Meta Treks is a Trek.fm podcast dedicated to a deep examination of the philosophical ideas found in Star Trek. In each episode, Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison take you on a fascinating journey into the inner workings of Star Trek storytelling, deeper into subspace than you've ever traveled before.
Pen Pals.
When Lt. Commander Data contacts a girl named "Sarjenka" from a pre-warp civilization in distress on his 24th-century space ham radio, it leads to a super-secret philosophical discussion about the nature of the Prime Directive in Captain Picard's quarters. Should the Prime Directive be interpreted strictly or loosely? How should Starfleet officers weigh the high-stakes, life-or-death consequences for an entire civilization against their responsibility and oath to uphold the Prime Directive? Would interpreting Sarjenka's "whisper in the dark" as a formal request for help count as "sophistry," as Captain Picard claims? And what role do friendships and emotions play in determining moral obligation in light of the Prime Directive?
In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss the second-season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Pen Pals." But this is episode 73 of Meta Treks, and the number 73 has a very special meaning in Morse code in ham radio circles: "Best regards." Because Zachary himself has been a third-generation licensed ham radio operator since he was just a tad older than Sarjenka, this episode of Meta Treks debates the role and responsibilities of radio communication in the Star Trek universe, whether that newfangled subspace radio or good old-fashioned RF. Zachary and Mike also discuss Wesley Crusher's first command and what it means to have "command presence."
Chapters
Intro (00:01:35)
Initial Thought on Pen Pals from TNG Season 2 (00:03:29)
The Ham Radio Connection (00:07:50)
Unusually High Stakes and the Philosophical Debate (00:17:14)
"Obligations that go beyond duty..." (00:22:05)
The Individual Positions of the Crew in the Debate (00:25:43)
Worf Takes the Kantian Position (00:27:01)
Picard's Argument for Causal Determinism (0029:59)
Line Drawing Problem (00:35:28)
Making the Decision: Command Presence and the Nature of Command (00:42:10)
Principles vs. Consequences (00:49:07)
Wesley's First Command (00:50:57)
Riker's Advice: What Would Picard Do (00:59:17)
Regulation and Communication (01:00:29)
Subspace QSL Cards and Q Codes (01:03:31)
Closing (01:07:33)
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) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)
Enterprise Season 2 - Essential Trek Philosophy.
Season 2 of Enterprise contained numerous fun and interesting and science-fiction concepts and ideas, as the crew of the NX-01 encountered novelty and adventure going where no humans had ever gone before. But this season also explored a number of important philosophical and ethical issues, from the Kantian principle of not using other sentient beings as a means to your own ends in "Dead Stop" to the politics of gender and sexual identity in "Stigma."
In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling recount their choices for Essential Trek Philosophy from season 2 of Enterprise, along with proverbial life lessons learned from this season, such as the importance of getting down in the trenches with people who are struggling, standing up to bullies, and going the extra mile (or the extra light year) to rebuild damaged relationships.
Chapters Intro (00:01:21)
Essential Enterprise: Season 2 (00:09:08)
Dead Stop (00:11:04)
Stigma (00:22:22)
A Night in Sickbay (00:34:25)
Cogenitor (00:47:31)
Marauders (01:01:28)
Dawn (01:07:49)
The Crossing (01:12:33)
Horizon and First Flight (01:18:19)
Minefield, The Communicator, and Carbon Creek (01:23:13)
Recap and Final Thoughts (01:32:14)
Closing (01:33:24)
Hosts
Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling
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) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)
Future Human Cultural Evolution with Patrick Devlin.
In the Star Trek universe, the cultural progression of alien races is remarkably deterministic, as cultures proceed from their own versions of the stone age, to the bronze age, to the industrial age, and culminating in warp-capable civilizations that are fully fledged members of the galactic community.
But what reasons do we have for thinking that our own diverse human cultures will progress along the path laid out for us in the Star Trek universe? What are the different possible trajectories of future human cultural evolution? And what are the different causal factors that produce cultural change over time (societal, political, technological, or otherwise)?
In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison are joined by Meta Treks associate producer Patrick Devlin to discuss future human cultural evolution, both inside the Star Trek universe and in our own world today.
Chapters
Intro (00:02:12)
Welcome to Patrick Devlin and Initial Thoughts (00:01:20)
Is Cultural Evolution Predictable? (00:02:06)
Ebbs and Flows (00:10:39)
Possible Trajectories (00:14:13)
Mechanisms for Cultural Change (00:25:20)
"Blink of an Eye" and Cultural Progress (00:28:56)
Thought Bubbles (00:36:52)
Death is the Best Invention of Life (00:39:18)
Vulcans and the Struggles of Reason (00:40:22)
The Ba'ku and Post-Warp Society (00:47:22)
From Consumers to Makers (00:50:52)
External Change vs. Internal Change (01:03:31)
Final Thoughts (01:10:56)
Closing (01:22:39)
Hosts
Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison
Guest
Patrick Devlin
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) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)
Cardassian Virtue Ethics.
