A Special Issue of the Journal of Science Fiction and Philosophy
Journal of Science Fiction and Philosophy: Call for Papers, Vol. 9 (2026) Special Issue
To Boldly Go: The Philosophy of Star Trek on Its 60th Anniversary
Star Trek has been a global cultural phenomenon since it first premiered on September 8, 1966, with nearly 1,000 hours of television and cinematic hours produced. Like all great science-fiction, Star Trek has provoked audiences to question various philosophical views that informed societal attitudes throughout the decades of its existence: whether it’s the illogic of racial discrimination, the threat of technological assimilation, how to negotiate moral boundaries during an existential crisis, or the moral imperative to save the whales!
This special issue of the Journal of Science Fiction and Philosophy (which will accompany Vol. 9) invites us to dig deeper into the philosophical world of Star Trek, to consider questions such as:
- Would changing the wrongs of the past actually create a better present or future?
- What does it mean to be truly “human,” and can artificially intelligent constructs – whether android or hologram – attain humanity?
- What are the moral limits when confronted with planetary or galactic invasion, or when one’s ship is stranded far from home?
- Is it ethically justifiable not to interfere with alien cultures when their morals do not conform with one’s understanding of an objective moral standard?
- How ought we to balance respect for cultural diversity with the need to form a collective society?
- When is it appropriate to “bend the rules” to produce a beneficial outcome?
- What does Star Trek’s ethos of “infinite diversity in infinite combinations” really mean as we navigate current sociopolitical differences at both national and global levels?
The deadline for the first round of reviews is July 1, 2026. Please send queries, abstracts, manuscripts and general questions to Alfredo Mac Laughlin, at editor.jsfphil@gmail.com .
Special Issue Editors: Jason T. Eberl & Kevin S. Decker
Journal of Science Fiction and Philosophy 