The Ethics of Star Trek

by Barad, Judith

• ISBN13: 9780060933265
• ISBN10: 0060933267
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-02-15
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publications

Summary

For Trekkies everywhere, a fascinating look at the philosophy of Star Trek, from Kirk and Spock to Janeway and Seven of Nine For four decades, Star Trek has been the obsession of millions of fans. But real Trekkies know that the show is more than just riveting entertainment. Its complex moral dilemmas present a view of the future that holds important truths for us in the present. Drawing on episodes from all four Star Trek generations, this unique book explores the ethics of the series in relation to the theories of the world's great philosophers. Questions about good and evil, right and wrong, power and corruption are discussed in language that,is both readable and compelling as the authors show, how the program has evolved over the years to address society's changing values. For this century and beyond, The Ethics of "Star Trek" is an intriguing look at a brilliantly imagined-world and what it can teach us about how to live.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Introduction	xi
PART ONE BEGINNING THE ETHICAL ENTERPRISE
Cultural Relativism	3	(21)
Is Religion Alone the Basis of Ethics?	24	(17)
PART TWO ANCIENT GREEK AND ROMAN MORALITY IN THE STAR TREK FUTURE
Justice in a Savage Arena	41	(23)
The Cave, the Forms, and Kathryn Janeway	64	(15)
Plato's Stepchildren and Beyond	79	(17)
Kirk Finds the Golden Mean	96	(23)
Equity and Friendship in Star Trek	119	(17)
When Worlds Collide: Hedonism Versus Stoicism (or, Jadzia and Worf Clash in Paradise)	136	(25)
PART THREE CHRISTIANITY AND CONTRACTS
Kirk and Kira Battle Evil: Christian Ethics	161	(22)
The Ferengi and the Social Contract	183	(24)
PART FOUR WHEN DUTY CALLS
Duty Can Be a Crusher	207	(23)
Our Duty to Other Species	230	(19)
Honor Among Thieves and Klingons	249	(22)
PART FIVE RECEPTACLES, RESPONSIBILITY, AND RECONCILIATION
Does the Good of the Many Outweigh the Good of the Few?	271	(25)
The Existentialist Conundrum of Master and Slave Morality	296	(31)
The Ethics of Star Trek	327	(30)
Suggested Reading	357	(2)
Index	359