Main content

Philosophy: Bryan Magee

Matthew Sweet considers the popularising of philosophy and the writing of Bryan Magee with Nigel Warburton, Constantine Sandis, MM McCabe and Lucy O'Brien.

Matthew Sweet and guests discuss the state of academic philosophy in the UK today.
It's often thought of as being difficult, abstract, and far-removed from the concerns of every-day life. It even came up recently in the US Presidential campaign, when Republican hopeful Marco Rubio claimed America needs fewer philosophers and more welders.
So what is the place of philosophy in today's universities? And what role can it play in wider culture?
Few people in the UK have done more to help philosophers reach a wider audience than Bryan Magee, whose TV interviews with leading philosophers were prime-time viewing in the 1970s and '80s. As Magee publishes a new book, Ultimate Questions, Matthew and his guests discuss his legacy as a broadcaster who interpreted philosophy for a wider audience.
With with philosophers MM McCabe, Lucy O'Brien, Nigel Warburton and Constantine Sandis.

Ultimate Questions by Bryan Magee is out now from Princeton University Press.

Producer: Luke Mulhall.

Available now

45 minutes

Clip

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Matthew Sweet
Interviewed Guest MM McCabe
Interviewed Guest Lucy O'Brien
Interviewed Guest Nigel Warburton
Interviewed Guest Constantine Sandis
Producer Luke Mulhall

Broadcast

  • Wed 16 Mar 2016 22:00

Featured in...

The Arts & Ideas Podcast

The Arts & Ideas Podcast

You can download all the past episodes of Radio 3's Free Thinking

Discussions and talks from the Free Thinking Festival 2019

Discussions and talks from the Free Thinking Festival 2019

Angry politics, what we can鈥檛 say, being diplomatic, weeping, emotion in music, film & TV

Click to listen to discussions, talks and music as the Free Thinking Festival 2019 Gets Emotional

Click to listen to discussions, talks and music as the Free Thinking Festival 2019 Gets Emotional

Angry politics, what we can鈥檛 say, being diplomatic, weeping, emotion in music, film & TV

CLICK to LISTEN & SEE programmes from the Free Thinking Festival 2018: The One & the Many

CLICK to LISTEN & SEE programmes from the Free Thinking Festival 2018: The One & the Many

We examine the fast-changing relationship between the individual & the crowd

CLICK to LISTEN & SEE all programmes, images, clips & features from 2017's festival

Free Thinking Festival 2017: The Speed of Life