The Industrial Design Philosophy of Star Trek.
The tools, manufactured objects, and environments in Star Trek have many influences: futurism, minimalism, mid-century modernism, ergonomics, and transhumanism, to name a few. In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison examine the industrial design philosophy of Star Trek. From its technological and social progressivism to its roots in 1960s counterculture, Zachary and Mike explore the implicit values and assumptions behind the industrial design philosophy of Star Trek. Zachary and Mike also debate the transformative potential of technology and its influence on the relationship between leisure and labor, both in the Star Trek universe and for us today.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 27 (00:01:08)
Initial Thoughts (00:01:54)
The Original Series - Design Philosophy and Technological Progressiveness (00:04:14)
The Next Generation - User-friendliness and the Transformative Power of Technology (00:07:55)
From TOS to TNG - From Jelly Beans to Touch Screens (00:12:42)
The Whole Earth Catalog - 1960s Counterculture, Tools, and Technology (00:15:05)
The Amplification Effect of Technology - The U.S.S. Bicycle (00:16:24)
From Communes to Online Communities to Starship Crews (00:20:17)
Can Technology Transform the Human Condition? (00:21:13)
Okudagram Funny Cat Videos (00:40:57)
Using Tools to Change Your Life, and the World (00:42:51)
Painting, Classical Music, and Shakespeare - The Liberal Arts in Star Trek (00:44:34)
24th Century Design - Flying a Starship Laying Down (00:50:34)
Learning about Cultural Values from Designed Objects (00:52:24)
Designed Objects in Star Trek (00:58:21)
Uniquely Voyager Design? (01:04:06)
Final Thoughts (01:12:38)
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) Patrick Devlin (Associate Producer) Will Nguyen (Content Manager) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)
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Euthanasia in Star Trek.
In this episode of Meta Treks: A Star Trek
Philosophy Podcast, we debate the ethical issue of euthanasia
in Star Trek. From the flashback scene of Dr. McCoy
removing his father from life support in Star Trek V, to
the ritual suicide practices of various alien races, we examine a
variety of examples of euthanasia in Star Trek. We also
cover several key philosophical distinctions related to euthanasia,
such as the distinction between voluntary and involuntary
euthanasia and the distinction between active and passive
euthanasia, along with competing arguments for and against
euthanasia from the different moral standpoints of
consequentialism, rule-based ethics, and virtue ethics.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 26 (00:02:02)
Greek Etymology of "Euthanasia" - "Good Death" (00:04:45)
Examples of Euthanasia in Star Trek (00:05:29)
Euthanasia in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
(00:07:51)
Motivations for Euthanasia - Ending Suffering and Preserving
Dignity (00:10:06)
Klingon Euthanasia - A Glorious Death (00:13:50)
Euthanasia and Cultural Relativism (00:18:29)
The Value of Life - Intrinsic Value vs. Instrumental Value
(00:19:55)
Voyager "Death Wish" - Is an Immortal Life Worth Living?
(00:26:13)
Voyager "Emanations" - Moral Judgments About Other
Cultures (00:33:45)
Voyager "Coda" - Euthanizing Captain Janeway
(00:40:00)
Key Distinctions - Voluntary/Involuntary Euthanasia and
Active/Passive Euthanasia (00:47:15)
Distinguishing Euthanasia, Killing, Murder, and Suicide
(00:58:04)
Final Thoughts (01:09:55)
Hosts
Mike Morrison and Zachary
Fruhling
Production
Dennis Castello (Editor and
Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) C Bryan Jones
(Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Charlynn
Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Patrick Devlin (Associate Producer)
Will Nguyen (Content Manager) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)
Send us your feedback!
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Risa and Hedonism.
