Final answer:
The physicalist perspective in philosophy of mind suggests that only carbon-based beings with naturally evolved consciousness deserve moral consideration, thereby excluding a silicon-based android like Data from Star Trek from moral rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The theory that would say that the robot Data from the Star Trek series would not need to be given moral consideration could align with a strictly materialistic or physicalist perspective in the philosophy of mind. From this standpoint, all phenomena, including consciousness and morality, are explained entirely by physical processes.
If one presumes that only carbon-based, biological entities with naturally evolved consciousness warrant moral consideration, then a silicon-based life form like Data would not qualify. This stance is rooted in the view that minds and mental states are simply manifestations of physical brain states, and as such, an android, no matter how sophisticated, would not possess a non-physical mind or intrinsic moral value.