Review (PDF) Star Trek And Philosophy: The Wrath Of Kant (Popular Culture And Philosophy)
Philosophy and space travel are characterized by the same fundamental purpose: exploration. An essential guide for both philosophers and Trekkers, Star Trek and Philosophy combines a philosophical spirit of inquiry with the beloved television and film series to consider questions not only about the scientific prospects of interstellar travel but also the inward journey to examine the human condition. The expansive topics range from the possibilities for communication among different cultural backgrounds to questions about the stoic temperament exhibited by Vulcans to Ferengi business practices. Specifically chosen to break new ground in exploring the philosophical dimensions of Star Trek, these articles boldly go where no philosopher has gone before.
Series: Popular Culture and Philosophy (Book 35)
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Open Court; First Printing edition (September 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0812696492
ISBN-13: 978-0812696493
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #522,182 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #221 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Television > Guides & Reviews #473 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Television > Shows #1097 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > History & Surveys
Like many longtime fans of Star Trek I love anything to do with the series. Whether it was the Star Trek movies or television series I have enjoyed seeing or reading anything to do with Star Trek. As a lifetime student of the martial arts and the warrior philosophy, I loved reading "The Klingon Way." That book focused on quotes from Star Trek relating to the basic principles of Klingon's warrior philosophy. However, this book is quite different in that it deals with the deeper aspects of philosophy as it relates to various Star Trek themes. To be frank, if you do not have at least some basic philosophy education, you may become lost or bored with this volume. Believe it or not, this is actually a serious academic approach to philosophical issues relating to Star Trek themes.Most of the major Earth philosophers and their basic premises are explored to some degree in this book. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Bacon, Nietzsche, Buddha, Descartes, Hume, Hegel, James, Kant, Mill, Spinoza and many other philosophers and thinkers are mentioned in this book.This text is organized into four sections. There are a total of 18 chapters. The first section deals with seeking out new ideas: Major philosophical themes in Star Trek. The second section explores Go Boldly, yet morally and federation ethics. The third section covers Social and religious values of the future. The final section grapples with multiple enterprises and metaphysical conundrums from A to E. Each chapter has a different writer with backgrounds in philosophy. I did not agree with some of the conclusions these writers came to when evaluating a specific subject area; nevertheless, if you are a Star Trek fan who also loves philosophy, you will want to read this book.Rating: 4 Stars Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Season of the Warrior: A Poetic Tribute to Warriors)
Star Trek and Philosophy does an excellent job of blending the themes of academia with the themes of Star Trek without feeling jarring in its transitions or forced in its comparisons. This book contains quality essays on a good range of topics from business ethics, to understanding time, to autonomy and theories of the self. Of particular interest is the chapter on business ethics set in the context of the Ferengi's selfish capitalist-like system and the Federation's elimination of poverty. There is an excellent examination of Adam Smith's theories of the free market, and the author does a fantastic job of showing how modern capitalism has strayed from Smith's ideas that capitalism must be grounded in the welfare of those whom the market serves.Other areas of the book offer us a look at logical thought and humanity's ability to be illogical when necessary, referencing the several instances when Kirk was able to shut down computer systems through illogical semantic games. It also examines omnipotent power and whether or not such power is desirable for an evolving species. There is also a very good, thought-provoking examination of transporter mishaps, resulting in a questioning of what actually constitutes the self. Considering that this is a Star Trek book, you'll also find debates on genetic manipulation and the morality of scientific discoveries.Many books that look into the themes of pop culture can result in shallow attempts at explaining high concepts. This book is not one of them. The depth of philosophical debate coupled with the smooth transition into examples from Star Trek creates a quality read that exercises both the imagination and the intellect.
I thought there would be more from the Original Series, or at least something from it, but everything is The Next Generation. The topics, therefore, run away from social problems and ideological study, focusing rather on the "popular" "philosophical" topics of, say, teleportation, space-time issues, artificial intelligence, maybe some linguism, and pseudo-science. Also, on the sub-title: 'The Wrath of Kant', is misleading, because there is virtually nothing on TOS or its feature films, nor, virtually anything of interest to Kantian or idealist, continental scholars.
If you like Star Trek at all, you should get this book.The book is a lot of fun and highlights how suprisingly deep the writers of star trek has been over the years.Borg vs Individualism.Revenge vs JusticeCloning and ethics and so much more.
HAVING BEEN "HOOKED" N STAR TREK SINCE 1966, I LOVE ANYTHING that allows indiviuals new toHAVING BEEN A TREKKIE SINCE 1966 I enjoy any book that allows people to learn more about the ethics and history of the episodes of Star Trek. It never was nor is just a "mindless" adventure into space but an intelligent expose of many cultural and historical events redisguised into future events. It has taught me to be inquisitive , purdue the historical references, and adhere to to the etnics llong abandoned by much of society today. This book gives one pause to look back on each episode . Especially the Original Trek and Next Generation which were written under the auspices of GENE RODENBERRY
What I liked:-Specific references to a lot of episodes of all of the series from the original through the most recent.-Specific references to the philosophy of several famous philosophers.-Covered topics I have pondered upon, such as why we want to live in the Federation-Managed to work in a couple of the humorous Ferengi laws of acquisitionWhat kept me from giving it 5:-Could have been a little more entertaining, there were some dry patches - I actually enjoyed an audio tape of the Ferengi rules of Acquisition more from an entertainment perspective-Perhaps taken a less of a classical philosophy view on why people like Star Trek and instead branched out to suggest some more revolutionary ideas on why we like it so much - kind of like the movie Trekkies started to get into
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