The Ethics of Star Trek
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Judith A. Barad / Ed Robertson
overblik
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.
indhold
Acknowledgments | ix
Introduction | xi
PART ONΕ: BEGINNING THE ETHICAL ENTERPRISE
• CHAPTER 1: Cultural Relativism | 3
• CHAPTER 2: Is Religion Alone the Basis of Ethics? | 24
PART TWO: ANCIENT GREEK AND ROMAN MORALITY IN THE STAR TREK FUTURE
• CHAPTER 3: Justice in a Savage Arena | 41
• CHAPTER 4: The Cave, the Forms, and Kathryn Janeway | 64
• CHAPTER 5: Plato's Stepchildren and Beyond | 79
• CHAPTER 6: Kirk Finds the Golden Mean | 96
• CHAPTER 7: Equity and Friendship in Star Trek | 119
• CHAPTER 8: When Worlds Collide: Hedonism Versus Stoicism (or, Jadzia and Worf Clash in Paradise) | 136
PART THREE: CHRISTIANITY AND CONTRACTS
• CHAPTER 9: Kirk and Kira Battle Evil: Christian Ethics | 161
• CHAPTER 10: The Ferengi and the Social Contract | 183
PART FOUR: WHEN DUTY CALLS
• CHAPTER 11: Duty Can Be a Crusher | 207
• CHAPTER 12: Our Duty to Other Species | 230
• CHAPTER 13: Honor Among Thieves and Klingons | 249
PART FIVE: RECEPTACLES, RESPONSIBILITY, AND RECONCILIATION
• CHAPTER 14: Does the Good of the Many Outweigh the Good of the Few? | 271
• CHAPTER 15: The Existentialist Conundrum of Master and Slave Morality | 296
• CHAPTER 16: The Ethics of Star Trek | 327
Suggested Reading | 357
Index | 359