Meta Treks: A Star Trek Philosophy Podcast

Gnosticism, Esotericism, and Secrecy in Star Trek.   We often take for granted that philosophers and Starfleet officers mean what they say. But there is a rich history of esoteric writing in the history of philosophy, whether for pedagogical, protective, or political purposes. The same is often true within the Star Trek universe itself. All of Star Trek can interpreted as a form of esoteric expression on the part of its creator Gene Roddenberry as a way of expressing his own social and political messages while evading television censors of the late 1960s. And within the Star Trek universe, from starship captains and Federation diplomats to the esoteric practices of and ceremonies of various alien races and religions, certain practices, beliefs, and various forms of dangerous knowledge are kept secret from the average Federation citizen and Starfleet officer. In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling lift the veil of secrecy to explore and reveal the many forms of gnosticism, esot

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 E

Enterprise Season 1 - Essential Trek Philosophy.  Like the first season of any new television series, Season 1 of Enterprise struggled to find its footing, especially coming out of the the successful run of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager throughout the 1990s. And while Season 1 of Enterprise had important overarching themes, such as human technological progress, showing the Star Trek universe to be a possible future for us in the emerging 21st century, getting back to Star Trek's roots as a "wagon train to the stars," and building unity through diversity, Season 1 of Enterprise had several philosophically important episodes as well. In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling discuss the philosophical themes and compare their choices for Essential Trek Philosophy from Season 1 of Star Trek: Enterprise.   Chapters Intro (00:01:19) Initial Thoughts about Enterprise Season One (00:04:07) Understanding the Larger Themes of Enterprise Season One (00:13:28)

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,

Utopianism in Star Trek.   The Star Trek universe is sometimes claimed to be a utopia. From technological progress to an enlightened view of human nature and equal opportunity, the vision of the future depicted in Star Trek is often touted by fans as the best possible future for humankind. An often-overlooked aspect of utopianism, however, is that "utopia" literally means "no place," calling into question the plausibility of such an optimistic future.  From intragalactic wars to power-hungry admirals to secret government organizations, the struggles of the 23rd and 24th centuries are all very familiar to us here in the 21st century, potentially undermining the very notion of human progress for which Star Trek is so famous. With the overall darker tone of Star Trek: Discovery and, to a lesser extent, Star Trek: Enterprise before that, it is reasonable to ask whether fans themselves, when pressed, really do still believe in the Star Trek vision of the future.  In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison

Alternate Universes and Modal Realism.  The Star Trek franchise is full of alternate universes, from different quantum realities (TNG: "Parallels") and the alternate reality seen in the Kelvin timeline (Star Trek, 2009) to the Mirror Universe seen in the Original Series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Discovery. In Star Trek, these alternate universes are just as real as the actual universe, a philosophical position known as "modal realism." In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison debate modal realism, the reality of alternate universes, through the lens of the Star Trek universe and whether we should consider alternate realities or "possible worlds" to be as metaphysically real as our own actual universe.   Chapters Intro (00:01:19) Initial Thought on Modal Realism (00:04:04) What Difference Does It Make? (00:08:45) David Lewis and Counterfactuals (00:12:36) Modal Concepts (00:17:43) The Distinction and Contrast of the Mirror Universe in Star Trek (00:20:46) Quant

Discovery Season 1 - Essential Trek Philosophy.   We in the 21st century do not live in an age of mythology as the ancient Greeks and Romans did, with epic heroes and narratives to provide context and meaning for our lives. Yet we hunger and thirst for meaning, as humans have done since the dawn of human history and consciousness. To its fans, Star Trek has become a form of modern mythology, with its own ethos, purposefulness, and meaningfulness, and with its own epic heroes—whether Captain Kirk in the Original Series or Michael Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery—whose journeys, struggles, and overcoming of obstacles are reminiscent of the existential journeys of classical epic heroes, from Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey to Dante Alighieri in the Divine Comedy.   In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling discuss the philosophical themes in season one of Star Trek: Discovery, from speculative and theoretical issues in contemporary physics and biology—emergence, panspermia, and panpsychi

Equality and Equal Rights.   Equality in the United Federation of Planets is often taken for granted, that alien life forms are entitled to the same rights, privileges, and opportunities as humans. But to which beings does this equality extend? Humanoids? Only sentient life forms? Intelligent androids? Whales? Nanites? And equality in what sense? Political equality? Moral equality? Equality under the law? Equality of opportunity?   In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss the philosophy of equality in the Star Trek universe, from issues of accessibility for disabled Starfleet officers such as Commander LaForge (TNG) and Ensign Melora (DS9: "Melora"), to the rights of non-humanoid life forms, whether intelligent whales here on Earth (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home) or non-human aliens such as the Horta (TOS: "The Devil in the Dark") and the Sheliak (TNG: "The Ensigns of Command").   Chapters  Intro (00:01:19)  Equality - Making a Distinction (00:03:16)  Political Equality

