Meta Treks is a Trek.fm podcast dedicated to a deep examination of the philosophical ideas found in Star Trek. In each episode, Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison take you on a fascinating journey into the inner workings of Star Trek storytelling, deeper into subspace than you've ever traveled before.
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22: Down in Cetacean Ops
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)
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)
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