What role does the pleasure planet of Risa play in the ethics of
Star Trek? Is Risa the ultimate hedonistic escape from the
moralistic constraints of life in the Federation? Or is Risa the
ultimate embodiment of the Federation's ideals of tolerance and
acceptance? In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary
Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss Risa, hedonism, and the clash of
Federation values seen in the Deep Space Nine episode "Let
He Who Is Without Sin." Zachary and Mike cover the different
traditions of hedonism as expressed by the ancient Greek
philosophers Aristippus and Epicurus, the value of different kinds
of pleasures as expressed by the utilitarian philosopher John
Stuart Mill, and the critique of morality based on fear and
pleasure as expressed by the German philosopher Friedrich
Nietzsche. Finally, Zachary and Mike explore the most fundamental
Risean question of all, "Is it the quantity of the
horga'hns or the quality of the jamaharon?"
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 25 (00:01:07)
Initial Thoughts - Where Does Risa Fit into Federation Morality?
(00:03:32)
Hedonism and DS9 "Let He Who is Without Sin" (00:4:20)
Risa Episodes in Star Trek (00:05:52)
Is Risa an Escape from Federation Values, or their Ultimate
Embodiment? (00:11:23)
Hedonism - Aristippus vs. Epicurus (00:16:09)
The Outskirts of Risa (00:19:37)
The Subjectivity of Pleasure - Fair Haven as Paradise?
(00:24:47)
John Stuart Mill - The Quantity of Horga'hns vs. the Quality of the
Jamaharon (00:27:06)
Fullerton and Nietzsche - A Clash of Federation Moralities
(00:31:12)
Nietzsche, Morality, and the Will to Power (00:37:23)
Falling Short - Hypocrisy and the Ad Hominem Fallacy
(00:42:46)
Clever Beasts - Nietzsche on Deconstructing Morality
(00:47:47)
Nietzsche on Pleasure - The Apollonian (Federation) Standpoint vs.
The Dionysian (Risean) Standpoint (00:53:47)
Being Constrained by Fear (01:10:33)
Final Thoughts (01:14:55)
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) Patrick Devlin (Associate Producer)
Will Nguyen (Content Manager) Richard Marquez (Production
Manager)
Send us your feedback!
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@trekfm
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The Bonding.
When Lieutenant Marla Aster is killed unexpectedly during an away
mission under Lieutenant Worf's command, Worf takes young Jeremy
Aster under his wing by participating in the Klingon ritual known
as "R'uustai" ("The Bonding"). In this episode of Meta
Treks: A Star Trek Philosophy Podcast, hosts Mike Morrison and
Zachary Fruhling explore the philosophical themes of death and
loss. Mike and Zachary discuss meaning and the existential
absurdity of life and death, the sociological and cultural role of
rituals, Jeremy Aster's escapism and the illusion of happiness, the
finality of death, and the sense of powerlessness in the face of
death. Finally, Mike and Zachary continue the turbolift debate
between Captain Picard and Counselor Troi about the wisdom of
allowing children to live aboard a starship.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 24
(00:01:07)
Synopsis of TNG "The Bonding" (00:06:00)
Initial Thoughts (00:06:46)
Death, Meaning, and the Absurd (00:12:20)
Emotions and Death (00:16:47)
Worf and Jeremy Aster (00:21:55)
The Role of Ritual (00:25:43)
Death, Pluralism, and Cultural Relativism (00:30:31)
Exploration and Meaning -
The Challenger Explosion (00:41:21)
The Finality of Death (00:43:11)
The Role of Death in Life (00:45:25)
Escapism and the Illusion of Happiness (00:48:22)
Subjective Meaning vs. Objective Meaning (00:52:18)
Deep Space Nine - "It's Only a Paper Moon"
(00:57:20)
Cross-Cultural Connections (01:03:45)
Children on the Enterprise - A City in Space (01:09:53)
Final Thoughts (01:18:41)
Hosts
Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling
Production
Dennis Castello (Editor and Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive
Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing
(Executive Producer) Charlynn Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Patrick
Devlin (Associate Producer) Will Nguyen (Content Manager) Richard
Marquez (Production Manager)
Send us your feedback!
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at http://patreon.com/trekfm
Vulcan Philosophy and Spinoza.
