Men of Ideas (1978)
Synopsis
A captivating voyage into the world of intellectual exploration, where host Bryan Magee engages in illuminating dialogues with some of the most distinguished thinkers of the last century. Join Magee in riveting conversations with eminent guests like Herbert Marcuse, A. J. Ayer, John Searle, Noam Chomsky, Iris Murdoch, and W.V. Quine, as they unravel the complexities of philosophy, language, politics, and culture. From the radical reevaluation of Marxism by Herbert Marcuse to the profound insights on language by John Searle and Noam Chomsky, this series presents a tapestry of thought that has shaped our understanding of existence. With each episode, "Men of Ideas" offers a unique window into the minds of these leading philosophers, making it an intellectually invigorating experience for both avid scholars and curious minds alike.
Network
BBC Two
Episodes
An Introduction to Philosophy
Bryan Magee—world-renowned author and professor—and Sir Isaiah Berlin, Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, and biographer of Karl Marx, answer fundamental questions such as "What is philosophy?" "Why does it matter?" and "Why should anybody be interested in it today?".
Marxist Philosophy
Join host Bryan Magee as he engages in an enlightening dialogue with the acclaimed Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor. Delve into the heart of Marx's profound ideas and theories that have reverberated through history. Taylor provides a comprehensive exploration of Marx's foundational concepts, from historical materialism to class struggle, shedding light on their enduring significance. With astute analysis, discover the reasons behind both the enduring influence and the contemporary challenges faced by Marxist philosophy. Taylor's insights offer a compelling journey through the evolution of thought, providing a nuanced understanding of why Marx's ideas continue to captivate and provoke discourse, even in the context of modern complexities.
Marcuse and the Frankfurt School
In this program with world-renowned author and professor Bryan Magee, the late philosopher and radical political theorist Herbert Marcuse explains how the so-called Frankfurt School reevaluated Marxism when world economic crisis failed to destroy capitalism as predicted by Marx. He also analyzes the philosophical roots of the student rebellions of the sixties.
Martin Heidegger and Modern Existentialism
In this program, world-renowned author and professor Bryan Magee and William Barret of New York University examine the basic theory of existentialism as founded by Martin Heidegger, and later propagated by Jean-Paul Sartre. Barret discusses Heidegger’s notions of being, existence as task, cosmic roots, and alienation. Sartre’s concept of absolute human freedom is discussed as having promoted human dignity and individualism in the impersonal modern society.
The Two Philosophies of Wittgenstein
Ludwig Wittgenstein developed two linguistic philosophies: one studies language as a way of giving picture-meanings to objects; the other studies the ways language is used to create different impressions. In this program, world-renowned author and professor Bryan Magee and Oxford professor Anthony Quinton dissect the two philosophies, and discuss their influence on anthropology and sociology.
Logical Positivism and its Legacy
In this program with world-renowned author and professor Bryan Magee, A. J. Ayer, who played a major role in introducing logical positivism to England, explains the movement, its purpose, and its effect on current philosophical trends. Ayer also discusses its founders—members of the Vienna Circle of the 1920s—who based their theories on logic and science.
The Spell of Linguistic Philosophy
In this program, world-renowned author and professor Bryan Magee and Bernard Williams of Cambridge University discuss linguistic philosophy—an offshoot of logical positivism—which argues that sentences can have no meaning beyond that which humans give them because language is a human invention.
Moral Philosophy
Discussion with world-renowned philosopher R. M. Hare on moral philosophy.
The Ideas of Quine
Willard Van Orman Quine of Harvard stands as one of the modern world’s most eminent philosophers. In this rare interview conducted by world-renowned author and professor Bryan Magee, Quine discusses his earlier view of himself as a mathematical logician, and his later interest in philosophy in a more general sense—specifically, regarding metaphysics and the philosophy of language.
The Philosophy of Language
World-renowned author and professor Bryan Magee and Berkeley philosopher of language John Searle discuss the question: "How does language relate to thought and to reality?" Searle explores the use of language to clarify experience as fundamental to the acquisition of knowledge. He then describes the various uses of language in the philosophies of Plato, Descartes, Frege, Mills, and others.
The Ideas of Chomsky
Linguist and political activist Noam Chomsky of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology transformed the nature of linguistics before he was 40. In this program with world-renowned author and professor Bryan Magee, the outspoken Chomsky challenges accepted notions of the way in which language is learned, examines the relationship of language to experience, and discusses the philosophical nature of knowledge.
The Philosophy of Science
In this program, world-renowned author and professor Bryan Magee and Hilary Putnam of Harvard examine current philosophical thought that dismisses the primacy and infallibility of mathematical logic and the scientific method. Modern thinkers, such as Einstein, are credited with introducing interpretive logic into their scientific theories.
Philosophy and Politics
In this program, world-renowned author and professor Bryan Magee and Ronald Dworkin, Professor of Jurisprudence at Oxford, examine how the explosive issues of the 1960s compelled the reassessment of fundamental political ideas, and discuss the effect of this movement on political philosophy at the universities.
Philosophy and Literature
The areas in which philosophy and literature overlap are examined in this program by world-renowned author and professor Bryan Magee and Oxford novelist Iris Murdoch. Style and structure in philosophical writing are compared and contrasted with those in literature. The narrative abilities of Plato, Schopenhauer, and Kant are examined. Philosophy’s predilection for accepting only literature that supports its theories is discussed as a source of antagonism between the two disciplines.
Philosophy: The Social Context
World-renowned author and professor Bryan Magee and London School of Economics professor Ernest Gellner discuss contemporary philosophy, its historical and social backgrounds, and its role in modern society. Gellner examines the radical expansion of scientific knowledge and its dehumanizing effect on society as expressed by sociologist Max Weber. Marxism’s messianic expectation is blamed for its failure to reconstruct society. Gellner dismisses today’s philosophy of relativism as unworkable.
Cast
Details
Original Title
Men of Ideas
Status
Ended
Seasons
1
Episodes
15
Production
BBC