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individual-vs-collective-ethics
The conflict between Menelaus's personal drive for superhuman intelligence and the expedition's collective agreements and command structure.
1 chapter across 1 book
Count to a Trillion (2011)John C. Wright
2. Sailing Vessel
Menelaus I. Montrose, aboard Earth's first manned interstellar expedition vessel, secretly prepares to inject himself with an illegal neuro-pharmaceutical cocktail designed to enhance his intelligence beyond human limits, defying expedition protocols. This act sparks intense debate among the crew about the ethical and practical risks of using alien-derived technology to transcend human cognitive boundaries, highlighting tensions between individual ambition and collective mission goals amid the monumental challenge of deciphering alien knowledge.