Uploaded September 2017 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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World-renowned author and professor Bryan Magee and London School of Economics professor Ernest Gellner discuss contemporary philosophy, its historical and social backgrounds, and its role in modern society. Gellner examines the radical expansion of scientific knowledge and its dehumanizing effect on society as expressed by sociologist Max Weber. Marxism’s messianic expectation is blamed for its failure to reconstruct society. Gellner dismisses today’s philosophy of relativism as unworkable.

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This is from the series Modern Philosophy.
Watch the other episodes here:
Introduction to Philosophy with Isaiah Berlin: youtube.com/watch?v=vib2rqJKS08
Herbert Marcuse interview: youtube.com/watch?v=0KqC1lTAJx4
Heidegger and Existentialism: youtube.com/watch?v=27bo4FMP3vo
Wittgenstein's Philosophy: youtube.com/watch?v=2EtOB-j9LmY
Logical Positivism: youtube.com/watch?v=S6_Vy-Uzwzc
Linguistic Philosophy: youtube.com/watch?v=IVY6t-DaeZw
Willard Van Orman Quine interview: youtube.com/watch?v=Pf91msFW7ds
Philosophy of Language with John Searle: youtube.com/watch?v=jyf_pxqhRrI
Noam Chomsky interview: youtube.com/watch?v=ZVXLo9gJq-U
Philosophy of Science: youtube.com/watch?v=h7Z2y61rd6M
Philosophy and Politics: youtube.com/watch?v=hJedzWtu-JM
Philosophy and Literature with Iris Murdoch: youtube.com/watch?v=pBG10XnxQaI
The Social Context of Philosophy: youtube.com/watch?v=3qwWu9K7yOw