Worldview- Star Trek

In my worldview class, we were asked to evaluate the impact that Star Trek has had on our culture.  The show that began as a TV series in the 1960's shaped the current minds of citizens all around the world and paved a new way of thinking for future generations.  Star Trek is ranked as one of the most culturally influential television shows of all time.  The series first aired from 1966- 1969, and since then there has been four different shows, ten movies, and countless toys, books, and other products made from it.  Many people have come forth with testimonies about its influenc on their lives, and words and phrases have been added in the dictionary based on the story.  Star Trek was the beginning of a new era in film industry , with ground-breaking effects, and new types of actors and actresses. 

The tv series was created by Gene Rodenberry.  Throughout the entire period that he was producing Star Trek, he was communicating the humanistic message; "humanity will be okay".  After the original series started and failed, the fans and other media took over its continued fame.  Conventions were held and actors spoke.  NASA named their first space shuttle orbiter the Enterprise after the space ship in Star Trek.  In 1970, Star Trek  became a motion picture, and was named the #1 tv show.  Scientists and Engineers have said that they have been greatly impacted by the tv shows, and women have stated that the shows have greatly changed their view of feminism, and given them confidence to seek out a different life for themselves. 

Culturally and socially, Star Trek has had a very humanistic worldview- promoting the idea that "humans will always be okay"

Over time, and as the show evolved into a movie, it also took on a very liberal viewpoint.

Worldview: A Clear View Part 2

A Clear View  by Keith Ogorek



In the second chapter of Keith Ogorek's A Clear View, he discusses the principles of truth and knowing.  He focuses on the difference between the "upper story" and the "lower story", or the unseen world and the seen world...the "unlogical world" and the "logical world"... the focus on earth and the focus on Heaven. 
   Ogorek states that there are 3 ways to answer the question "what can we know".  These ways are defined as follows...

   1. Emphasize the importance of the upper story while diminishing or denying the significance of the lower story.
    *this means to focus completely on what is unseen, and to ignore the things around you*

   2. Diminish or deny the upper story while embracing the lower story
    *to completely focus on the seen world, and on the things of the Earth, while ignoring the unseen*

   3. Accept and embrace the existence and importance of both stories enabling a "unified field of knowledge"
    *combining the view of the upper story and the view of the lower story to create a belief to include both sides

Different people have tried to define the position of the upper story and the lower story...
-Herodotus arugued that no one could understand the true nature of the universe, because it was constantly changing, therefore it is difficult to understand either story.
-Parmenides argued that the world was an unchanging thing, therefore it could easily be studied, especially in the lower story
-Socrates believed, contrarily believed that knowledge was a continual thing, and required constant learning
-Plato's beliefs echoed the belief of having both an upper story and a lower story. He argued that both were necessary in study and knowledge.

A man named Thomas Aquinas built upon what Plato and other great men had already touched on; the combination of the lower story and the upper story and how they work together.  He outlined the separation of the upper story and the lower story as "grace" and "nature".  As he further defined these two sections, he pointed out to people how the decision was left up to the individual and what they believed.

In the Aristotelian Movement, Aristotle insisted that presence and character of God could be studied. He encouraged people to study the "upper story", which angered many people of his time, but also moved others to action.

During the Renaissance, "nature" and the "lower story" began to over power "grace" and the "upper story".  People started to pay more attention to what is seen, and the beauty of things on earth.  They no longer felt the struggle of the two different stories as strongly.  Many turned their attention to music and the arts- working to depict the beauty of earthly things.

Theology, philosophy, and art all took different paths, and branched out to explore new ideas.  Artists, philosophers, and theologians no longer felt tied to certain paths, but started to follow different roads in un marked territories.

During the Reformation, great men like Calvin, Zwingli, and Luther worked to restore "grace" and the "upper story" to its proper position.  They taught that it was solely Christ and the Scriptures that should dictate people's lives.  During this time period, the balance was restored between the upper story and the lower story... grace and nature... the unseen and seen.  As a result of the Reformation, people began to relate heavenly and earthly things together.  They agreed with what Luther and others taught... that the material world should be respected adn revered, becasue they were created by God.  The lower story is of importance because of its significance to the upper story... nature becasue of grace... the seen because of the unseen.

There is some more thoughts on Keith Ogorek's book A Clear View.

(many ideas and thoughts are based on the book A Clear View)