Throughout the Star Trek universe, the various alien races serve as a mirror for the best and the worst of our own human natures, and the Cardassians are no exception. But which character traits do the Cardassians find most virtuous? And which characters in the Star Trek universe are the best candidates for the ideal or most virtuous Cardassians, based on the unique character traits that Cardassians themselves recognize as virtues?
In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling discuss Cardassian virtue ethics and what we can learn about ourselves from a look into Cardassian culture.
Chapters
Intro (00:01:21)
Cardassian Virtue Ethics (00:04:22)
Next Generation Cardassians vs. DS9 Cardassians (00:12:11)
Body Language and Projecting Values (00:18:14)
The Cardassian Übermensch (00:29:37)
Tribunal and the Ethics of the Cardassian State (00:35:08)
Industrial Design as a Reflection of Cardassian Values (00:48:50)
Self Sacrifice vs. Self Service and The Philosopher-King Paradox (00:57:32)
The Hero of His Own Story (01:07:35)
Final Thoughts (01:08:28)
Closing (01:15:20)
Hosts
Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling
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) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)
"Rapture" and Altered States of Consciousness.
On the eve of Bajor's admittance into the Federation, an accident in one of Quark's holosuites results in the synapses being hyper-stimulated in Captain Sisko's brain. Captain Sisko enters a heightened state of awareness allowing him to locate the legendary Bajoran lost city of B'hala.
In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss the philosophical themes and concepts in the fifth-season Deep Space Nine episode "Rapture." From duck-rabbit Gestalt shifts to ineffable, private moments of clarity and insight, Zachary and Mike explore the the relationship between perception, knowledge, and altered states of consciousness.
Touching on other themes in "Rapture," Zachary and Mike also discuss the ethics of medical intervention and the therapeutic role of faith in healing and well-being. Finally, Zachary and Mike explore the political pros and cons of the Bajorans joining the Federation, when faced with re-surging Cardassian activity and Dominion aggression in the Alpha Quadrant.
Chapters
Intro: DS9's Rapture (00:01:08)
Gestalt Shifts and the Potential of the Human Brain (00:05:35)
A Moment of Clarity (00:16:37)
Timothy Leary and Altered States of Consciousness (00:20:33)
Ethics of Medical Intervention (00:27:38)
Faith in Faith (00:35:33)
The Power of Positive Thinking and Mr. Rozhenko's Neighborhood (00:39:43)
Sisko and a Sympathetic Winn (00:46:19)
Bajor's Entry Into The Federation (00:49:02)
The Benefits and Defining Traits of Bajorans (00:59:27)
Final Thoughts on Rapture (01:03:35)
Closing (01:10:55)
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) Kit Loffstadt (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)
The Original Series Season 2 - Essential Trek Philosophy.
Season 2 of Star Trek: The Original Series playfully explores human nature, what human nature is and what it could become, its place in the cosmos, and its relation to humanity's past, present, and future. From future Space Nazis in "Patterns of Force" to ancient Greek gods and Roman gladiators in space ("Who Mourns for Adonais?" and "Bread and Circuses"), TOS season 2 explores the best and the worst of human nature across the whole of human history. We also see the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise debate ethical questions about our relation to the unknown, from giant space amoebas in "The Immunity Syndrome" to the mystical powers of Korob and Sylvia in "Catspaw," along with the iterative development of one the defining concepts of the Star Trek universe, the noninterference principle known as "The Prime Directive."
In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling continue their philosophical retrospective of every season of Star Trek, discussing their top choices for "Essential Trek Philosophy" from season 2 of Star Trek: The Original Series.
Chapters
Intro (00:01:08)
Amok Time (00:12:57)
Metamorphosis (00:14:29)
A Private Little War (00:18:32)
The Omega Glory (00:23:26)
Patterns of Force (00:31:31)
The Immunity Syndrome (00:36:19)
Return to Tomorrow (00:41:31)
The Deadly Years (00:46:20)
The Apple (00:51:32)
The Changeling and The Ultimate Computer (00:53:30)
By Any Other Name (01:02:26)
Who Mourns for Adonais? (01:07:33)
Bread and Circuses (01:21:11)
Closing (00:00:00)
Hosts
Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling
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) Kit Loffstadt (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)
Kierkegaard and Stages on Life's Way.