Meta Treks hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison
discuss aspects of Vulcan philosophy, such as logic and IDIC
(Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations). Zachary and Mike
examine the philosophical roots of Vulcan philosophy in the work of
the Western rationalist philosopher Baruch Spinoza. Spinoza's
greatest work, Ethics, contains many aspects of
Vulcan philosophy, such as logical deduction from first principles
and axioms, determinism (or faith that the universe will unfold as
it should), infinity and diversity within one infinite and unbound
substance, and the suppression of harmful emotions. Given the many
connections between Vulcan philosophy and Spinoza, Zachary and Mike
are left wondering, "How exactly did those first Vulcan visitors to
Earth manage to snag a copy of
Spinoza's Ethics to take with them back home to
Vulcan?"
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 23 (00:1:07)
IDIC in The Animated Series (00:02:07)
Vulcan Stoicism (00:03:18)
Star Trek VI - "Logic is the beginning of wisdom, not its
end." (00:06:01)
Spinoza and Vulcan Philosophy - Vulcan Rationalism
(00:08:11)
Faith that the Universe Will Unfold as it Should
(00:15:55)
Spinoza and Vulcan Philosophy - One Unbound and Infinite Substance
(00:18:53)
Pantheism and Environmentalism (00:22:09)
Vulcan Diversity (00:24:43)
IDIC and Deep Interconnectedness (00:27:05)
Spinoza and Vulcan Philosophy - Suppression of Harmful Emotions
(00:29:55)
Determinism + Logic + IDIC + Suppression of Emotions = Spinoza
(00:33:11)
Leonard Nimoy Narrates the Spinoza's Ethics Audiobook
(00:35:37)
Mind/Body Dual Aspect Theory and Vulcan Touch Telepathy
(00:39:10)
Vulcan Cultural Enlightenment - Taking Spinoza and IDIC Seriously
(00:46:33)
Final Thoughts (01:08:00)
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) Patrick
Devlin (Associate Producer) Will Nguyen (Content Manager) Richard
Marquez (Production Manager)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
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Star Trek IV and Environmental Ethics.
In this episode of Meta Treks: A Star Trek Philosophy
Podcast, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling explore the
issues of animal rights and environmental ethics in Star
Trek IV: The Voyage Home. In the wake of a recent announcement
that Sea World is ceasing its captive orca (killer whale) breeding
program, Mike and Zachary consider the possible justification for
considering whales (and fire ants!) as beings entitled to moral
consideration. From whale consciousness and intelligence, to
whales' ability to feel pain, to whale pods and the ethics of care,
Mike and Zachary have a whale of a time discussing environmental
ethics down in Cetacean Ops.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 22 and Initial Thoughts (00:01:10)
Changing Sensibilities - Whale Shows and Breeding in Captivity
(00:04:56)
Synopsis of Star Trek IV: The Voyage
Home (00:10:00)
Whale Consciousness and Intelligence - Kantian Ethics
(00:12:22)
Whale Pain and Pleasure - Utilitarian Ethics (00:22:27)
Whale Communication - The Turing Test (00:26:43)
The Environmental Movement and the Biosphere as a Whole
(00:35:10)
Critiquing the Romanticism of Nature (00:42:03)
The Value of Nature - Intrinsic Value vs. Usefulness for Humans
(00:46:12)
Whale Pods and Care Ethics (00:50:02)
Animal Ethics and the Burden of Proof (00:52:39)
Sentimentalism - Warm Fuzzy Whales vs. Fire Ants and Snakes
(00:57:29)
Rewriting Star Trek IV - "Save the Fire Ants!"
(1:02:48)
Final Thoughts (01:03:24)
Hosts
Mike Morrison and Zachary
Fruhling
Production
Dennis Castello (Editor and
Producer) Norman C. Lao (Executive Producer) C Bryan Jones
(Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Charlynn
Schmiedt (Executive Producer) Patrick Devlin (Associate Producer)
Will Nguyen (Content Manager) Richard Marquez (Production
Manager)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
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Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Visit the Trek.fm website at http://www.trek.fm/
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Support the Network!
