Gnosticism, Esotericism, and Secrecy in Star Trek.
We often take for granted that philosophers and Starfleet officers mean what they say. But there is a rich history of esoteric writing in the history of philosophy, whether for pedagogical, protective, or political purposes. The same is often true within the Star Trek universe itself. All of Star Trek can interpreted as a form of esoteric expression on the part of its creator Gene Roddenberry as a way of expressing his own social and political messages while evading television censors of the late 1960s. And within the Star Trek universe, from starship captains and Federation diplomats to the esoteric practices of and ceremonies of various alien races and religions, certain practices, beliefs, and various forms of dangerous knowledge are kept secret from the average Federation citizen and Starfleet officer. In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling lift the veil of secrecy to explore and reveal the many forms of gnosticism, esotericism, and secrecy in the Star Trek universe.
Chapters
Intro (00:01:19)
Initial Thoughts (00:02:59)
The Naivety of Enterprise and Knowledge in the Interstellar Community (00:10:31)
Neoplatonist Gnostic Societies (00:14:10)
Janeway and the Omega Directive (00:18:02)
Different Types of Esotericism (00:20:16)
Simon Tarses, Julian Bashir and Defensive Esotericism (00:26:23)
Challenging the Notion of the Star Trek Universe as a Utopian Ideal (0030:56)
Captain Archer and Political Esotericism in A Night in Sickbay (00:37:44)
Deep Space Nine and the Federation Agenda (00:44:08)
Pedagogical Knowledge and The Traveler from TNG (00:48:31)
Parables, The Gospels, and Theological Esoteric Knowledge (00:53:24)
Geordi's Powerpoints and Pedagogical Clarity (00:58:36)
Klingon Tea Ceremonies and Performative Expressions of Knowledge (01:04:04)
Secret Societies and Secret Knowledge in the Star Trek Universe (01:05:47)
Young Tuvok and Pedagogical Esotericism (01:12:29)
Is the Q Continuum Q-soteric? (01:14:20)
Mysticism and the Vulcans (01:19:08)
Justified True Belief and Authentic Esotericism (01:23:35)
Closing (01:28:54)
Hosts
Mike Morrison and Zachary Fruhling
Production
Mike Morrison (Editor) Zachary Fruhling (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Patrick Devlin (Associate Producer) Kay Shaw (Associate Producer) Mark Walker (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager)