College Credit for Watching Star Trek.

Georgetown University is offering college credit in philosophy for watching and discussing Star Trek episodes.

PHIL-180 Philosophy and Star Trek | 2012-2013 Fall and Spring Course Catalog | Georgetown University

 

No comment . . .

 

I never got into Star Trek... I'm with NorCal "No comment..."

 

I've got a friend that did his final project/thesis for his philosophy degree on the religion of the Jedi and Star Wars. He went to San Diego State and it was for a bachelors degree...but hey.

 

They have had similar courses like that for years. Back when I was at Georgetown, in the '90s, one of the most popular English courses was called "Westerns and Gangster Movies".

When you think about it, is using such a huge body of work like Star Trek as a metaphor to explore philosophical questions any worse than using some of the works of literary fiction from the 1800's and earlier for the same purpose? I have heard of multiple classes using Mary Shelley's Frankenstein at a tool to ask questions about what it means to be human. How is Star Trek any different?

 

No wonder universities are losing accreditation!!!:wink1:

 

Spoken like a true trekkie. :smile: I agree with you, so many of those programs had a philosophical theme to them.

 

I am wonder, if the tuition is the same as other humanities/liberal courses.

 

That's a good point. You would be paying over $1K to sit around and talk about Star Trek. Hmmmm.

 

Beam me up, Scottie!

 

I taught a class(as part of a leadership course) at San Diego State University based on watching "12 O'Clock High" and applying Situational Leadership principles to it. The movie was an excellent vehicle. Don't be too quick to judge.

 

I am waiting for the Ph.D. in Vulcan Philosophy to start my Doctorate. I already have a title "Live long, and prosper" :biggrin:

 

While I am not a fan of the show, I did watch the reruns a few times in the late 80's. I remember thinking two things: (1) Capt Kirk will chase anything that moves and (2) this show is a little deeper then I thought; it actually had some depth.

 

Star Trek:TNG was even deeper. My favorite episode, the Inner Light is one of the most amazing episodes I have ever seen. I agree with Rich. I will use any method possible to get my point across while teaching.

 

Oberlin, through its Experimental College department, offered "The Cultural Relevance of Star Trek" for college credit (along with a lot of other wacky courses.) Tuition was the same as for regular courses, and credit was pass-fail.

 

However, the movie Twelve O’clock High (1949) was based on the real WWII USAAF 306th Bombardment Group (the first USAAF Bomb Group to strike Germany during World War II) then commanded by DSC recipient Col. Frank Armstrong, on whom the movie character of Brig. Gen. Frank Savage is based. Lt. Gen. Armstrong (then Col. Armstrong) personally led the first USAAF strategic bombing attack from England in August 1942 (e.g., his mission (target) was the battleship Admiral Scheer in the harbor of Wilhelmshaven). “Armstrong was assigned to command the First Bomb Wing of the Eighth Air Force in January 1943. According to The New York Times of February 21, 1943, he was promoted to Brigadier General.” Moreover, “Lt. Gen. Armstrong commanded two B-17 Flying Fortress groups and a wing each of B-17 and B-29 Superfortresses in combat operations against both Germany and Japan. He personally led the first USAAF strategic bombing attack from England in August 1942 and the last strategic raid on Japan three years later.”

In my view /judgment, a far cry from your teaching a leadership course at SDSU utilizing the Twelve O’clock High movie (based on Brig. Gen. Frank Armstrong) and having students apply situational leadership principles to this specific movie vs. a college offering academic credit regarding Star Trek episodes and/or its fictitious TV characters... And yourself a USAF Capt. (Ret.) … wouldn’t you agree Dr. Douglas?

Re:
Frank A. Armstrong - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The FRANK A. ARMSTRONG, JR. Page of the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register Website

 

All good sci-fi is philosophical is nature and challenges social norms while attempting to explore what can or would happen to humankind when put in different situations. Take a look at Asimov, Heinlein, Niven, Bradbury, Arthur C Clarke, Card, Herbert.

 

You’re correct; I am familiar with the movie Twelve O’clock High (1949) and its being based on the WWII (non-fiction) command experiences of then Col. and Brig. Gen. Frank Armstrong USAAF. My response was, and still is, in reference to a leadership (situational leadership) course taught by Dr. Douglas utilizing this particular movie as a supplemental teaching resource in contrast to a fictional TV series as regards college credit. This has nothing to do with my preferred genre even though I likewise have taught leadership classes by additionally utilizing both the book We Were Soldiers Once … And Young (1992) by Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore (USA Ret.) and war journalist Joseph L. Galloway (e.g., Ia Drang Valley 1965; the US' first large-unit battle of the Vietnam War) along with the more recent Randall Wallace movie We Where Solders (2002).

Nonetheless Steve; it is understandable if actual military leadership (not via the Star Trek fictional Capt. James T. Kirk) and/or command persona are not your forte. Even so, it’s okay to prefer fiction over non-fiction or vice-versa; but please do not be pretentious to counsel me on what to accept and/or dismiss nor theorize regarding my preferred genre/s.

BTW, Twelve O’clock High (1949) was IMO entertaining –as well as We Where Solders (2002).