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
Manu Intiraymi.
In this episode of Meta Treks, we're joined by Manu
Intiraymi, also known as "Icheb" on Star Trek: Voyager.
Together we talk about Manu's experiences joining the
Voyager cast, the role of Icheb in the Voyager
family, and the evolution of Icheb's character in the fan film
Star Trek: Renegades. We also talk about Manu's latest
film project, The Circuit, a multi-genre anthology film
starring several Star Trek alumni. We conclude with some
philosophical musings on the best and worst of human nature, and
with some final thoughts on the differences and similarities
between Manu the person and Icheb the fictional character.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 21 (00:01:10)
Introducing Manu Intiraymi (00:04:10)
A Clint Eastwood Story (00:05:03)
Joining the Voyager Cast (00:07:32)
Icheb and the Voyager Family (00:11:56)
The Meaningfulness of Being in Star Trek (00:18:40)
Character Evolution for Icheb in Renegades
(00:25:21)
Future Directions for Star Trek (00:29:40)
The Best and Worst of Human Nature (00:35:44)
The Convention Scene and The Circuit (00:38:28)
Acting vs. Producing (00:47:15)
The Concept of The Circuit (00:51:39)
Following Manu and The Circuit on Social Media
(00:59:47)
Final Thoughts - Manu the Person vs. Icheb the Character
(01:02:36)
Preemptive War and Star Trek Into Darkness.
Star Trek has a long tradition of dealing with ethical,
social, and political issues in the real world, and Star Trek Into
Darkness is no different. One of the most important issues in the
world today is how far a society should go to protect itself. What
freedoms should we be willing to give up for sake of safety and
security? Should a government be allowed to spy on its own
citizens? And is it morally and ethically permissible to start a
preemptive war with a real or perceived enemy? Star Trek Into
Darkness tackles this last question head-on through Admiral
Marcus's attempt to start a preemptive war against the Klingons. In
this episode of Meta Treks: A Star Trek Philosophy
Podcast, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling examine the
ethical issue of preemptive war as the principle ethical dilemma in
Star Trek Into Darkness.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 20 (00:01:07)
Preemptive War and Star Trek Into Darkness
(00:03:12)
The Portrayal of Khan (00:07:28)
Synopsis of Star Trek Into Darkness (00:09:38)
Star Trek Into Darkness and the Post-9/11 World
(00:11:52)
Preemptive War - Consequentialism vs. Care Ethics (00:20:14)
The Trolley Problem, a.k.a. The Shuttlecraft Problem
(00:28:27)
Preemptive War and Deontological/Kantian Ethics (00:38:08)
Militarism and Fear of the Klingons (00:40:34)
Final Thoughts (00:53:39)
Hermeneutics in Star
Trek.
Hermeneutics is the art and science of meaning and textual
interpretation. In this episode of Meta Treks: A Star Trek
Philosophy Podcast, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison
discuss issues of meaning and interpretation in Star Trek.
From how to interpret Bajoran sacred texts and prophecies, to the
interpretation of Federation law and Starfleet regulations, to the
meaning of the Star Trek franchise itself for us today,
Zachary and Mike cover a range of philosophical issues related to
meaning in Star Trek, such as: original meaning vs. new
interpretations, literal meaning vs. metaphorical meaning, the
relationship between interpretation and hierarchical power
structures, changes in meaning due to evolving language, and
various analytical techniques used in hermeneutics.
Chapters
Poker, Virtue Ethics, and the Prisoner's Dilemma.
In Star Trek: The Next Generation, we see a lot of poker:
from Commander Riker cleaning house, to Data learning how to bluff,
to Geordi claiming not to cheat with his VISOR. But exactly why do
we see so much poker in Star Trek? What important
character traits or skills does the game of poker help instill in a
young Starfleet officer? Can any important lessons in ethics or
diplomacy be learned from playing poker? How are those character
traits or skills different from those learned from playing other
games, such as three-dimensional chess? And how does poker relate
to game-like scenarios in ethics, such as the Prisoner's Dilemma?
