Editing Prime Directive (section)

==Criticism==
The Prime Directive has been criticized [[diegetic|in-universe]] because of the inconsistencies in which it is applied. In the ''TOS'' episodes "[[Friday's Child (Star Trek: The Original Series)|Friday's Child]]," "[[For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky]]," "[[The Cloud Minders]]," "[[The Apple (Star Trek: The Original Series)|The Apple]]," "[[The Return of the Archons]]," "[[Space Seed]]" and "[[A Taste of Armageddon]]," the crew of the ''Enterprise'' either interferes with laws or customs of alien worlds or outright colonizes an alien planet to achieve a Federation objective, to save the lives of the crew, or to better the lives of the inhabitants.<ref name="farrand">{{cite book |author-link= Phil Farrand |first= Phil |last= Farrand |title= The Nitpicker's Guide for Classic Trekkers |url= https://archive.org/details/nitpickersguidef00farr |url-access= registration |publisher= Dell Publishing |year= 1994 |pages= [https://archive.org/details/nitpickersguidef00farr/page/84 84], 85, 148, 186, 192–193, 209, 215, & 235|isbn= 9780440506836 }}</ref>

Out-of-universe criticisms focus on the above problems; that the Prime Directive is simply a plot device and is manipulated by the writers.{{Citation needed|reason=which critics say this?|date=May 2019}} Janet D. Stemwedel points out a potential conflict between the anti-colonialist intentions of the Federation and the "ethical project of sharing a universe" which would require "a kind of reciprocity — even if your technological attainment is quite different, it means recognizing you are owed the same moral consideration."<ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/janetstemwedel/2015/08/20/the-philosophy-of-star-trek-is-the-prime-directive-ethical/|title=The Philosophy Of Star Trek: Is The Prime Directive Ethical?|first=Janet D.|last=Stemwedel|website=Forbes}}</ref> Stemwedel writes, "If your concern is not to change the natural behavior or development of alien citizens at any cost, your best bet is to stay at home rather than to explore new worlds."<ref name="auto1"/> [[Ars Technica]] asked lawyers to comment on the Prime Directive and other ''Star Trek'' legal issues. Criticism included interpreting the Prime Directive as a product of the [[Cold War]] environment in which Roddenberry wrote, as well as indicating that enforcement would be lacking.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/09/why-star-treks-prime-directive-could-never-be-enforced/|title=Why Star Trek's Prime Directive could never be enforced|first=Cyrus|last=Farivar|date=6 September 2016|website=Ars Technica}}</ref>