Enterprise Season Four - Essential Trek Philosophy. In this episode of Meta Treks: A Star Trek Philosophy Podcast, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling are joined by fellow Trek.fm hosts Jeffrey Harlan and Norman Lao to discuss their top picks for "Essential Trek Philosophy" from season four of Star Trek: Enterprise. From the ethics of genetic engineering and disease control to the metaphysics of transporters and telepresence-controlled starships, Enterprise season four is loaded with philosophical issues and themes in the highest Star Trek tradition. Chapters Welcome to Episode 28 (00:01:06) Welcome Norman Lao (00:02:23) Welcome Jeffrey Harlan (00:03:23) Initial Thoughts (00:04:04) Home (00:09:48) Observer Effect (00:20:16) The Aenar (00:32:16) Daedalus (00:45:57) Demons/Terra Prime (01:00:36) The Forge/Awakening/Kir'Shara (01:05:43) Affliction (01:14:04) The Augment Arc (01:22:02) Norman and Jeffrey's Final Thoughts (01:23:59) Final Thoughts (01:30:43) Hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling Guests Jeffrey Harlan and Norman Lao 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! 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

The Industrial Design Philosophy of Star Trek. The tools, manufactured objects, and environments in Star Trek have many influences: futurism, minimalism, mid-century modernism, ergonomics, and transhumanism, to name a few. In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison examine the industrial design philosophy of Star Trek. From its technological and social progressivism to its roots in 1960s counterculture, Zachary and Mike explore the implicit values and assumptions behind the industrial design philosophy of Star Trek. Zachary and Mike also debate the transformative potential of technology and its influence on the relationship between leisure and labor, both in the Star Trek universe and for us today. Chapters Welcome to Episode 27 (00:01:08) Initial Thoughts (00:01:54) The Original Series - Design Philosophy and Technological Progressiveness (00:04:14) The Next Generation - User-friendliness and the Transformative Power of Technology (00:07:55) From TOS to TNG - From Jelly Beans to Touch Screens (00:12:42) The Whole Earth Catalog - 1960s Counterculture, Tools, and Technology (00:15:05) The Amplification Effect of Technology - The U.S.S. Bicycle (00:16:24) From Communes to Online Communities to Starship Crews (00:20:17) Can Technology Transform the Human Condition? (00:21:13) Okudagram Funny Cat Videos (00:40:57) Using Tools to Change Your Life, and the World (00:42:51) Painting, Classical Music, and Shakespeare - The Liberal Arts in Star Trek (00:44:34) 24th Century Design - Flying a Starship Laying Down (00:50:34) Learning about Cultural Values from Designed Objects (00:52:24) Designed Objects in Star Trek (00:58:21) Uniquely Voyager Design? (01:04:06) Final Thoughts (01:12:38) 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! 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

Euthanasia in Star Trek. In this episode of Meta Treks: A Star Trek Philosophy Podcast, we debate the ethical issue of euthanasia in Star Trek. From the flashback scene of Dr. McCoy removing his father from life support in Star Trek V, to the ritual suicide practices of various alien races, we examine a variety of examples of euthanasia in Star Trek. We also cover several key philosophical distinctions related to euthanasia, such as the distinction between voluntary and involuntary euthanasia and the distinction between active and passive euthanasia, along with competing arguments for and against euthanasia from the different moral standpoints of consequentialism, rule-based ethics, and virtue ethics. Chapters Welcome to Episode 26 (00:02:02) Greek Etymology of "Euthanasia" - "Good Death" (00:04:45) Examples of Euthanasia in Star Trek (00:05:29) Euthanasia in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (00:07:51) Motivations for Euthanasia - Ending Suffering and Preserving Dignity (00:10:06) Klingon Euthanasia - A Glorious Death (00:13:50) Euthanasia and Cultural Relativism (00:18:29) The Value of Life - Intrinsic Value vs. Instrumental Value (00:19:55) Voyager "Death Wish" - Is an Immortal Life Worth Living? (00:26:13) Voyager "Emanations" - Moral Judgments About Other Cultures (00:33:45) Voyager "Coda" - Euthanizing Captain Janeway (00:40:00) Key Distinctions - Voluntary/Involuntary Euthanasia and Active/Passive Euthanasia (00:47:15) Distinguishing Euthanasia, Killing, Murder, and Suicide (00:58:04) Final Thoughts (01:09:55) 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! 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

