# The Politics of Star Trek **URL:** **By** Timothy Sandefur, Trevor Burrus, Aaron Ross Powell **Published:** November 13, 2015 --- Timothy Sandefur joins us for a discussion on political philosophy in the Star Trek science fiction franchise. The celebrated science fiction franchise_ Star Trek _is well known for incorporating broad discussions of philosophy and ethical conundrums into its episodes and movies. Timothy Sandefur joins us to talk about how the series deals with some of these big questions. How does _Star Trek: The Original Series_ reflect the way people thought about politics, justice, and human rights in the wake of the second World War? How does the series change over time? The Prime Directive: is it moral? What was its purpose in the original series if Captain Kirk violated it half the time? **Show Notes and Further Reading** Sandefur's original article ["The Politics of _Star Trek_"](http://www.claremont.org/crb/article/the-politics-of-star-trek/) appeared in the Summer 2015 issue of the _Claremont Review of Books_. _Star Trek: The Original Series_ episodes referenced in this podcast episode: ["The Way to Eden"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_to_Eden) ["The Conscience of the King"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conscience_of_the_King) ["The Apple"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apple_%28Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series%29) ["Spock’s Brain"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spock%27s_Brain) ["Arena"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arena_%28Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series%29) ["Plato’s Stepchildren"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato%27s_Stepchildren) ["Space Seed"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Seed)