Rules of Acquisition
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The Rules of Acquisition, in the fictional Star Trek universe, are a set of guidelines intended to ensure the profitability of businesses owned by the ultra-capitalist Ferengi. The first rule was made by Gint, the first Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance. The title of "Rules of Acquisition" was chosen as a clever marketing ploy (since the rules are merely guidelines) and Gint numbered his first rule as #162, in order to create a demand for the other 161 Rules that had yet to be written. The Rules are said to be divinely inspired and sacred, and thus are the closest thing to a religion for Ferengi society.[1][2] The "profit-obsessed" Ferengi believe that once their dead bodies have been vacuum-desiccated -- and sliced remains sold to the highest bidders -- their souls go to a "Divine Treasury" where they are held accountable for their adherence to the rules.[2][3]
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[edit] Examples
The Rules of Acquisition take the form of short aphorisms such as the first rule "Once you have their money, you never give it back,"[4][5] the twenty-first rule "Never place friendship above profit,"[6] the thirty-fourth rule "War is good for business,"[7][8] followed by the thirty-fifth rule "Peace is good for business."[7][9]
Although it has been stated within Star Trek that there are 285 rules not all of them have been stated in canon. Most of the rules were written by Ira Steven Behr and he published many of them in a book The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition (ISBN 0-671-52936-6), the cover of which credits authorship as being "By Quark as told to Ira Steven Behr." Additional rules were published in Legends of the Ferengi (ISBN 0-671-00728-9), by Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe. Behr and Wolfe were both writers for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine with Behr being the Executive Producer of the series.[10]
The complete rules of acquisition were finally revealed with the publication of The Ferengi Bible[11]. It contains all 285 Rules, all 900 Major and Minor Judgments and the 10,000 Considered Opinions. Written by the master himself, Grand Nagus Gint, The Ferengi Bible was discovered in a data crystal lodged in a meteorite found by a fisherman near Togiak in southwestern Alaska. Rev. Augustine Calvin Graham translated the document from Ferengi to English over the past 15 years. It was published in 2008.
[edit] Stages of Acquisition
In addition to the Rules, Ferengi recognize five Stages of Acquisition:
- Infatuation — "I want it."
- Justification — "I must have it!"
- Appropriation — "IT'S MINE AT LAST!"
- Obsession — "Precious!"
- Resale — "Make me an offer."
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Isenberg, David. "Meanwhile, the business of war continues". Asia Times. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/EC21Ak05.html. Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
- ^ a b Kraemer, Ross Shepard; Ross Kraemer, William Cassidy, Susan L. Schwartz (2003). Religions of Star Trek. Westview Press. pp. 3, 180. ISBN 0813341159, 9780813341156. http://books.google.com/books?id=Ag3SFdyIgSsC.
- ^ "Body Parts". Star Trek: The Next Generation. 1996-06-10. No. 25, season 4.
- ^ "The Nagus". Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
- ^ "Heart of Stone". Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
- ^ "Rules of Acquisition". Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
- ^ a b "Destiny". Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
- ^ "The Siege of AR-558". Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
- ^ "The Perfect Mate". Star Trek: The Next Generation.
- ^ Taylor, Mary P. (2002). Adventures in Time and Space. Simon and Schuster. pp. 483. ISBN 0743455932, 9780743455930. http://books.google.com/books?id=CNPFsqC7EFgC.
- ^ Graham, Augustine (2008). The Ferengi Bible: The Complete Rules of Acquisition. Seattle: CreateSpace. ISBN 1438243146.
