Meta Treks: A Star Trek Philosophy Podcast

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 war.  

Chapters  Intro (00:01:19)  Initial Thoughts on TOS Season One (00:01:58)  The Four Main Philosophical Themes (00:10:26)  Moral Choices and Ethical Conundrums (00:14:54)  The City on the Edge of Forever (00:15:07)  Transhumanism (00:21:13)  The Cage (00:22:24)  Arena (00:26:28)  Errand of Mercy (00:28:11)  The Return of the Archons (00:33:39)  Space Seed (00:37:47)  Where No Man Has Gone Before (00:39:52)  Charlie X/The Squire of Gothos (00:40:30)  What Are Little Girls Made Of? (00:42:32)  Miri (00:46:13)  Dagger of the Mind (0047:31)  Exploration of Human Nature (00:50:49)  The Enemy Within (00:52:06)  The Conscience of the King (00:56:21)  The Alternative Factor (00:58:03)  Ethics of War (01:03:48)  Balance of Terror (01:04:33)  A Taste of Armageddon (01:06:14)  This Side of Paradise (01:08:35)  Devil in the Dark (01:11:38)  Recap and Final Thoughts (01:15:08)  Closing (01:18:31)  

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) Mark Walker (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

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 Riker and Conflicting Duties (00:35:40)  Kant, Truth, and Consequences (00:41:49)  Open Source Information vs. Closed Access (00:53:54)  Perspective Through Interpersonal Stories (01:02:21)  The Value and Weight of History (01:11:17)  Closing (01:18:45) 

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) Mark Walker (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

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)  Initial Thoughts on Good and Evil (00:03:17)  Pah-Wraiths and Evil in DS9 (00:08:43)  False Dichotomies and Defining Characteristics of Evil (00:11:25)  Enter Armus from "Skin of Evil" (00:18:09)  Comparing Evil in Star Trek to Evil in Theology (00:28:52)  The Borg as a Candidate for Evil (00:38:00)  The Borg Queen vs. The Pah-Wraiths (00:50:39)  Nietzsche and the Judaeo Concept of Evil (00:56:41)  Khaaaan! (01:05:51)  Final Thoughts (01:13:52)  Closing (01:27:02)  

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) Mark Walker (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

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 Defiant Crew Out of Mothballs (01:03:17)  Final Thoughts (01:05:51)  Closing (01:12:56)  

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) Mark Walker (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

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  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) Mark Walker (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

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 time in "The Conscience of the King," including the inspired use of theater-acting and masks as metaphors for personal transformation, or perhaps the lack thereof.  

Chapters  Intro (00:01:20)  Initial Thoughts about "The Conscience of the King" (00:02:30)  Morality and Identity Over Time (00:10:31)  Radical Conversion, Paul the Apostle, and Identity (00:16:31)  The Sins of the Father: Lenore Karidian (00:24:26)  Caesar of the Stars (00:26:46)  Kodos and Eugenics (00:32:18)  Not Very Human (00:41:03)  Truman on Trial (00:51:29)  Guilt and Culpability (00:57:10)  Riley and Revenge (01:00:25)  Closing (01:14:29)  

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) Mark Walker (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

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 algorithms.  

Chapters  Intro (00:01:20)  Initial Thoughts on "The Arsenal of Freedom" (00:02:44)  Star Trek and Reagan-Era Warfare (00:09:14)  Data as The Terminator (00:14:31)  TNG and Virtues of Drone Warfare (00:20:03)  Peace Through Superior Firepower (00:27:49)  The Commodification of War (00:41:41)  Is Technology Morally Neutral? (00:50:58)  Algorithms vs. Artificial Intelligence (00:56:23)  Failsafe Failures (01:07:34)  Geordi and His First Command (01:16:03)  Dr. Crusher, Medicine Woman (01:25:37)  Closing (01:34:04)  

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) Mark Walker (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

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" and Sciencing the Katra in Discovery (00:04:29)  Naturalizing the Katra and Alternative Theories (00:10:59)  Examples of Katric Transfers in Star Trek (00:15:52)  Are Katras Necessarily Dualist? (00:20:24)  Is the Katra Living Consciousness? (00:27:57)  Emerging Consciousness from Katra and Body (00:36:58)  Is a Katra Divisible Into Parts? (00:48:48)  What Happens to the Disembodied Katra? (00:55:17)  Vulcan Immortality and Gnostic Knowledge (01:01:25)  Touch Telepathy vs. Mind Meld by Remote (01:12:34)  Closing (01:19:29)  

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) Mark Walker (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

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 ethical status of various character traits while under pressure, and in a state of political and military conflict.  

Chapters  Intro and Initial Thoughts on DS9 Season 5 (00:01:20)  Children of Time (00:09:26)  ...Nor the Battle to the Strong (00:14:27)  Let He Who Is Without Sin (00:28:41)  The Ascent (00:39:10)  The Ship (00:44:29)  The Begotten (00:53:41)  Dr. Bashir, I Presume? (01:00:05)  Honorable Mentions (01:16:38)  Recap and Final Thoughts (01:21:18)  Closing (01:24:50)  

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) Mark Walker (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)

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 Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss the philosophy of color in the Star Trek universe. From the physics of light to the physiology of color perception, and from concrete examples to the ontology of abstract entities, Zachary and Mike examine why physics and physiology struggle to give a fully adequate account of the existence and nature of color.

Chapters  Intro (0001:20)  Is There a Philosophical Problem? (00:02:47)  Why Is the Red Shirt Red? (00:07:19)  Color Physicalism and the "Mystique" of Color Perception (00:18:19)  Abstract Entities (00:27:04)  A Red Shirt By Any Other Name (00:32:33)  The Inverted Spectrum Thought Experiment (00:35:18)  Color as an Emergent Property (00:44:20)  Color Primitivism (00:46:57)  Color Qualia (00:50:53)  Color Fictionalism (00:52:41)  Final Thoughts (01:00:52)  Closing (01:07:39)  

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) Mark Walker (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)