Liberalism, the new frontier and the American Dream: political themes in Star Trek

Abstract

As its political discourse gradually broadens and develops, Star Trek evolves into a detailed investigation of the limitations of the liberal-humanist ethos. The stark moralism of the original series, in which the Federation represents an unequivocal force for good, eventually gives way to situations in which the supposed superiority of liberal human values is continually being challenged. Although the new Trek series certainly persist in their espousal of liberal values, these are filtered through a multiculturalist perspective which is represented by the various alien cultures — particularly the Klingons, Vulcans, Romulans, Ferengi, Bajorans and Cardassians. At the same time the encounters with highly developed alien beings such as Q, the wormhole ‘prophets’ and the Caretaker all test the limitations of human concepts. These developments represent a series of attempts by the new Trek writers to resolve the many political contradictions that are built into the original Star Trek scenario, the roots of which can be found in the ideological conflicts within the philosophy of liberalism itself. As Robert Eccleshall argues: in some respects, modern liberals appear to sit uncomfortably astride the ideological worlds of conservatism and socialism. KeywordsForeign PolicyPolitical CultureOriginal SeriesNeutral ZonePrime DirectiveThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.