"Of all the souls I've encountered his was the most human" I've never understood what Kirk meant by that? You got love Spock but he was far far more Vulcan than human in terms of he thinks and acts.

It's an easy answer: Kirk is an anthropocentric bigot.

STVI

Captain James T. Kirk: Spock, you want to know something? Everybody's human.
Captain Spock: I find that remark... insulting.

He fosters this attitude among his crew.

Chekov: "We do believe that all planets have a sovereign claim to inalienable human rights."
Azetbur: "'Inalien'. If only you could hear yourselves. 'Human rights'. Why the very name is racist. The Federation is no more than a Homo-sapians-only club."
Chang: "Present company excepted, of course."

He pushes it on Spock. TOS: The Galileo Seven

Kirk: "You aren't going to admit that for the first time in your life, you committed a purely human, emotional act?"
Spock: [crosses arms and slowly shakes head] "No, sir."
Kirk: [laughing] "Mr. Spock, you are a stubborn man."
Spock: [raises eyebrows] "Yes, sir."

And Spock's used to this: STIV

SPOCK: There are other forms on intelligence on Earth, Doctor. Only human arrogance would assume the message must be meant for man.
KIRK: You're suggesting the transmission is meant for lifeform other than man?

Ignoring the fact that ST is created for a human audience, humans are consistently presented as the ideal life form and civilization. Many of the ethical crises we see in the series result from a Starfleet officer's inability to relate to an alien culture on it's own merits. Often times, Starfleet attempts to force Federation (read: Human) values on the societies it encouters, without regards for their own history, culture or structure. For instance: ST:VOY:"Critical Care", where the Doctor disrupts the social protocol of medical care because "valuable" citizens are receiving preferential treatment at the expense of the lower classes. A fantastic communitarian response, but that situation existed because of a shortage of resources and a crisis in logistics. The Doctor's interference will only exacerbate that problem.

Kirk does this a lot too. Almost always, he works to interfere, disrupt, and upset non-human societies by imposing his anthropocentric values on them. So when he says Spock is "The Most Human," it's a twisted way of respecting him by saying that Spock is everything Kirk thinks is valuable in the universe.

/r/DaystromInstitute Thread