Free Will and Compatibilism.
In this episode of Meta Treks, part two of a two-part
discussion about free will vs. determinism in Star Trek, hosts Mike
Morrison and Zachary Fruhling weigh different possible meanings of
free will as responses to the threat of causal determinism in Star
Trek.
Are Captain Kirk and Captain Archer radically free as
existentialism holds? Is free will an indispensable concept as
pragmatism holds? As Captain Kirk, Captain Sisko, and Captain
Janeway learn to embrace their own unique destinies, do they become
genuine examples of the compatibility of free will and determinism
in Star Trek? And what exactly would Picard do with his
free will if he were stuck in a blue shirt? Hosts Mike Morrison and
Zachary Fruhling wrestle with these philosophical questions and
more, through the lens of Star Trek.
Hosts
Chapters
Welcome (00:01:07)
Discussion Begins (00:04:39)
Brief Recap of Part 1, Determinism (00:04:51)
Principle of Alternate Possibilities (00:08:04)
Existentialist View of Freewill (00:16:51)
Pragmatism (00:32:28)
Compatibilism (00:44:53)
Final Thoughts (01:04:06)
Become a Trek.fm Patron on Patreon and help us keep Star Trek talk coming every week. We have great perks for you at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Sponsor
Audible is the premiere source for audiobooks with more than 150,000 titles to choose from, and new titles coming every week. From classics to current bestsellers, and even some of the most famous Star Trek books like Prime Directive and Federation, Audible has something for everyone.
As a Trek.fm listener you can get a free audiobook of your choice along with a 30-day trial to see just how great Audible is. So give it a try today, catch up on all those classic Star Trek books you’ve yet to read or that latest novel from you favorite author and support the network and our programming at the same time!
Free Will vs. Determinism.
Welcome to the premier episode of Trek.fm's new show about Star Trek and philosophy, Meta Treks: A Star Trek Philosophy Podcast. In this episode, part one of a two-part discussion, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison tackle the free will vs. determinism debate by examining different types of determinism within the Star Trek universe: biological determinism, physical determinism, social or cultural determinism, evolutionary determinism, historical determinism, psychological determinism, and theological determinism. After considering these different types of determinism and causal factors, what room is left for free will or personal agency in the Star Trek universe?
Chapters
Introducing the Show (00:00:00)
Definitions and Distinctions (00:09:43)
Why Care About Free Will? (00:10:31)
Hard Determinism (00:11:55)
Biological Determinism (00:17:05)
Physical Determinism (00:25:36)
Cultural Determinism (00:39:37)
Evolutionary Determinism (00:48:59)
Historical Determinism (00:52:12)
Psychological Determinism (00:01:01:31)
Theological Determinism (00:01:06:40)
Final Thoughts (00:01:12:44)
Hosts
Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison
Production
Dennis Castello (Editor and Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive
Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing
(Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Will
Nguyen (Content Manager) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)