The murder of Tuvix, revisited

Hello, and welcome to another ethical debate of the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Tuvix". This episode has proven controversial for its ethical implications that have been analysed many times over - the episode even making its way to a philosophy journal (Wikipedia:Tuvix). I felt that the previous time this issue was debated here, the discussion of the ethics at the core of the episode were lost, and would like another round of this debate. Claim: Cpt. Janeway's decision to destroy Tuvix is unjustifiable from an ethical standpoint similar to ours, and, despite not apparently being unlawful in the setting, bears the hallmarks of premeditated murder of Tuvix by the Voyager crew, lead by cpt. Janeway. Background: "Tuvix" is the twenty-fourth episode of Star Trek: Voyager. A detailed summary of this episode can be found at (1). In summary, two crew members, Tuvok and Neelix, are caught in a transporter accident upon "beaming back" from a planet. This results in their disappearance and the creation of a being who, upon experiencing life on the Voyager, eventually takes the name Tuvix. Tuvix is a hybrid of Tuvok, Neelix, and a plant indigenous to the planet they were exploring, and contains all the memories and skills of both of the crewmen as well as their genetic information. A method of restoring Tuvok and Neelix is developed after weeks, but this will cost Tuvix his life. Tuvix, now having made a life for himself on the Voyager, does not want to undertake the procedure, claiming his right and desire to a life as a sentient being and stating that this is an execution. Cpt. Janeway, after deliberation, orders Tuvix to undertake the procedure, which the Doctor refuses to perform due to it violating his ethics. Janeway performs it herself, Tuvix is destroyed, and Tuvok and Neelix are returned, happy to be back. Definitions: murder - the killing of a [sapient] being by a sane person, with intent, malice aforethought (prior intention to kill the particular victim or anyone who gets in the way). (2) We substitute "sapient" for "human" to apply to the setting and disregard the part particular to our legislation - Star Trek seems to suggest captains cannot make life and death decisions if the officer resigns and becomes a civilian, but we can't be reasonably expected to know all the laws pertaining to Voyager's situation. death - the irreversible cessation of all vital functions especially as indicated by permanent stoppage of the heart, respiration, and brain activity (3) Contentions: 1. [Sapient] rights similar to ours include right to life, freedom from bodily harm and the right to self-determination. These are fundamental, cross-cultural rights shared by all modern Earth cultures. 2. Only living, sapient beings possess these rights. 3. Tuvok and Neelix had experienced death, their physiological activity having stopped in a way that is irrevocable, including complete destruction of their organs and synapses. They are therefore neither living nor sapient. 1, 2 & 3 -> Tuvok and Neelix do not possess rights at this time, while Tuvix does. Whether Tuvok and Neelix would possess these rights if they could be restored by destroying Tuvix is immaterial; sapient rights are not accorded or removed based on hypothetical alternative situations. --- Tuvix' sapient rights were violated by Janeway and the crew in the most serious way possible, in order to bring out a more desirable outcome. I predict an opposing view that such rights could be suspended by membership in a military force such as Starfleet. That would be incorrect. This was not a situation of war or military action, Tuvix was simply ordered to die and indeed physically forced in order to bring out a hypothetical desired outcome. 4. Cpt. Janeway and the officers responsible for Tuvix' physical destruction were sound of mind, and the procedure that allowed creating another instance of Tuvok and Neelix took weeks to investigate. 5. Janeway is shown considering the issue in depth beforehand. As Tuvix resists, she orders security officers to take him to the procedure. They are fully aware this will result in the death of Tuvix, reiterating for emphasis, a sapient, living being who desires to live and disagrees with the "execution". 4 & 5 -> Janeway and the crew did possess premeditated intent and indeed physically forced Tuvix to his death in a sickbay bed after having known him for weeks. --- Tuvix' treatment, suspending consideration of the legal issues, therefore has all the hallmarks of murder.In short, Tuvix was deprived of his sapient rights and executed, having been taken to the sickbay by security officers, by the captain of the crew of the Voyager, in order to bring about an outcome more desirable for them (creating a new instance of Tuvok and Neelix), despite his moral, ethical and emotional protests. Whether this benefits some dead sapients is hypothetical and not relevant at the time of the action. It is unjustifiable and murderous. (1) http://en.memory-alpha.org... (2) http://dictionary.law.com... (3) http://www.merriam-webster.com... Thank you for your interest, and I sincerely look forward to your rebuttal.