Civilisation EP13 ⟩ “Heroic Materialism”
Details
A bittersweet welcome to EP13, “Heroic Materialism”—the final chapter of Kenneth Clark’s Civilisation. Join us this week as Clark, our Virgil in this transformative journey, takes on the core paradox of modernity—i.e., the tension between human rights gains and the capitalist exploitation that coexists with them.
Abolition and Industry
The anti-slavery movement led by William Wilberforce illustrates the ethical strides we’ve made. Yet, these achievements coexist uneasily with a capitalist system deeply examined by figures like Engels and Dickens, who expose its reliance on exploitation as the engine of Victorian England’s industrial might. How can we reconcile the end of slavery and social reform with an economic system that still thrives on exploitation?
The Rise of Kindness
The 19th-century moral landscape was not solely characterized by technological advances; it was also marked by a surge in humanitarian values. Elizabeth Fry’s efforts to transform Newgate Prison and Lord Shaftesbury’s focus on child welfare illuminate this shift in collective consciousness. Could it be that our preoccupation with doing good is one of civilization’s overlooked triumphs?
Engineering as Art
Next, we meet Isambard Kingdom Brunel, an engineer who challenged conventional aesthetics with audacious designs that pushed the boundaries of possibility. From the Great Western Railway to the Great Eastern steamship, Brunel’s ventures invite us to question where the line between engineering and art truly lies.
Social Realism in Art
Artists like Jean-François Millet and Gustave Courbet take the discussion in a different direction. Their paintings bring the lives of common people into the foreground, offering a different but equally important insight into the nature of progress and civilization. Coupled with the intense existential crises of figures like Van Gogh and Tolstoy, we find that art and literature have not been passive observers but active participants in societal change.
Mechanization
Clark also forces us to confront our complex relationship with machinery. The advancements that have empowered us have also, paradoxically, made us subservient. We are led to question whether the tools we create are extensions of our humanity or drivers of an insatiable appetite for destruction.
What is Civilization?
Ultimately, Clark contends that civilization thrives on a set of simple yet vital principles: courtesy, interdependence, and the occasional flashes of genius that drive innovation and enrich our shared history. Amidst the critique of societal structures, these core values serve as the glue that binds our complex, often contradictory, civilization.
Come join us for an intellectual journey that promises to be as challenging as it is enlightening, as we wrestle with the savage anomalies that continue to define our modern existence.
METHOD
Please watch the episode before the event. We will then replay a few short clips during the event to refresh our memories for debate and discussion. A high-def version of this episode with remastered audio and enriched subtitles can be found here:
And study materials, including tables, timelines, and interactive art exploring pages, can be found here:
Video Table of Contents
Clark concludes the series with a discussion of the materialism and humanitarianism of the 19th and 20th centuries. He visits the industrial landscape of 19th century England and the skyscrapers of 20th century New York City. He argues that the achievements of the engineers and scientists—such as Brunel and Rutherford—have been matched by those of the great reformers like Wilberforce and Shaftesbury.
- The Abolition of Slavery
- The Industrial Revolution
- Humanitarianism
- Isambard Kingdom Brunel
- Courbet and Millet
- Tolstoy
- Our Urge to Destruction
- God-given Genius.