Social Science Fiction

Competing views of foreign policy as portrayed in Star Trek and the Marvel Universe. The Federation's Prime Directive vs. Spider-Man's "with great power comes great responsibility."

Show Notes

First episode! I discuss the doctrine of state sovereignty, its origins in Europe in the 17th Century, and how it relates to Star Trek's Prime Directive. This is followed by a discussion of Spider-Man's classic phrase - "with great power comes great responsibility" - and how it relates to the principle of Responsibility to Protect (R2P). We end with a discussion of Captain America: Civil War and the competing philosophies of Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. 

Intro and outro music: "Swim below as Leviathans" by Fireproof_Babies (featuring Ben Shewmaker) is licensed under CC BY. 

What is Social Science Fiction?

A weekly podcast that examines the politics of nerd fiction. What can political science teach us about our favorite sci-fi settings? Listen to find out. New episodes every Tuesday morning.