Vulcan Philosophy: VHC vs Syrranite vs “V’tosh Ka’tur”
This is basically my take on the Vulcan philosophical-political spectrum and I reallllllly wanted to talk about it!
In Star Trek ENT we see two named sects that opposed the Vulcan High Command before Surak’s writings “Kir’Shara” were rediscovered.
The Syrranites (lead by Syrran and later T’Pau) the pacifist anti-espionage movement, who wanted an end to the war with Andoria, and not not withhold secrets from Humanity. They weren’t as xenophobic as the then-current government (but still pretty xenophobic, they just didn’t actively hate/enact violence on other races) that ultimately took over by the end of the events in ENT.
The V’tosh Ka’tur (the fragment of this group we see in ENT episodes Fusion & Stigma is lead by Tolaris) their title is a derogatory moniker that translates to “Vulcans without logic” who disagree with the ancient teachings. Believing Surak had intended the meaning of control to have been “to master” not “to suppress” that logic is an essential part of Vulcan existence, but that there must be balance and not exclusion. That balance can be reached by careful discipline and meditation.
The Syrranites took over the majority of Vulcan politics, and suppression is the way to go and the V’tosh Ka’tur (as they are known in Enterprise, by name at least) disappear. V’tosh Ka’tur is still used derogatorally, Sybok is considered one, and Spock is accused of it a few times. However I wish there was another name for the Vulcans of that philosophy we saw in ENT.
Because I really don’t think that philosophy just died out.
I think it got absorbed into the Syrranite movement because their goal, while the means were different, is still emotional control as is rooted in Surak’s teachings. One who masters their emotions through discipline and meditation, and chooses not to express those emotions, cannot be disintinguished from a Vulcan who withholds their emotions by suppression.
I think the movement that got labeled as hedonistic “V’tosh Ka’tur” just got quieter and subtler and spread through teaching methodology rather than political rhetoric!
In the Voyager episode Random Thoughts Tuvok says “all members of the Vulcan race learn to inhibit emotions” the author of the Memory Alpha article took this to mean that the “V’tosh Ka’tur” movement/philosophy is dead, but I don’t think so!
Philosophies, like languages, don’t die, unless they’re murdered, they evolve and change yes, but they don’t just die. The Syrranites, though still very conservative in many respects, are intrinsically non-violent. Every Vulcan we see who builds themselves on emotional suppression alone has issues (Sarek for example! His repression drove him insane, it’s also illogical to mentally abuse your kids so there’s that) but Tuvok doesn’t.
Inhibit means “to hinder, restrain or prevent” you can stop something by acknowledging that you will instinctually feel something, and then dismissing it OR you can inhibit yourself by forcing yourself not to feel it and pretending it was never there in the first place. Verbal ambiguity is a huge thing!
I firmly believe that Tuvok (and other Vulcans who aren’t supremely xenophobic, are low-key wrathful and vindictive, or otherwise unhinged) follow the philosophy that we see in Enterprise in spirit if not in name, while the majority of Vulcans use the traditional suppression/Syrranite method!
I think, while it’s not a precise comparison to human politics (and the way Surak is regarded it’s more similar to religion than anything). Vulcan High Command was on the equivalent of our political right, the “V’tosh Ka’Tur” are the political left, and the Syrranites are in the middle. Then there’s still the whole random element of the translations of Surak’s teachings still being incomplete, and who would listen to which aspects should more of his lessons be revealed!
Bottom line: Vulcan politics are cool and I think Tuvok (and other “chill” Vulcans) is somewhere between a Syrranite movement and the “V’tosh Ka’tur” while the rest of Vulcan is closer to pure Syrranite while extremists lean toward Sybok’s cultish attitudes or old VHC government philosophy (which would explain the bombing Michael almost died from)
