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, p

A Real Butterfly

Apr 6th, 2020 1h 33m

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 Fruhli

Andorian Cowboys

Nov 18th, 2019 1h 25m

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

Eternity is Passé

Oct 29th, 2019 1h 32m

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 w

Where Are the 24th-Century Space Hippies?

Jun 4th, 2019 1h 16m

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 touted by f

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

May 6th, 2019 1h 12m

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 s

Prepaid Long-Distance Mind Meld

Jan 21st, 2019 1h 20m

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. Yet we hunger and th

Get That Whale Some Gumbo

Jan 14th, 2019 1h 5m

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?

ODD (Omniscience Deficit Disorder)

Oct 8th, 2018 1h 17m

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

Faustian Horseback Ride

Sep 24th, 2018 1h 22m

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 star

Spock's Altered States of Consciousness

Jul 2nd, 2018 1h 25m

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 s

These Are the Redacted Voyages

May 28th, 2018 1h 26m

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

Pandora's Stasis Chamber

Apr 23rd, 2018 1h 34m

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 less

The Pen Is Mightier Than the Bat'leth

Apr 10th, 2018 1h 20m

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

Meta-Metaphoric

Mar 21st, 2018 1h 28m

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

Caesar of the Stars

Mar 12th, 2018 1h 21m

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

Hasta La Vista, Baby

Mar 5th, 2018 1h 41m

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 au

Katric Six Pack

Oct 30th, 2017 1h 26m

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

The Pros and the Khans

Oct 23rd, 2017 1h 32m

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 o

The Redshirt Edition

Oct 9th, 2017 1h 15m

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 Seri

How Do You Say 'Wall' in Klingon?

Oct 2nd, 2017 1h 39m

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,

Stewards of the Continuum

Sep 25th, 2017 1h 30m

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 ex

Essential Ennui

Aug 14th, 2017 1h 35m

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

75: Kindergarten Calculus

Jul 31st, 2017 1h 41m

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 s

74: Tell Me a Story

Jul 17th, 2017 1h 36m

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 Enli