Philosophical Themes in Star Trek: Picard, Season 1.
The recently completed first season of Star Trek: Picard deals with an impressive amount of philosophical material in a mere ten episodes. In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss the philosophical themes and concepts within the premier season of Star Trek: Picard. From Rios's broody existentialism to the metaphysics of android neurons, join Zachary and Mike as they practice absolute candor in their discussion of Season 1 of Star Trek: Picard.
Chapters
Intro (00:01:19)
Initial Thoughts on Season One of Star Trek: Picard (00:03:15)
Broody Existentialism and Broken Characters (00:08:50)
Picard's Identity and Sartre's First Principle of Existentialism (00:16:08)
Aristotelian Acorns and Human Potential (00:29:23)
Stoicism and Order Out of Chaos (00:34:14)
Starfleet Isn't Starfleet Anymore (00:43:43)
Mortality and the Meaning of Life (00:46:30)
The "New" Transporter Problem and Consciousness (00:54:26)
Consequentialist Ethics and the Death of Bruce Maddox (01:03:15)
Philosophy of Mind and Synthetic Picard (01:05:45)
Philosophical Disappointments in Star Trek: Picard, Season One (01:11:17)
Closing (01:25:12)
Hosts
Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison
Production
Mike Morrison (Editor) Zachary Fruhling (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Patrick Devlin (Associate Producer) Kay Shaw (Associate Producer) Mark Walker (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)
Death Wish.
Nineteenth-century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche held that Western philosophers from Socrates onward have had a gigantic death wish in the form of philosophical escapism and denial of our nature as finite, embodied beings with our own uniquely individual perspectives, drives, and desires. Philosophers in the Q Continuum likewise seem to have a death wish, especially Quinn, the Q Continuum's greatest philosopher.
In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss the philosophical and existential themes in the second-season Voyager episode "Death Wish." Although "Death Wish" is usually interpreted as a moral dilemma about assisted suicide—itself a hot moral topic since the 1990s—Zachary and Mike argue instead that "Death Wish" is a subtler but highly-developed example of Nietzschean philosophy of embodiment, perspectivism, and metaphorical self-expression.
Zachary and Mike also discuss the question of meaning as it relates to death, the finitude of human life, and the possibility of immortality—in the Q Continuum or in any form of the afterlife.
Chapters
Intro (00:01:19)
Initial Thoughts on Voyager: "Death Wish" (00:03:32)
Philosophical Overview and Examples of Nietzschean Philosophy (00:06:43)
Quinn: Genius or Madman? (00:16:39)
The Meaningfulness of Life (00:26:16)
The Problem with Perfect Being Theology and the Death of God (00:42:04)
Camus and The Myth of Sisyphus (00:43:18)
Existentialism and the Subjectivity of Fulfillment in Life (00:48:31)
Marcus Aurelius and the Question of Legacy (00:55:15)
How the Q Continuum is Depicted in Death Wish (00:58:49)
Comparing and Contrasting How Star Trek Depicts the Q Continuum (01:08:25)
Is All of Star Trek Escapist? (01:11:38)
A Few Final Questions About "Death Wish" (01:21:17)
Closing (01:25:56)
Hosts
Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison
Production
Mike Morrison (Editor) Zachary Fruhling (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Patrick Devlin (Associate Producer) Kay Shaw (Associate Producer) Mar Walker (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)
Ferengi Virtue Ethics.
From the fur-wearing, whip-wielding villains of the early seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation to the more developed and nuanced Ferengi in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, profit is the underlying motive for practically all Ferengi action. In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss Ferengi virtue ethics, or which character traits uniquely define the Ferengi. But is this drive for profit an essential biological or psychological Ferengi instinct, or is the drive for profit a culturally reinforced learned behavior? Join Zachary and Mike as they discuss the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition and the need for a kinder, gentler Ferenginar.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 55 (00:01:43)
Initial Thoughts on the Ferengi (00:02:52)
Rules of Acquisition: Rule-Based Ethics or Virtue Ethics? (00:06:25)
Profitability as an Underlying Ferengi Virtue (00:11:02)
Character Exceptions (00:14:35)
Ferengi Ed-Tech: Quark Speak & Spell (00:18:23)
Nature vs. Nurture - Instinct or Learned Behaviors? (00:21:10)
Nog - A Ferengi Out of Water (00:26:26)
Human/Ferengi Moral Role Reversal (00:32:58)
Ferengi Stoicism: "Nature Decays but Latinum Lasts Forever" (00:36:46)
How Should Ferengi Virtues Be Perceived by Non-Ferengi? (00:41:58)
Cultural Assimilation (00:46:18)
A Kinder, Gentler Ferenginar (00:49:56)
Ferengi Family Values (00:52:18)
Change of Heart - Saul to Paul and Zek to Rom (01:00:15)
Final Thoughts (01:02:08)
Hosts
Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison
Production
Mike Morrison (Editor) Zachary Fruhling (Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Patrick Devlin (Associate Producer) Kay Shaw (Associate Producer) Norman Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)
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Nationalism.
It is a commonly-held belief that humans in the 23rd and 24th century world of Star Trek have progressed beyond nationalism. The Federation, however, is only one of many intra-galactic nation states. The Federation, the Romulan Empire, the Klingon Empire, and the Cardassian Empire each has its own "national" symbols, colors, political structure, and cultural values. To what extent has the Federation helped humanity transcend the need for nationalism, and to what extent is it still bound by nationalism but on a larger, galactic scale? In this episode of Meta Treks: A Star Trek Philosophy Podcast, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling debate the role of nationalism in the Star Trek universe, asking the fundamental question, "Is nationalism something to be transcended or to be embraced within the idealism of Star Trek's vision of the future?"
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 34 (00:02:02)
Brexit and Withdrawing from the Federation (00:03:11)
Bajoran Nationalism - To Join the Federation or not to Join (00:07:03)
The Pros and Cons of Nationalism (00:09:44)
Federation Nationalism or Trans-Nationalism? (00:12:05)
The Causes and Forms of Nationalism (00:22:08)
Tribalism and Origin Stories (00:25:46)
24th Century Swag - Trek.fm Nation! (00:42:18)
Federation National Symbols and Rituals (00:48:24)
Nationalism and Sports - Take Me Out to the Holosuite (00:51:53)
Tragedy and Colonialism as Causes of Nationalism (00:59:17)
Final Thoughts (01:10:14)
Hosts
Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison
Production
Mike Morrison (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) Kay Elizabeth Janeway (Associate Producer) Will Nguyen (Content Manager) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
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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
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!
Twitter:
@trekfm
Facebook: http://facebook.com/trekfm
Voicemail: http://www.speakpipe.com/trekfm
Contact Form: http://www.trek.fm/contact
Visit the Trek.fm website at http://www.trek.fm/
Subscribe in iTunes: http://itunes.com/trekfm
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
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)