In this episode of Meta Treks: A Star Trek Philosophy
Podcast, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling tackle the
philosophy and ethics of poker aboard the Enterprise-D. From virtue
ethics to game theory, Mike and Zachary bluff their way through a
discussion of the deeper significance of poker in the Star
Trek universe.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 18 (00:01:07)
Intro to the Topic (00:01:19)
Meta Treks Reviews on iTunes (00:05:04)
Poker Episodes in Star Trek: The Next Generation
(00:08:38)
Virtue Ethics - Does Poker Cultivate Desirable Character Traits?
(00:27:15)
Game Theory and the Prisoner's Dilemma (00:46:55)
"Chain of Command" and the Prisoner's Dilemma (00:55:47)
Final Thoughts (01:02:23)
Media Ecology with Dennis Castello.
In the 24th century, is the holodeck the primary mode of media
creation and consumption? And if so, what effect does the
holographic medium have on Federation society as a whole? In this
episode, Meta Treks editor and producer Dennis Castello
joins hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison behind the
microphone to discuss the sociological sub-discipline of media
ecology.
Media ecology holds that the different types of media a society
consumes influence the behavior of society as a whole. This core
idea of media ecology is summed up with the phrase, "The medium is
the message." Dennis Castello provides an overview of media ecology
and its core concepts, followed by a discussion about the role
media ecology can play in analyzing different types of media within
the Star Trek universe.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 17 (00:01:08)
Introducing Dennis Castello (00:01:44)
Media Ecology - The Medium is the Message (00:05:00)
Changing Media Over Time (00:06:54)
Type of Media - Slow vs. Fast Media (00:08:57)
Societal Trend Towards Faster Media (00:12:41)
Content Consumers and Content Creators (00:14:33)
Cycles of Media Technology - Creativity vs. Norms (00:16:18)
Media Ecology and Photography (00:21:40)
Primary Orality vs. Alphabetic Societies and Abstract Thought
(00:27:08)
Is Media Ecology Normative or Descriptive? (00:30:19)
Criticisms of Media Ecology - Technological Determinism
(00:33:47)
Changing Media - Political Discourse and Star Trek Discussion
(00:35:34)
Media Ecology Inside and Outside the Star Trek Universe
(00:44:47)
Holography as the Federation's Dominant Medium (00:46:36)
23rd Century Dashcam? (00:56:22)
"Photons Be Free" and Holographic Rights (01:07:37)
Final Thoughts (01:12:14)
Alternate Realities vs. Alternate Timelines.
In this episode of Meta Treks: A Star Trek Philosophy
Podcast, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling have a
followup discussion on the distinction between an "alternate
reality" and an "alternate timeline" in response to a challenge by
Norman Lao and Jeffrey Harlan on their recent episode of
Standard Orbit (Standard Orbit 115: "Wibby Wobbly Primey
Wimey").
Mike and Zachary provide a philosophical analysis of different
senses of the terms "alternate reality" and "alternate timeline,"
while also exploring and contrasting key examples of these senses
in Star Trek. Examples covered in this episode of Meta
Treks include the prime timeline vs. the Abramsverse timeline,
the episodes "Yesterday's Enterprise" and "Parallels" from Star
Trek: The Next Generation, and the Mirror Universe as seen in
The Original Series, Deep Space Nine, and
Enterprise.
