Star Trek Balance Of Terror Analysis

In Star Trek’s episode, “Balance of Terror”, there are differing ideals and points of view in action for two opposing sides in an epic cat-and-mouse chase in space. The members of the USS Enterprise, who are from Earth, become aware and learn of an enemy alien ship that is destroying their outposts. The reactions of the members of the USS Enterprise exemplify a combination of theories including the ideas of both realism and liberalism. The opposing enemy that the members of the USS Enterprise came into contact with engaged in ideals and actions that most predominantly reflect those of realism. In addition, in order to understand the connections of the theories mentioned previously to the actions taken by the characters in the film, one must be aware of and fully understand the

Interestingly, Captain Kirk displayed examples of liberalism and realism simultaneously. It is these actions of the two warring enemies in which the conflict begins and appropriately ends. To move on, the theories of realism and liberalism must be expounded upon. Realism, as a theory, deals with how the world is perceived, and it predominantly focuses on the true nature of man. The state of the world is anarchy according to this theory. Realism, in its most general form, closely ties power and survival, explaining that there cannot be survival without power, and that the state consists of rational thinkers that have this is at their best interest and who act as one. The main contributors to the theory of realism include Thucydides, Machiavelli and Hobbes. Thucydides’ contribution to the theory of realism lies mostly in one of the earliest scholarly works in history, History of the Peloponnesian War, which