Episodes

8 episodes in this season

Dust and Dreams

68 min

Disintegrating This World

64 min

Constantly Risking Absurdity

68 min

The Prospects of Freedom

76 min

Now Playing

A Renaissance of Wonder

68 min

Something to Say about Reality

72 min

Murmur of the Absolute

67 min

No Other End of the World

79 min

Ideas of the 20th Century

TV Series

20261h 8m

DocumentaryTalkWar & Politics

Now playing

A Renaissance of Wonder

Season 2 · Episode 5 · May 29, 2026

In lecture five, we study how mind and language connect to reality, asking whether human beings have direct access to truth or are trapped within conceptual frameworks that distort the world. Through Iris Murdoch’s work, we explore the concern that language and thought act as “nets” that filter and potentially falsify reality, casting doubt on objective knowledge. The lecture then turns to postmodernism, particularly Jean-François Lyotard’s rejection of grand narratives and universal truth in favor of multiple local forms of knowledge. We consider how these metaphysical questions connect to moral imperatives—ultimately arguing that the pursuit of truth is itself an ethical commitment.

More details

Ideas of the 20th Century

TV Series

20261h 8m

DocumentaryTalkWar & Politics

Now playing

A Renaissance of Wonder

Season 2 · Episode 5 · May 29, 2026

More details