Jacques DerÂriÂda, the founder of DeconÂstrucÂtion, was someÂthing of an acaÂdÂeÂmÂic rock star durÂing his day. He packed audiÂtoÂriÂums whenÂevÂer and wherÂevÂer he spoke. Films were made about him. And a genÂerÂaÂtion of acaÂdÂeÂmics churned out DerÂridean deconÂstrucÂtions of litÂerÂary texts. All of this made DerÂriÂda’s star rise ever highÂer. But whether it did much good for Comp Lit, French and EngÂlish proÂgrams across the US, that’s anothÂer stoÂry.
But we digress from the main point here. Our friendÂly French philosoÂpher spent a fair amount of time teachÂing in the US and got acquaintÂed with AmerÂiÂcan attiÂtudes. SomeÂtimes, he says, we can be manipÂuÂlaÂtive and utilÂiÂtarÂiÂan. What exactÂly do you mean Mr. DerÂriÂda? Can you please elabÂoÂrate? Of course, he does above.
Note: If you aren’t quite clear on what deconÂstrucÂtion is all about, you can watch two lecÂtures devotÂed to the subÂject (here and here) from Yale’s course on LitÂerÂary TheÂoÂry. EntiÂtled “IntroÂducÂtion to TheÂoÂry of LitÂerÂaÂture,” this course, taught by Paul Fry, is listÂed in the LitÂerÂaÂture secÂtion of our big colÂlecÂtion of Free Online CoursÂes.
On MonÂday, we told you where you can downÂload Free CoursÂes from Top PhilosoÂphers (FouÂcault, SearÂle, RusÂsell and the rest). As the day went along, our list grew thanks to readÂer sugÂgesÂtions, and we also disÂcovÂered anothÂer promisÂing resource — a podÂcast called “The HisÂtoÂry of PhiÂlosÂoÂphy WithÂout Any Gaps,” creÂatÂed by Peter AdamÂson, ProÂfesÂsor of Ancient and Medieval PhiÂlosÂoÂphy at King’s ColÂlege LonÂdon:
BeginÂning with the earÂliÂest ancient thinkers, the series will look at the ideas and lives of the major philosoÂphers (evenÂtuÂalÂly covÂerÂing in detail such giants as PlaÂto, ArisÂtoÂtle, AviÂcenÂna, Aquinas, Descartes, and Kant) as well as the lessÂer-known figÂures of the traÂdiÂtion.
That’s what AdamÂson promisÂes, and he doesÂn’t disÂapÂpoint. Over the past 34 months, AdamÂson has proÂduced 136 episodes, each about 20 minÂutes long, covÂerÂing the PreÂSoÂcratÂics (PythagoÂras, Zeno, ParÂmenides, etc) and then Socrates, PlaÂto and ArisÂtoÂtle. That’s roughÂly 45 hours of audio, and there’s no telling how many more hours of audio will bring us to the modÂern periÂod. The more, the betÂter, we say.
You can access all episodes via these links: iTunes — RSS Feed — Web Site. Or find othÂer free phiÂlosÂoÂphy coursÂes in our big colÂlecÂtion of Free CoursÂes Online.
If you would like to supÂport the misÂsion of Open CulÂture, conÂsidÂer makÂing a donaÂtion to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your conÂtriÂbuÂtions will help us conÂtinÂue proÂvidÂing the best free culÂturÂal and eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals to learnÂers everyÂwhere. You can conÂtribute through PayÂPal, PatreÂon, and VenÂmo (@openculture). Thanks!
You can downÂload hunÂdreds of Free CoursÂes from Great UniÂverÂsiÂties. (PerÂhaps you already knew that.) And that includes coursÂes by some of the biggest minds teachÂing in phiÂlosÂoÂphy. (Is that old news too? Or some welÂcomed good news?) So we’re startÂing the week by givÂing you a runÂdown of some notable menÂtions.
John SearÂle began teachÂing phiÂlosÂoÂphy at UC-BerkeÂley in 1959, and first did imporÂtant work on “speech act” theÂoÂry. LatÂer he turned to conÂsciousÂness and artiÂfiÂcial intelÂliÂgence, out of which came his famous “ChiÂnese room” thought experÂiÂment. You can find a nice trio of classÂes online.
WalÂter KaufÂmann spent 33 years teachÂing phiÂlosÂoÂphy at PrinceÂton. And more than anyÂone else, KaufÂmann introÂduced Nietzsche’s phiÂlosÂoÂphy to the EngÂlish-speakÂing world and made it posÂsiÂble to take NietÂzsche seriÂousÂly as a thinker. Here he delivÂers three lecÂtures on exisÂtenÂtialÂists.
