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
Welcome to Episode 19 (00:01:07)
Finding New Meaning in Classic Trek (00:04:37)
Hermeneutics - Meaning and Textual Interpretation (00:09:39)
Original Meaning vs. New Interpretations (00:12:44)
Interpreting Religious Texts - Bajoran Prophecies (00:27:57)
Competing Interpretations and Organizational Hierarchy
(00:33:21)
Literal Meaning vs Metaphorical Meaning (00:40:39)
Examples of Bajoran Prophecies (00:44:47)
Evolving Language and Changes in Meaning (00:46:37)
Techniques of Hermeneutical Analysis (00:49:14)
Interpreting Federation Law and Starfleet Regulations
(00:59:15)
Guiding Principles for Hermeneutical Analysis (01:07:44)
Other Examples of Hermeneutics in Star Trek
(01:12:03)
Final Thoughts (01:21:29)
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)
Send us your feedback!
Twitter: @trekfm
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