Here is the link to the related episode, Standard Orbit 115
("Wibbly Wobbly Primey Wimey"): http://trek.fm/standard-orbit/115
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 16 (00:01:07)
Related Episodes of Meta Treks (00:05:18)
Bryan Fuller and Star Trek 2017 (00:07:54)
Initial Thoughts - Alternate Reality vs. Alternate Timeline
(00:10:33)
Two Senses of "Alternate Reality" (00:12:25)
Personal Identity and Alternate Realities (00:19:01)
Universe or Multiverse? (00:25:27)
Yesterday's Enterprise (00:26:57)
Two Senses of "Alternate Timeline" (00:28:36)
Contrasting "Yesterday's Enterprise" with Star Trek 2009
(00:32:34)
Reconciling "Alternate Reality" and "Alternate "Timeline" - A
Hybrid Approach (00:34:52)
Four-Dimensionalism and Alternate Timelines (00:38:53)
Does a Common Origin Point Settle the Issue? (00:43:45)
The Origin of the Mirror Universe (00:47:46)
How to Analyze Examples in Star Trek - What Questions to Ask
(00:51:33)
Final Thoughts (00:57:40)
The Paradox of the Philosopher King.
In the third-season TOS episode "Plato's Stepchildren," the
Platonians claim to have modeled their society on the ideals of the
Greek philosopher Plato. Parmen, the leader of the Platonians, even
claims to be a philosopher king as described in Plato's dialog, the
Republic. In this episode of Meta Treks, find out what the
Plutonians got right and what they got wrong about Plato's
philosophy.
Hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss Plato's Paradox of
the Philosopher King in "Plato's Stepchildren" and other places in
the Star Trek universe, such as: General Martok as leader of the
Klingon High Council, Commander Riker as the captain who wouldn't
sit down in the Big Chair, Captain Picard as the captain who
wouldn't become an admiral (or a badmiral), and Quark's brother Rom
as the unlikeliest candidate for Grand Nagus of the Ferengi
Alliance.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 15 (00:01:07)
Meta Treks iTunes Reviews (00:02:25)
The Paradox of the Philosopher King (00:06:56)
Star Trek and the Ideal Society (00:08:43)
Not Seeking Power for its Own Sake (00:11:38)
Philosopher Kings in Star Trek: Martok (00:12:52)
Captain Picard - Authority from Above or Below
(00:15:57)
Authority and Hierarchy (00:18:25)
Commander Riker - The Captain Who Wouldn't Sit Down
(00:20:24)
Plato and Forms - Justice in Itself (00:21:48)
Plato and the Allegory of the Cave (00:29:46)
Philosopher Kings or Bumbling Fools? (00:35:50)
Plato's Stepchildren (00:37:22)
Kirk and Uhura - Social Commentary and Society's Ideals
(00:38:39)
The Platonians - Getting Plato Right and Getting Plato Wrong
(00:40:23)
Rom - The Paradox of the Philanthropist Grand Nagus
(01:00:57)
Final Thoughts (01:05:21)
"Living Witness" and Historical
Evidence.
Meta Treks hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling discuss
historical evidence and the philosophy of history through the Star
Trek: Voyager episode "Living Witness." Topics in this episode
include weighing competing interpretations of historical evidence,
reinterpreting accepted historical accounts, the reliability or
unreliability of first-person accounts, uncovering lost or
suppressed historical perspectives, historical revisionism vs.
historical context, genealogy and reconstructing the past, and the
distinction between historical "facts" and historical
"meaning."
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 14 (00:01:07)
Synopsis of "Living Witness" (00:08:14)
Historical Evidence and Multiple Interpretations (00:17:33)
Re-interpreting the Accepted Historical Account (00:25:00)
Questioning the Doctor: The Reliability of First-Person Accounts
(00:27:53)
Uncovering the Lost Perspectives (00:34:51)
Historical Revisionism vs. Historical Context (00:36:48)
Genealogy and Reconstructing the Past (00:40:45)
Two Interpretations of "Living Witness" (00:43:46)
The Voyager Event: Historical Facts vs. Historical Meaning
(00:47:57)
Final Thoughts (00:56:33)
The Nature of Consciousness.