This time, we're talking "Soren," but not Dr. Tolian Soren from Star Trek Generations; we're talking about the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard! Søren Kierkegaard is well-known for his "Stages on Life's Way," or three different approaches to life: the aesthetic approach (novelty, adventure, and experiences); the ethical approach (rules, duty, and responsibility), and the religious approach (sincere commitment, meaningful dedication, and authentic leaps of faith). In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss characters from the Star Trek universe that exemplify these three different modes of living.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 67 (00:01:07)
Søren Kierkegaard and Dr. Soren from Generations (00:03:16)
Programming an Authentic Life (00:14:24)
Kierkegaard's Stages of Life's Way (00:22:15)
The Aesthetic Stage or The Commander Riker Stage (00:31:30)
The Ethical Stage or The Lieutenant Worf Stage (00:49:50)
The Religious Stage or The Chief O'Brien Stage (01:07:39)
Final Thoughts (01:24:51)
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) Kit Loffstadt (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)
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Exploration and Expanding Knowledge.
The worldview depicted in the Star Trek universe is grounded in the assumption that the pursuit of increased knowledge is intrinsically valuable, such that it is worth the risks and dangers inherent to exploration of the unknown. In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling examine this underlying assumption of the Star Trek universe: Does knowledge have intrinsic value or merely instrumental value? What ethical and practical constraints should be placed on the pursuit of knowledge? Should all knowledge be open-source and publicly available, or are some forms of knowledge tainted by having been achieved through ethically questionable methods? Join Mike and Zachary as they explore and expose the hidden tensions in the pursuit of knowledge and of the exploration of the unknown in the Star Trek universe.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 66 (00:01:07)
The Intrinsic Value of Knowledge as the Underlying Assumption of the Star Trek Universe (00:06:18)
Intrinsic Value vs. Instrumental Value (00:08:56)
The Risks of Exploration (00:15:10)
Starship Captains and Chutzpah (00:22:05)
Species Authenticity - The Rational Animal (00:23:46)
Ethical Constraints on the Intrinsic Value of Exploration (00:34:13)
Tainted Knowledge vs. Open-Source Knowledge (00:39:54)
Gnosticism and The Omega Directive (00:45:00)
Essential Attributes vs. Non-Essential Attributes (00:52:35)
The Unknown - We Don't Know What We Don't Know (01:07:07)
Science without Scientism (01:14:47)
Final Thoughts (01:17:47)
Hosts
Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling
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) Kit Loffstadt (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon 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/
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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
"Birthright," Parts I and II.
In the sixth-season episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Birthright," Parts I and II, there are parallels between Lieutenant Worf and the Ancient Greek philosopher Socrates. Both Worf and Socrates were accused of corrupting the minds of the youth, both were protesting the perceived injustices and irrationality of the established state, and both were sentenced to death by execution (a fate escaped by Worf more successfully than by Socrates!).
In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss the similarities and dissimilarities of Worf and Socrates. Had Worf been successfully executed, would Worf have been remembered in future Klingon history as a martyr and as the founder of a new Klingon philosophical movement, Worfism (and eventually neo-Worfism), emphasizing the ideal form of the Klingon Empire?
In addition, Zachary and Mike discuss ancestral and cultural identity, both in the galactic melting pot of the Star Trek universe and in our globalized society here in the real world. Finally, not forgetting the subplot of the emergence of Lt. Commander Data's newfound ability to dream, Zachary and Mike discuss the role and significance of dreams and mythology in a modern, progressive, scientific, and rationalistic society.
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 65 (00:01:06)
Worf and Socrates (00:03:08)
Worf the Martyr and Neo-Worfism (00:10:56)
Slavery, Melting Pots, and Cultural Identity (00:28:13)
Fatherless Data and Worf - Identity and Meaning (00:37:10)
Klingon Beatnik - "Hey, Mr. Bat'leth Man, Slay a Targ for Me" (00:48:48)
Modernity, Dreams, and Mythology (00:56:11)
Cosplay and Choosing Your Own Identity (01:07:44)
Final Thoughts (01:11:10)
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) Kit Loffstadt (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)
Send us your feedback!
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TNG Season 6 - 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 6 of Star Trek: The Next Generation. From Cartesian skepticism of the external world in "Ship in a Bottle" to transporter-related issues of personal identity in "Second Chances," season 6 of Star Trek: The Next Generation contains some of the most well-known and often-cited philosophical episodes in all of Star Trek. Most importantly, though, find out whether Lieutenant Worf drinks the Romulan hemlock for corrupting the minds of the youth in "Birthright, Part II."
Chapters
Welcome to Episode 64 and Essential TNG Season 6 (00:01:07)
Dedication to Beth Ann Allen (00:06:17)
Time's Arrow (00:07:21)
Man of the People (00:13:38)
Rascals (00:17:28)
Tapestry (00:22:31)
Ship in a Bottle (00:34:09)
Frame of Mind (00:35:10)
Birthright (00:39:16)
Rightful Heir (00:48:47)
Second Chances (00:53:46)
Quality of Life (00:58:20)
Final Thoughts (01:01:08)
Hosts
Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling
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) Kit Loffstadt (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon 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
