove the emotion chip in 2375. (Star Trek: Insurrection)
- See also: Subroutines
Background
Researchers presently believe that emotions are the first form of intelligence. The associations between emotions and events enabled early man to repeat rewarding events and avoid baneful ones. Modern theory holds that emotions are vitally important in making decisions for similar reasons.