LecÂtures on NietÂzsche, Kierkegaard and Sartre — Web Site
Leo Strauss landÂed at The UniÂverÂsiÂty of ChicaÂgo in 1949, where he spent decades teachÂing and writÂing on politÂiÂcal phiÂlosÂoÂphy, espeÂcialÂly the politÂiÂcal thought of the Ancients. His intelÂlecÂtuÂal legaÂcy is conÂtroÂverÂsial, but his coursÂes valuÂable.
Hegel: The PhiÂlosÂoÂphy of HisÂtoÂry -Web Site
Bertrand RusÂsell was one of the most imporÂtant British philosoÂphers of the last cenÂtuÂry — a logiÂcian, essayÂist and social critÂic best known for his work in mathÂeÂmatÂiÂcal logÂic and anaÂlytÂic phiÂlosÂoÂphy. When it comes to this lecÂture series, start with the botÂtom lecÂture first and then work your way up.
AuthorÂiÂty & the IndiÂvidÂual: Six BBC LecÂtures — Web Site
Michel FouÂcault taught hisÂtoÂry and phiÂlosÂoÂphy at the ColÂlège de France and pubÂlished influÂenÂtial writÂings on powÂer, knowlÂedge, and disÂcourse.
Six LecÂtures on Truth & SubÂjecÂtivÂiÂty preÂsentÂed on the UC BerkeÂley camÂpus (EngÂlish) - YouTube
Michael Sandel has taught politÂiÂcal phiÂlosÂoÂphy at HarÂvard since 1980. His course on jusÂtice (below) has been takÂen by more than 15,000 stuÂdents, makÂing it the most popÂuÂlar underÂgradÂuÂate course at HarÂvard. This verÂsion aired on PBS and the web.
JusÂtice: A JourÂney in Moral ReaÂsonÂing - YouTube — Web Site
In 2008, the evoÂluÂtionÂary biolÂoÂgist Richard Dawkins preÂsentÂed The Genius of Charles DarÂwin, a three-part docÂuÂmenÂtary that was latÂer named “Best TV DocÂuÂmenÂtary Series” at the British BroadÂcast Awards. DurÂing the filmÂing of the proÂgram, Dawkins interÂviewed varÂiÂous experts — biolÂoÂgists, philosoÂphers, clerÂgyÂman, evoÂluÂtionÂary psyÂcholÂoÂgists, etc. — and wound up with 18 hours of raw footage. Some of the uncut interÂviews have now made their way online (as well as DVD), and we’re highÂlightÂing a few today.
Above, Dawkins spends a good while with Peter Singer, the PrinceÂton philosoÂpher, othÂerÂwise known as the Father of the AniÂmal Rights MoveÂment. The wide-rangÂing conÂverÂsaÂtion conÂtinÂuÂalÂly comes back to aniÂmal rights and vegÂeÂtarÂiÂanÂism and why DarÂwinÂism lends supÂport to both. The best part comes toward the end, when Singer tells Dawkins (a meat eater), “I have assimÂiÂlatÂed DarÂwin on this issue betÂter than you have because .… you’re still influÂenced by these vesÂtiges of reliÂgious belief that sepÂaÂrate us from the aniÂmals.…” Dawkins out-Dawkinsed.
CynÂiÂcism. RuthÂlessÂness. DeviÂousÂness. PowÂer polÂiÂtics. These words are often assoÂciÂatÂed with NicÂcolò MachiÂavelÂli, the author of The Prince (1532). But, it turns out, he was anyÂthing but. He was a sweet man (though someÂthing of a phiÂlanÂderÂer), a proÂfound demoÂcÂrat, good lookÂing, a parÂty aniÂmal. In short, MachiÂavelÂli has gotÂten a bad rap, says novÂelÂist Salman Rushdie.
To get more insight into this badÂly misÂunÂderÂstood figÂure, we’d recÂomÂmend spendÂing time with PhiÂlosÂoÂphy Bites’ interÂview (MP3 or iTunes) with Quentin SkinÂner, one of EngÂland’s finest intelÂlecÂtuÂal hisÂtoÂriÂans who has writÂten extenÂsiveÂly on MachiÂavelÂli. You can also find The Prince listÂed in our colÂlecÂtion of Free eBooks. H/T Andrew SulÂliÂvan
If you would like to supÂport the misÂsion of Open CulÂture, conÂsidÂer makÂing a donaÂtion to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your conÂtriÂbuÂtions will help us conÂtinÂue proÂvidÂing the best free culÂturÂal and eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals to learnÂers everyÂwhere. You can conÂtribute through PayÂPal, PatreÂon, and VenÂmo (@openculture). Thanks!
