Philosophy

Contemporary Philosophy Series (40-49 minutes each) This comprehensive series from the archives of the BBC features Bryan Magee—world-renowned author, professor, expert in the history of ideas, and creator of this series—who discusses the main developments in Western philosophy from the 19th century to the present with fifteen distinguished thinkers. Those interviewed include Willard Van Orman Quine, A. J. Ayer, Iris Murdoch, Ernest Gellner, Noam Chomsky, and the late Herbert Marcuse. Each program reinforces the relevance of philosophy to a broad range of subject areas, including language, morality, science, politics, literature, economics, and sociology. Original BBC broadcast series title: Men of Ideas. 15-part series, 40-49 minutes each.

Human, All Too Human: Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Sartre Series (50 minutes each) From its roots in the 19th century to its full flowering in the 20th, existentialism has made a profound impression on the course of modern history. This powerful three-part series profiles the lives and critically examines the contributions of proto-existentialist Friedrich Nietzsche; Martin Heidegger; and Jean-Paul Sartre, under whom it ripened to its fullest expression. 3-part series, 50 minutes each.

Luminaries Philosophy Series (82 videos, 1-3 minutes each) Contemporary philosophers discus philosophy.

Series: Great Philosophers (43-48 minutes each) This series of conversations from the BBC archives presents a comprehensive introduction to the concepts of western philosophy through 15 of its greatest thinkers. 15-part series, 43-48 minutes each.

Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Dramatization (97:00) In Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Friedrich Nietzsche uses the title character as a vehicle for his own radical concepts about the human potential for transcendence. This program, filmed in conjunction with the Goethe Institute, is a dramatization of Nietzsche’s epic work. Nietzsche’s ideas come through with enhanced significance for the modern world.

Words of Change Series (19-25 minutes each) This penetrating series examines the literary legacies of Seneca, Plutarch, Machiavelli, Thomas More, John Locke, and Adam Smith: six of western history’s most influential writers in the fields of philosophy, political science, and economics. Their words changed their worlds—and continue to shape ours. 6-part series, 19-25 minutes each.