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!
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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!
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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)
The Problem of the External World.
How can you know that the physical world you perceive around you is
real and not an illusion, a dream, or a holodeck simulation? In
this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary
Fruhling debate the philosophical problem of the external world
through the lens of Star Trek. Mike and Zachary discuss whether it
is possible for characters in Star Trek to know for sure that they
are not stuck in a holodeck, in a telepathic projection, or in an
illusion created by a member of the Q Continuum.
Mike and Zachary consider several possible responses to the the
problem of the external world from the history of philosophy,
including Rene Descartes's response to his own radical Cartesian
skepticism, Hilary Putnam's linguistic response to the "Brain in a
Vat" argument, the pragmatic response of rejecting the problem
outright, and George Berkeley's theory of idealism as a middle
ground between skepticism and empirical knowledge of the external
world.
Finally, Mike and Zachary re-imagine these classic philosophical
arguments in Star Trek terms, including what Descartes's
Meditations might have been like if written by the soft
glow of the holodeck grid instead of by candlelight, considering Q
as the omnipotent "evil genius" in Descartes's "Cogito ergo sum"
("I think, therefore, I am") argument, and re-framing Berkeley's
argument for idealism to rely on all-perceiving beings from Star
Trek, such as the Q or the Bajoran prophets.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 10 (00:01:20)
Introduction to the Problem of the External World (00:02:58)
Examples of the Problem in Star Trek (00:12:42)
Cartesian Skepticism (00:27:45)
Hilary Putnam on "Brain in a Vat" (00:48:22)
George Berkeley and Idealism (00:50:56)
The Q Continuum and Skepticism (00:53:46)
Final Thoughts (01:05:59)
The Prime Directive and
"Symbiosis."
In the first-season TNG episode "Symbiosis," Captain Picard cites
the Prime Directive (Starfleet's noninterference policy, General
Order #1) as justification for his solution to the conflict between
the narcotics-peddling Brekkans and the drug-addict
Ornarans. Is the relationship between these two races a
naturally evolved symbiotic relationship protected by the Prime
Directive or a case of morally reprehensible exploitation calling
for active intervention? In this episode of Meta
Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison analyze the
in-universe philosophy behind the Prime Directive, including its
justification and its applicability to the moral dilemma in
"Symbiosis."
In addition to the discussion on the Prime Directive, Zachary and
Mike discuss the drug Felicium (or "happiness pill") in light of
the 1980s "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign, the use of Felicium as
a consequentalist plot device in "Symbiosis," this episode's
post-Capitalist economic message, and the significance of "Ornare"
(Latin) and "Brekka" (Old Norse) as roots of the names of these two
alien races.
This episode also reminds listeners of the Meta Treks iTunes review
content, running though January 15, 2016. And for your post-show
entertainment, Zachary sings his rousing Felicium-themed rendition
of "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off."
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 9 (00:01:14)
About the Review Contest (00:02:48)
Beginning the Conversation (00:05:03)
Summary of Symbiosis (00:05:59)
The Prime Directive (00:08:12)
Symbiosis or Exploitation? (00:45:31)
Post-Capitalist Economics (00:57:47)
Final Thoughts (01:10:17)
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The Science/Religion Debate.
Star Trek is often interpreted to have a negative view of religion,
in favor of a humanistic and atheistic vision of the future. In
this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary
Fruhling challenge the typical interpretation of science and
religion in Star Trek, considering both the rationality of
religious belief and also potential issues with the rationality of
scientific reasoning.
Topics in this episode include traditional philosophical arguments
attempting to prove God's existence, the correspondence theory of
truth vs. the coherence theory of truth, logical positivism and the
meaningfulness of religious language, the tentativeness of
scientific conclusions, Thomas Kuhn on paradigm shifts in science,
and the problem of divine action. Mike and Zachary conclude the
discussion by asking what we can learn about divine action and
top-down causation by the movement of matter and antimatter
particles inside the warp core of a starship.
This episode also introduces the Meta Treks review contest, running
between December 15, 2015 and January 15, 2016.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 8 (00:01:06)
Overview of the Topic (00:01:25)
Meta Treks Review Contest (00:11:54)
Discussion Starts (00:14:50)
The Rationality of Religious Belief (00:18:08)
The Correspondence Theory of Truth (00:31:15)
The Irrationality of Science (00:38:10)
Final Thoughts (01:14:55)
Klingon Virtue Ethics.
For Klingons, the key ethical question is whether one's heart is
truly Klingon. In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary
Fruhling and Mike Morrison examine "Klingon Virtue Ethics," with
virtue ethics being a distinctive form of ethical theory
emphasizing desirable character traits over individual actions.
Zachary and Mike debate the nature of essential Klingon character
traits such as loyalty, duty, and honor. But unlike humans, who
tend to remain in the middle-ground on many aspects of human
nature, Klingons take their essential virtues and character traits
to extreme levels (not to mention those terrible Klingon table
manners and an endless but life-affirming thirst for blood
wine).
In their discussion, Zachary and Mike cover the Aristotelian notion
of eudaimonia ("happiness," or "living well") and consider what
living well, or rather dying well, means for Klingons. In addition,
Zachary and Mike apply the virtue-theory notion of an "ideal
individual" to the Klingon messianic figure Kahless, the individual
viewed by most Klingons as the ideal Klingon to be emulated and
revered. Finally, Zachary and Mike contrast the highly idealized
(and sometime naive) sense of Klingon virtues embraced by the
character of Worf with the more realistic character traits of other
less-honorable Klingons.
