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 if you want to own one of those extra-special limited-vintage bottles of Chateau Picard? In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss the philosophy and economics of property ownership in Star Trek. What role does property ownership play in a post-scarcity, post-monetary society? And is individual property ownership at odds with the values of 24th-century Federation society?   Chapters  Intro (00:01:27)  Initial Thoughts on the Concept of Property Ownership (00:2:18)  The Tension Between the Post-Monetary Worldview in Star Trek and the Concept of Property Ownership (00:05:03)  Sentimental Property in "The Measure of a Man" (00:12:22)  Property Ownership in the History of Philosophy (00:17:13)  Religion and the Economic Principle of Scarcity (00:23:54)  24th Century Barter System (00:35:03)  Three Interpretations of the Scarcity Problem in Star Trek (00:44:55)  Property Ownership Disputes (00:52:06)  Theft of Property in the Future (00:56:28)  Self-Ownership and Self-Determination (01:03:19)  Responsible Pet Owners in the 23rd Century (01:10:00)  Ownership vs. Stewardship (01:14:36)  Final Thoughts (01:18:41)  Closing (01:22:28)   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)