Meta Treks: A Star Trek Philosophy Podcast

By Trek.fm

What's Meta Treks: A Star Trek Philosophy Podcast about?

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.

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Meta Treks: A Star Trek Philosophy Podcast episodes:

08.17.2020
98: Geordi's Pedagogically Esoteric PowerPoint Presentations
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,...
04.06.2020
97: A Real Butterfly
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...
11.18.2019
96: Andorian Cowboys
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...
10.29.2019
95: Eternity is Passé
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...
06.04.2019
94: Where Are the 24th-Century Space Hippies?
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...
05.06.2019
93: In a Relevantly Similar Possible Universe, I Would Always Have Been Your Friend, Jim
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...
01.21.2019
92: Prepaid Long-Distance Mind Meld
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....
01.14.2019
91: Get That Whale Some Gumbo
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?...
10.08.2018
90: ODD (Omniscience Deficit Disorder)
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...
09.24.2018
89: Faustian Horseback Ride
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...
07.02.2018
88: Spock's Altered States of Consciousness
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...
05.28.2018
87: These Are the Redacted Voyages
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...
04.23.2018
86: Pandora's Stasis Chamber
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...
04.10.2018
85: The Pen Is Mightier Than the Bat'leth
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,...
03.21.2018
84: Meta-Metaphoric
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...
03.12.2018
83: Caesar of the Stars
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...
03.05.2018
82: Hasta La Vista, Baby
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...
10.30.2017
81: Katric Six Pack
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...
10.23.2017
80: The Pros and the Khans
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...
10.09.2017
79: The Redshirt Edition
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...
10.02.2017
78: How Do You Say 'Wall' in Klingon?
Philosophical Themes in Star Trek: Discovery, Episodes 1 and 2. Every Star Trek television series is a mirror, reflecting and illuminating the moral dilemmas and the political issues of its time. The premier episodes of Star Trek: Discovery, "The Vulcan Hello" and "Battle...
09.25.2017
77: Stewards of the Continuum
Property Ownership in Star Trek. There may be no money in the 24th century, at least not as we know it. And humankind may no longer be driven by the acquisition of material wealth. But what exactly do you do...
08.14.2017
76: Essential Ennui
Voyager Season 5 - Essential Trek Philosophy. If you've ever had the urge to replicate yourself some curtains when faced with a late-night existential crisis, then the fifth-season opener of Star Trek: Voyager, "Night" is for you! In "Night" we...
07.31.2017
75: Kindergarten Calculus
Star Trek Philosophy of Education. An advanced future civilization such as the United Federation of Planets would surely have an equally advanced educational system. After all, we are told in Star Trek: The Next Generation that 24th century schoolchildren learn calculus in grade...
07.17.2017
74: Tell Me a Story
Narratives and Metanarratives in Star Trek. Throughout Western history, grand narratives, or metanarratives, have been used to define who we are and where we should be going as a people. These metanarratives have included things like the Enlightenment, the Scientific Revolution, Democracy, Marxism, Emancipation, and many other...
07.03.2017
73: Space Ham Radio
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...
06.26.2017
72: Trojan Catfish
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....
06.12.2017
71: Borg Butterfly Effect
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...
06.05.2017
70: The Clothes Make the Cardassian
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...
05.29.2017
69: Turn On, Tune In, Beam Down
"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...
05.22.2017
68: Midwifery Is Our Business
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...
05.08.2017
67: From Riker to Worf to O'Brien
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...
04.24.2017
66: Warp 13 with Hair on Fire
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...
04.17.2017
65: Klingon Snipe Hunt
"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...
04.03.2017
64: Socrates in the Stars
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...
03.27.2017
63: Ugly Bags of Mostly Silicon
The Definition of Life. "To seek out new life...." Such is the mission statement of Federation starships, to discover and learn as much as possible about life in the universe. But given the diversity of life forms in...
03.20.2017
62: Tricorder of Gyges
Cloaking Devices and the Ring of Gyges. Invisibility has a long tradition both in fiction and in philosophy, from The Ring of Gyges in Plato's Republic to The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells, from the One Ring...
03.13.2017
61: Smooth Operator
DS9 Season 6 - Essential Trek Philosophy with Duncan Barrett, Part 2. In this second part of a two-part episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison continue their discussion with author Duncan Barrett about their top...
03.06.2017
60: Sisko's Folly
DS9 Season 6 - Essential Trek Philosophy with Duncan Barrett, Part 1. In this first part of a two-part episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling are joined by author Duncan Barrett to discuss their...
02.27.2017
59: Defying the Badmirals
Disobeying Orders. Starfleet officers generally respect the chain of command. When an order comes down the pipe from a superior officer or from the Federation council, that order is usually obeyed out of duty, honor, loyalty, and respect....
02.13.2017
58: Trans-Dimensional Slices
Dimensions. Reflecting on dimensions has a long history in popular culture, from the geometrically minded satirical novella Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott to the 1937 film The Fourth Dimension by director Jean Painleve....
02.06.2017
57: Spiritual Double Dare
"Sacred Ground" and Religious Explanations. What happens when a scientist has a religious experience not fully explainable by science? When Kes's life falls in jeopardy, Captain Janeway, with tricorder in hand and eagerly willing to face any challenge...
01.30.2017
56: Recycle, Reclaim, Reuse
Voyager Season 6 - Essential Trek Philosophy. In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling are joined by Kay Shaw (associated producer of Meta Treks and co-host of Trek.fm's dedicated Voyager podcast, To The...
01.16.2017
55: Quark Speak and Spell
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...
01.09.2017
54: The Nenebek Paradox
Paradoxes of Motion. From the ancient Greek philosopher Zeno of Elea to the 20th century physicist Albert Einstein, philosophers and scientists for thousands of years have been preoccupied with attempting to understand the seemingly paradoxical nature of motion....
01.02.2017
53: Saving Major Kira
Children of Time. In the Deep Space Nine episode "Children of Time," Captain Sisko and company discover a planet with a colony of 8,000 descendants of the Defiant crew, the Defiant having been marooned 200 years in the...
12.26.2016
52: Ten Second Jon
Enterprise Season 3 - Essential Trek Philosophy. Season three of Enterprise, with its Xindi story arc, is firmly situated in the post-9/11 era, concentrating principally on the ethics of justified warfare as a response to acts of terrorism....
12.05.2016
51: Dr. Mora's Jello Mold
Scientific and Medical Ethics. In Deep Space Nine, we learn that the Bajoran scientist Dr. Mora Pol helped Odo achieve his full potential as a sentient, shape-shifting life form. Odo, however, carried deep-seated resentment for his initial treatment...
11.28.2016
50: Double Dilithium on You
Logical Positivism. What separates meaningful language from non-meaningful language, genuine science from pseudo-science, and productive philosophy from unproductive philosophy? In the early 20th century, a philosophical movement known as "logical positivism" attempted to specify criteria that could be...
11.21.2016
49: A Kobayashi Maru Kind of Day
Stoicism. In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison search for examples of stoicism in Star Trek. As an ancient Greek and Roman school of thought, stoicism emphasizes suppression of harmful emotions, recognizing the...