The Q Continuum.   From the The Original Series onward, Star Trek has had a preoccupation with false gods, culminating in the introduction of Q and the Q Continuum in Star Trek: The Next Generation. But although members of the Q Continuum have many of the properties usually ascribed to deities—such as omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and so on—do they posses these qualities to sufficient degree to be considered genuine deities of the Star Trek universe?   In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling give a philosophical analysis of the Q Continuum and the deity-like attributes of the Q. From paradoxes of omnipotence, such as the Q being powerful enough to create a prison another Q cannot break out of, to the many things the Q don't seem to know despite their supposed omniscience, Mike and Zachary debate, and perhaps debunk, the status of the Q as deities.   Chapters  Intro (00:01:19)  Should We Consider the Q to be Deities? (00:02:42)  Q and the Q Continuum (00:07:34)  The T

Philosophical Themes in "The Cage."   In the opening scenes of "The Cage," the unaired pilot episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, Captain Christopher Pike is having an existential crisis, feeling the weight of his responsibility as a starship captain, being responsible for the lives of the people under his command, and longing for a different kind of life (being home on Earth with a picnic lunch and horseback riding every day, or perhaps becoming an Orion trader). When Captain Pike is imprisoned by the Talosians and given the chance to have his every wish granted as an illusion, Captain Pike is forced to grapple with what he really wants in life and with the true nature of human happiness.   In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss the philosophical themes in "The Cage," from the existential angst of free will, making choices, and the burdens of responsibility, to the importance of human freedom and free will, risks and rewards, and of looking to the future and se

The Original Series Season 1 - Essential Trek Philosophy.   The entire Star Trek franchise, with over 700 television episodes and 13 feature films (to date), owes its existence to the strength of season 1 of Star Trek: The Original Series. If season 1 hadn't been as strong as it was, we wouldn't have the Star Trek franchise we know and love today. Season 1 of The Original Series isn't just strong dramatically, however. It is also strong philosophically, episode by episode exploring abstract ideas, future human potential, and the human condition.   In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling go back to where it all began in a discussion of their top picks for Essential Trek Philosophy from season 1 of Star Trek: The Original Series. Join Mike and Zachary as they discuss the four dominant philosophical themes in the premiere season of Star Trek: ethical and moral dilemmas, transhumanism and future human potential, the internal struggle of conflicting human natures, and the ethics of

Philosophical Themes in "These Are the Voyages."   In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison explore the philosophical themes in the series finale of Star Trek: Enterprise, "These Are the Voyages." While "These Are the Voyages" remains controversial with fans of Enterprise because of the focus on Commander Riker and Counselor Troi aboard the Enterprise-D, "These Are the Voyages" had the weighty task of book-ending 18 continuous years of Star Trek on television, from 1987 with the premier of Star Trek: The Next Generation to 2005 with the finale of Star Trek: Enterprise. From finding meaning and answers to life's biggest questions in historical events, to ethical conundrums involving conflicting duties, Zachary and Mike give a philosophical valentine to the underappreciated "These Are the Voyages."   Chapters  Intro (00:01:20)  Plot Problems and Interesting Philosophy (00:08:25)  The Hermeneutical Question (00:15:25)  Recreating the Past and Finding Meaning (00:23:04)  Commander R

Good vs. Evil in Star Trek.   We generally understand the meaning of "good," whether in the sense of following the rules or in the sense of minimizing the suffering of others. But, paradoxically, we understand the nature of "evil" to a far lesser degree. While Star Trek tends to shy away from making strict moral judgments, opting instead to humanize its villains by explaining the psychological motivations for their actions or the roots of those actions in past experiences, Star Trek does, however, explore the nature of evil in characters such as Armus from "Skin of Evil" (Star Trek: The Next Generation), the Borg Queen (Star Trek: First Contact; Star Trek: Voyager), and the Pah-Wraiths (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine).   In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling discuss "good versus evil" in the Star Trek universe. Are these supposedly evil characters are truly evil, or are they off the hook because of their backgrounds and their respective sob stories?   Chapters  Intro (00:01:19) 

The Visitor.   In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss the philosophical themes in the fourth-season Deep Space Nine episode, "The Visitor." Inspired by Jake Sisko's passion for writing, Zachary and Mike discuss the relationship between creative writing, lived experience, and what the German philosopher Martin Heidegger called "Being-in-the-World." Zachary and Mike also discuss "The Visitor" as a phenomenological metaphor for various aspects of human experience, including interpersonal connection, parenthood, regret, aging, and the lifelong quest to rediscover one's true self.   Chapters  Intro (00:01:20)  Initial Thoughts about DS9 "The Visitor" (00:02:46)  Heidegger and "In-der-Weld-Sein" (00:03:44)  Life Observed vs. Life Lived (00:10:39)  Unresolved Moments in Time (00:18:29)  Phenomenology of Human Experience (00:26:32)  Metaphysical Personal Connection (00:30:16)  Self-Sacrifice and Cutting the Cord (00:47:00)  Experience and Change Over Time (00:51:43)  The Old D