Risa and Hedonism. What role does the pleasure planet of Risa play in the ethics of Star Trek? Is Risa the ultimate hedonistic escape from the moralistic constraints of life in the Federation? Or is Risa the ultimate embodiment of the Federation's ideals of tolerance and acceptance? In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss Risa, hedonism, and the clash of Federation values seen in the Deep Space Nine episode "Let He Who Is Without Sin." Zachary and Mike cover the different traditions of hedonism as expressed by the ancient Greek philosophers Aristippus and Epicurus, the value of different kinds of pleasures as expressed by the utilitarian philosopher John Stuart Mill, and the critique of morality based on fear and pleasure as expressed by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Finally, Zachary and Mike explore the most fundamental Risean question of all, "Is it the quantity of the horga'hns or the quality of the jamaharon?" Chapters Welcome to Episode 25 (00:01:07) Initial Thoughts - Where Does Risa Fit into Federation Morality? (00:03:32) Hedonism and DS9 "Let He Who is Without Sin" (00:4:20) Risa Episodes in Star Trek (00:05:52) Is Risa an Escape from Federation Values, or their Ultimate Embodiment? (00:11:23) Hedonism - Aristippus vs. Epicurus (00:16:09) The Outskirts of Risa (00:19:37) The Subjectivity of Pleasure - Fair Haven as Paradise? (00:24:47) John Stuart Mill - The Quantity of Horga'hns vs. the Quality of the Jamaharon (00:27:06) Fullerton and Nietzsche - A Clash of Federation Moralities (00:31:12) Nietzsche, Morality, and the Will to Power (00:37:23) Falling Short - Hypocrisy and the Ad Hominem Fallacy (00:42:46) Clever Beasts - Nietzsche on Deconstructing Morality (00:47:47) Nietzsche on Pleasure - The Apollonian (Federation) Standpoint vs. The Dionysian (Risean) Standpoint (00:53:47) Being Constrained by Fear (01:10:33) Final Thoughts (01:14:55) 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! 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

The Bonding. When Lieutenant Marla Aster is killed unexpectedly during an away mission under Lieutenant Worf's command, Worf takes young Jeremy Aster under his wing by participating in the Klingon ritual known as "R'uustai" ("The Bonding"). In this episode of Meta Treks: A Star Trek Philosophy Podcast, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling explore the philosophical themes of death and loss. Mike and Zachary discuss meaning and the existential absurdity of life and death, the sociological and cultural role of rituals, Jeremy Aster's escapism and the illusion of happiness, the finality of death, and the sense of powerlessness in the face of death. Finally, Mike and Zachary continue the turbolift debate between Captain Picard and Counselor Troi about the wisdom of allowing children to live aboard a starship. Chapters Welcome to Episode 24 (00:01:07) Synopsis of TNG "The Bonding" (00:06:00) Initial Thoughts (00:06:46) Death, Meaning, and the Absurd (00:12:20) Emotions and Death (00:16:47) Worf and Jeremy Aster (00:21:55) The Role of Ritual (00:25:43) Death, Pluralism, and Cultural Relativism (00:30:31) Exploration and Meaning - The Challenger Explosion (00:41:21) The Finality of Death (00:43:11) The Role of Death in Life (00:45:25) Escapism and the Illusion of Happiness (00:48:22) Subjective Meaning vs. Objective Meaning (00:52:18) Deep Space Nine - "It's Only a Paper Moon" (00:57:20) Cross-Cultural Connections (01:03:45) Children on the Enterprise - A City in Space (01:09:53) Final Thoughts (01:18:41) 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! 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

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! 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

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) HostsMike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling ProductionDennis 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!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

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