Men of Ideas (EP01): Isaiah Berlin on “Introduction to Philosophy”

“Bryan Magee cuts to the pith and elevates the discussion like nobody else.” — P. F. Strawson

“Bryan Magee’s are the clearest and most penetrating philosophical conversations ever recorded.” — Rick Roderick

In 1978, Bryan Magee interrogated and then flawlessly clarified the greatest living philosophers of our day.

40 years later, these sessions remain the most astoundingly deep and intelligible philosophical discussions I’ve ever heard.

Magee’s skill as an interviewer is absolutely jaw dropping. Even if you have no philosophical training, you cannot help but be floored by Magee’s superhuman powers of recapitulation, clarification, promotion, connection, synoptic overview, and heart-fluttering betterment of every phase of the conversation. Magee is such a good interviewer that your previous heroes will seem like posturing frauds by comparison.

If you are listening at your best, and know the topic being discussed, you will find that Magee speaks for you.

METHOD

• Watch this week’s episode prior to the discussion and we’ll go over your favorite parts during the show, many of which will be replayed LIVE for review and discussion.

PLAYLIST

01. Isaiah Berlin on “Introduction to Philosophy”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vib2rqJKS08&t=7s

02. Charles Taylor (N/A, substituting Cleaver LIVE or Taylor at Wheaton 2017)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLNcwdzZoZw

03. Herbert Marcuse on “Frankfurt School”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KqC1lTAJx4

04. William Barrett on “Martin Heidegger“
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27bo4FMP3vo

05. Anthony Quinton on “Wittgenstein”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6gocvGMWDs

06. A. J. Ayer on “Logical Positivism”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwVykyg7wgI

07. Bernard Williams on “Linguistic Philosophy”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVY6t-DaeZw

08. R. M. Hare (N/A, substituting Hare vs Singer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgVoaJ_4Vg8

09. Willard Van Orman Quine on “Quine”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVFR1qJAyf0

10. John Searle on “Philosophy of Language”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyf_pxqhRrI

11. Noam Chomsky on “Chomsky”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVXLo9gJq-U

12. Hilary Putnam on “Philosophy of Science”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7Z2y61rd6M

13. Ronald Dworkin on “Political Philosophy”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJedzWtu-JM

14. Iris Murdoch on “Philosophy and Literature”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBG10XnxQaI

15. Ernest Gellner on “Philosophy: The Social Context”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qwWu9K7yOw