What's Meta Treks: A Star Trek Philosophy Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Meta Treks: A Star Trek Philosophy Podcast episodes:

98: Geordi's Pedagogically Esoteric PowerPoint Presentations

97: A Real Butterfly

96: Andorian Cowboys

95: Eternity is Passé

94: Where Are the 24th-Century Space Hippies?

93: In a Relevantly Similar Possible Universe, I Would Always Have Been Your Friend, Jim

92: Prepaid Long-Distance Mind Meld

91: Get That Whale Some Gumbo

90: ODD (Omniscience Deficit Disorder)

89: Faustian Horseback Ride

88: Spock's Altered States of Consciousness

87: These Are the Redacted Voyages

86: Pandora's Stasis Chamber

85: The Pen Is Mightier Than the Bat'leth

84: Meta-Metaphoric

83: Caesar of the Stars

82: Hasta La Vista, Baby

81: Katric Six Pack

80: The Pros and the Khans

79: The Redshirt Edition

78: How Do You Say 'Wall' in Klingon?

77: Stewards of the Continuum

76: Essential Ennui

75: Kindergarten Calculus

74: Tell Me a Story

73: Space Ham Radio

72: Trojan Catfish

71: Borg Butterfly Effect

70: The Clothes Make the Cardassian

69: Turn On, Tune In, Beam Down

68: Midwifery Is Our Business

67: From Riker to Worf to O'Brien

66: Warp 13 with Hair on Fire

65: Klingon Snipe Hunt

64: Socrates in the Stars

63: Ugly Bags of Mostly Silicon

62: Tricorder of Gyges

61: Smooth Operator

60: Sisko's Folly

59: Defying the Badmirals

58: Trans-Dimensional Slices

57: Spiritual Double Dare

56: Recycle, Reclaim, Reuse

55: Quark Speak and Spell

54: The Nenebek Paradox

53: Saving Major Kira

52: Ten Second Jon

51: Dr. Mora's Jello Mold

50: Double Dilithium on You

49: A Kobayashi Maru Kind of Day