In 1973, Orson Welles narÂratÂed this aniÂmatÂed short, which feaÂtures someÂwhat surÂreÂal artÂwork by Dick Oden. You can see more of Oden’s work here.
The AlleÂgoÂry of the Cave illusÂtrates PlaÂto’s view of knowlÂedge as preÂsentÂed in Book VII of The RepubÂlic: in ordiÂnary expeÂriÂence, we see only shadÂows of the true world, which we can only behold by purÂsuÂing rigÂorÂous philoÂsophÂiÂcal analyÂsis.
If you would like to supÂport the misÂsion of Open CulÂture, conÂsidÂer makÂing a donaÂtion to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your conÂtriÂbuÂtions will help us conÂtinÂue proÂvidÂing the best free culÂturÂal and eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals to learnÂers everyÂwhere. You can conÂtribute through PayÂPal, PatreÂon, and VenÂmo (@openculture). Thanks!
Stephen B. Smith, a politÂiÂcal sciÂence proÂfesÂsor at Yale UniÂverÂsiÂty since 1984, has made availÂable a 24-lecÂture course, IntroÂducÂtion to PolitÂiÂcal PhiÂlosÂoÂphy, which covÂers PlaÂto, ArisÂtoÂtle, MachiÂavelÂli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and TocÂqueville.
His approach is highÂly litÂerÂary. In his RepubÂlic lecÂtures, for instance, he spends a good chunk of the time disÂcussing the metaphors and charÂacÂters involved. One of Smith’s major conÂcerns is what citÂiÂzenÂship amounts to. The lecÂture above is on PlaÂto’s “ApolÂoÂgy,” and while this may be PlaÂto’s most famous work (with its dicÂtum that “The unexÂamÂined life is not worth livÂing”), it’s less about politÂiÂcal phiÂlosÂoÂphy than about the virÂtuÂous life. Smith sees these topÂics as intiÂmateÂly relatÂed, and in his closÂing lecÂture, he gives a defense of patriÂoÂtism, sayÂing that in the ivy league enviÂronÂment, expressÂing an interÂest in patriÂoÂtism is like conÂfessÂing an interÂest in child pornogÂraÂphy.
Back in 1948, Britain was makÂing anothÂer difÂfiÂcult tranÂsiÂtion, movÂing from the trauÂma of World War II to the chill of the Cold War. HopÂing to give radio lisÂtenÂers some clarÂiÂty on conÂtemÂpoÂrary affairs, the BBC began airÂing an annuÂal series of lecÂtures — the ReiÂth LecÂtures — that feaÂtured leadÂing thinkers of the day. 60 years latÂer, the traÂdiÂtion conÂtinÂues, and durÂing this long stretch, some legÂendary figÂures have graced the BBC’s airÂwaves: Michael Sandel, Edward Said, John SearÂle, John KenÂneth GalÂbraith, George KenÂnan, and Robert OppenÂheimer, just to name a few. (And, yes, the list unforÂtuÂnateÂly skews heavÂiÂly male.)
Late last month, the BBC put the comÂplete audio archive online, which gives you access to 240 lecÂtures in total. Where’s the best place to start? How about at the beginÂning, with the inauÂgurÂal lecÂtures preÂsentÂed by philosoÂpher Bertrand RusÂsell in 1948. His lecÂture series, AuthorÂiÂty and the IndiÂvidÂual, delved into an age old quesÂtion in politÂiÂcal phiÂlosÂoÂphy — the indiÂvidÂual and his/her relaÂtionÂship with comÂmuÂniÂties and states. The head of the BBC latÂer groused that RusÂsell spoke “too quickÂly and had a bad voice.” But the real comÂplaints came from the SoviÂets, who interÂpretÂed RusÂselÂl’s lecÂtures as an attack on ComÂmuÂnism. You can find the lecÂtures here; the first lecÂture appears at the botÂtom of the page.
Note: Our TwitÂter friends around the world said that they could almost uniÂverÂsalÂly access the lecÂtures. If you expeÂriÂence any geo-restrictÂing, we apolÂoÂgize in advance.
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