Meta Treks 26: A Good Day for Euthanasia / by Trek fm

Euthanasia in Star Trek.

Running Time: 1 hour 23 minutes 46 seconds
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In this episode of Meta Treks: A Star Trek Philosophy Podcast, we debate the ethical issue of euthanasia in Star Trek. From the flashback scene of Dr. McCoy removing his father from life support in Star Trek V, to the ritual suicide practices of various alien races, we examine a variety of examples of euthanasia in Star Trek. We also cover several key philosophical distinctions related to euthanasia, such as the distinction between voluntary and involuntary euthanasia and the distinction between active and passive euthanasia, along with competing arguments for and against euthanasia from the different moral standpoints of consequentialism, rule-based ethics, and virtue ethics.

Chapters

Welcome to Episode 26 (00:02:02) Greek Etymology of "Euthanasia" - "Good Death" (00:04:45) Examples of Euthanasia in Star Trek (00:05:29) Euthanasia in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (00:07:51) Motivations for Euthanasia - Ending Suffering and Preserving Dignity (00:10:06) Klingon Euthanasia - A Glorious Death (00:13:50) Euthanasia and Cultural Relativism (00:18:29) The Value of Life - Intrinsic Value vs. Instrumental Value (00:19:55) Voyager "Death Wish" - Is an Immortal Life Worth Living? (00:26:13) Voyager "Emanations" - Moral Judgments About Other Cultures (00:33:45) Voyager "Coda" - Euthanizing Captain Janeway (00:40:00) Key Distinctions - Voluntary/Involuntary Euthanasia and Active/Passive Euthanasia (00:47:15) Distinguishing Euthanasia, Killing, Murder, and Suicide (00:58:04) Final Thoughts (01:09:55)

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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