Chapters
Welcome To Episode 7 (00:01:25)
Discussing SacTrek (00:02:48)
Overview of Virtue Ethics (00:11:26)
Traditional Virtue Ethics Theories (00:14:48)
Virtue Ethics In Star Trek (00:16:52)
Discussion of Eudaimonia (00:24:39)
Final Thoughts (01:07:29)
Zach's Recommended Klingon Episodes (01:10:53)
Mike's Recommended Klingon Episodes (01:11:26)
Consequentialism vs. Deontological Ethics.
In the Deep Space Nine episode "In the Pale Moonlight," was
Captain Sisko justified in using less-then-honorable means to bring
the Romulans into the war with the Dominion in order to end the war
and save lives? Or were Sisko's actions unjustified because they
violated universally valid moral rules and principles?
In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary
Fruhling analyze "In the Pale Moonlight" from the contrasting
ethical theories of consequentalist ethics (or utilitarianism) and
deontological ethics (or rule-based ethics). Mike and Zachary
consider the applicability of different forms of consequentialism,
such as Jeremy Bentham's quantitative approach to utilitarianism,
John Start Mill's more qualitative approach to utilitarianism, and
rule utilitarianism as a middle-ground between ethics emphasizing
consequences and ethics emphasizing rules.
This episode of Meta Treks covers the crucial concepts of
deontological/Kantian ethics, such as Kant's Categorical
Imperative, the notion that some actions are intrinsically right or
wrong regardless of consequences, and treating others as ends in
themselves and not merely as means to your own ends. Mike and
Zachary wrap up the conversation with a discussion of whether the
justification for the Prime Directive is chiefly consequentialist
or whether the Prime Directive, as the Federation's highest law or
rule, is grounded in the intrinsic worth of the natural development
of other worlds and cultures.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 6 (00:01:06)
Discussing the CBS Star Trek Announcement (00:02:22)
Introducing the Topic (00:15:10)
Consequentialism (00:16:40)
Example - In The Pale Moonlight (00:19:31)
Utilitarianism (00:32:09)
Deontological Ethics (00:44:00)
Kantian Ethics (00:44:40)
The Categorical Imperative (00:49:00)
The Prime Directive (01:05:38)
Rule Utilitarianism (01:10:05)
Virtue Based Ethics (01:17:46)
Final Thoughts (01:20:06)
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)
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Personal Identity.
As characters in Star Trek change over time (think TV Picard versus
Movie Picard), what accounts for the persistence of those
characters' personal identity?
In this episode of Meta Treks, the continuation of a
two-part discussion on the problem of identity in Star Trek, hosts
Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison consider various responses to
the problem of personal identity, including John Locke's views on
memory and the continuity of consciousness, David Hume's bundle
theory of the self, and Rene Descartes's views on mind-body dualism
and personal identity.
Zachary and Mike close out their discussion of personal identity by
considering identity issues in alternate timelines, counterfactual
scenarios, and the Mirror Universe. Can David Lewis's possible
worlds interpretation of counterfactuals, along with Saul Kripke's
account of personal names as rigid designators, explain the
identity of Star Trek characters across alternate timelines? Is it
possible to give any account of why Star Trek characters are
somehow connected to their Mirror Universe counterparts? Join
Zachary and Mike as they wrestle with these issues in personal
identity and more, all told through examples taken directly from
the Star Trek universe.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 5 (00:01:06)
Introducing the Topic (00:02:23)
Examples of Personal Identity in Star Trek (00:10:40)
Numerical Identity (00:12:56)
Continuity of Consciousness (00:17:57)
The Bundle Theory (00:26:50)
Dualism (00:34:09)
Alternate Universes (00:52:56)
Names as Rigid Designators (01:00:46)
Final Thoughts (01:11:21)
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)
The Problem of Identity.
In this episode of Meta Treks, part one of a two-part
discussion on the problem of identity in Star Trek, hosts Mike
Morrison and Zachary Fruhling consider the metaphysical problem of
identity over time as it applies to inanimate objects. As objects
undergo changes over time, do they remain the same objects or do
they become different objects? Mike and Zachary reinterpret the
classic philosophical example of the Ship of Theseus, in which
components of a ship are replaced one at a time, in Star Trek terms
as the "Starship of Theseus," asking whether the Enterprise remains
the same ship following repairs or a refit.
Mike and Zachary introduce the problem of identity with an overview
of Leibniz's Law and the numerical identity of indiscernible
objects, followed by a discussion of different possible responses
to the problem of identity over time: the continuity-of-change
response, four-dimensionalism and time slices, and Aristotle's four
types of causes (material cause, formal cause, efficient cause, and
final cause).
Chapters
Welcome to Meta Treks 4 (00:01:07)
Introduction to the Topic (00:02:10)
The Ship of Theseus (00:10:18)
The Starship of Theseus (00:13:35)
Resolving the Identity Problem (00:29:17)
Continuity of Changes (00:29:51)
Four Dimensionalism (00:37:18)
Aristotle's Answers (00:46:37)
Final Thoughts (01:00:43)
Hosts
Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling
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)
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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)