What is the nature of consciousness and what is its relation to the
physical world? In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary
Fruhling and Mike Morrison explore the many ways that the nature of
consciousness is portrayed in Star Trek. Focusing on the "hard
problem" of consciousness (how subjective experience arises out of
physical systems), Zachary and Mike explore different philosophical
theories of consciousness, such as: mind-body dualism, physicalist
theories of consciousness (identity theory, behaviorism,
functionalism, non-reductive physicalism, and emergentism), and the
problem of mental causation. Zachary and Mike also debate forms of
consciousness found uniquely in Star Trek, such as the joint
consciousness of the Trill, the collective consciousness of the
Borg, the consciousness produced by Data's positronic brain, and
the dualist nature of Spock's katra.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 13 (00:01:08)
Winner of the Meta Treks iTunes Review Contest (00:02:54)
The Hard Problem of Consciousness (00:08:14)
Consciousness Stories in Star Trek (00:11:40)
What is it like to be a [fill in the blank]? (00:14:03)
Trill Consciousness (00:22:42)
The Borg and Collective Consciousness (00:29:01)
Mind-Body Dualism and Spock's Katra (00:35:14)
Mental Causation and the Problem of Causal Exclusion
(00:45:03)
Non-Reductive Physicalism (00:50:20)
Identity Theory and Data's Positronic Brain (00:57:21)
Behaviorism and Data's Yellow Tears (01:04:19)
Emergentism (01:14:18)
(Fully) Functionalism (01:16:53)
Final Thoughts (01:23:09)
The Meaning of Life.
Perhaps the most fundamental philosophical question, the most
important question of the human condition, is the question, "What
is the meaning of life?" In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike
Morrison and Zachary Fruhling explore competing philosophical
theories about the meaning of life within the Star Trek universe.
Topics covered include the distinction between universal meaning
and subjective meaning, meaning as progress and the Federation's
progress narrative, colonialism and criticism of the progress
narrative, nihilism and the lack of meaning, existentialism and
self-chosen individual or cultural meaning, theism and religious
meaning, finding meaning in a galactic cultural melting pot, and
new questions of meaning in the 21st century that the upcoming Star
Trek 2017 series might consider.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 12 (00:01:15)
Introducing the Topic (00:03:18)
Two Approaches: Capital-M "Meaning" vs. lowercase-m "meaning"
(00:05:53)
Metanarratives and Peace (00:09:09)
A Crisis of Meaning in Star Trek? (00:13:58)
The Star Trek Answer: Meaning as Progress (00:17:32)
Star Trek Beyond: Colonialism and Criticism of the Progress
Narrative (00:23:21)
Nihilism, Meaninglessness, and Suicide (00:34:06)
Existentialism and Self-Chosen Meaning (00:42:34)
Theism and Religious Meaning (00:47:40)
Meaning in a Cultural Melting Pot (00:53:27)
Meaning in the 21st Century and Star Trek 2017 (00:57:02)
Final Thoughts (01:00:32)
Exocomps and Artificial
Intelligence.
Is it possible for non-biological beings such as androids, robots,
or holograms to think? In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary
Fruhling and Mike Morrison explore the arguments for and against
the possibility of artificial intelligence. Using the TNG episode
"The Quality of Life" as a discussion springboard, Zachary and Mike
cover Alan Turing and the Turing Test for artificial intelligence,
the mind as a digital computer, Turing machines and emulation,
Frank Jackson on qualia and subjective experience, and a
Klingon-inspired retelling of John Searle's famous "Chinese Room"
thought experiment as an objection to the possibility of artificial
intelligence.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 11 (00:01:05)
Synopsis of "Quality of Life" (00:01:37)
Artificial Intelligence in Star Trek and the Definition of Life
(00:03:40)
Spontaneity and Beards (00:23:51)
Alan Turing and The Turing Test (00:30:06)
Turing Machines and Emulation (00:45:47)
Frank Jackson on Qualia and Subjective Experience (01:03:28)
John Searle and the "Chinese (Klingon) Room" Objection
(01:06:19)
Final Thoughts (01:19:20)