TNG Season 5 - Essential Trek Philosophy.   In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling compare their top picks for Essential Trek Philosophy from season 5 of Star Trek: The Next Generation. From transhumanism and a positive spin on genetic engineering in "The Masterpiece Society" to the philosophy of language and an exploration of non-referential language in "Darmok," season five contains some of the philosophically richest episodes in all of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Mike and Zachary also discuss Kantian ethics versus consequentialism in "I, Borg" and medical ethics in the aptly named episode "Ethics," in addition to the unique explorations of the metaphysics of time and the ethics of time travel in "Cause and Effect" and "A Matter of Time."   Chapters  Intro (00:01:20)  The Masterpiece Society (00:06:15)  Darmok (00:20:03)  I, Borg (00:47:31)  Cause and Effect (00:55:37)  A Matter of Time (01:01:39)  Conundrum (01:06:59)  Ethics (01:10:33)  Closing (01:20:43)   Hosts  Mik

The Conscience of the King.   To what extent does a person remain morally responsible for his or her actions over time, even after many years or after changes in character and experience? Can people ever change who they fundamentally are inside, or do they merely become better actors playing different roles?   In "The Conscience of the King" (Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 1), Captain Kirk suspects the 23rd-Century Shakespearean actor Anton Karidian of actually being the (believed-deceased) former governor of Earth colony Tarsus IV, Kodos "The Executioner," notorious for having executed over 4,000 people. Is Karidian really Kodos after all? And if so, is Karidian now a different person, in a moral sense, than the person he used to be? Or is Kodos "The Executioner" still there just beneath the surface and under the guise of Karidian the actor?   In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss the philosophical themes of moral responsibility and personal identity over tim

Drone Warfare and "The Arsenal of Freedom."   When the Enterprise is sent to the Lorenz Cluster in search of the missing U.S.S. Drake, the crew gets drawn into a life-and-death game of cat and mouse with the demonstration model of an ancient automated weapon system, including increasingly powerful and adaptive autonomous sentry probes. While the concept of automated drone warfare may have been closer to science and military fiction in the late 1980s during the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the philosophical ethical issues related to automated warfare in "The Arsenal of Freedom" are even more relevant today.   In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling discuss "The Arsenal of Freedom" (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 1), from the commodification of war within the military industrial complex to the pros and cons of peace through superior firepower. Mike and Zachary also discuss the distinction between genuine artificial intelligence and machine learning algo

Vulcan Katras and the Mind-Body Problem.   Episode 6 of Star Trek: Discovery, "Lethe," explored and expanded upon the metaphysics of Vulcan katras beyond what had been seen in previous iterations of Star Trek. But what exactly is a Vulcan katra and what properties does it have? From transferring consciousness from one Vulcan to another, to enabling a form of disembodied immortality, katras play an important role in Vulcan mysticism and metaphysics.   In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison give a philosophical analysis of the metaphysics of Vulcan katras in relation to the mind-body problem. Is the katra a type of nonphysical substance, as Cartesian dualism would hold? Is the katra a biophysical or emergent property of the brain and its functioning? And is transferring one's katra, through a mind meld or otherwise, an actual transfer of consciousness to a new location, or is it more like backing up a copy of your hard drive to the cloud?   Chapters  Intro (00:01:20)  "Lethe" an

Deep Space Nine Season 5 - Essential Trek Philosophy.   When people think of ethics in Star Trek, they often think primarily of ethical dilemmas, such as balancing the greater good of one group of people with the greater good of another group of people, or juxtaposing the rights of particular individuals with the common good. But season 5 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine takes a different approach to its exploration of ethics, using dramatic situations to explore not merely ethical dilemmas, but also ethically praiseworthy or blameworthy character traits of various Starfleet and non-Starfleet characters.   In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling compare their choices for Essential Trek Philosophy from season 5 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. From the virtuous character traits of loyalty and fortitude in "The Ascent" to the ethics of genetic engineering in "Dr. Bashir, I Presume?", season 5 of Deep Space Nineuses conflict with the Dominion, the Klingons, and the Maquis, to explore

The Philosophy of Color in Star Trek.   Star Trek: The Original Series is a colorful show, known for its striking set decorations and bold costuming, from the orange highlights on the Enterprise bridge to the primary colors of the Original Series uniforms, including the uniforms of the infamous Redshirts. But what exactly does it mean for a uniform to be red? Is redness a physical property of the uniform itself, or is redness an aspect of subjective mental experience for whomever observes the uniform? Can the uniform's color be reduced to its more basic physical properties or the basic properties of light itself (frequency, wavelength, and so on), or is color a fundamental part of reality, unable to be reduced to other physical properties? And does the property of "redness" exist as an abstract entity (similar to numbers or other abstract objects), or does color exist only in particular form within individual colorful objects like individual red uniforms?   In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhlin