Poster: Ideas of the 20th Century

2026 - 2 Staffeln 16 Ep. Wird fortgesetzt

Ideas of the 20th Century

2026 - 2 Staffeln 16 Ep.

Staffel 2

Keine Ergebnisse

Staffel 1

Staffel 2

68 Min.

S2 · E1 · 29. Mai 2026

Dust and Dreams Folge 1

In our introductory lecture, we learn about early 20th-century thinkers who warned against intellectual and cultural trends that threatened Western civilization—Miguel de Unamuno, Julien Benda, and José Ortega y Gasset. Unamuno rejected reductive views of humanity, emphasizing emotion, individuality, and treating people as ends in themselves. Benda criticized intellectuals who abandoned transcendent ideals for political fanaticism, while Ortega’s perspectivism and critique of mass media warned of conformity, “mass man,” and the erosion of civilization—developments that foreshadowed totalitarianism.

64 Min.

S2 · E2 · 29. Mai 2026

Disintegrating This World Folge 2

In lecture two, we examine the rise of totalitarianism in 20th-century Europe through fascist and communist movements in Italy, Russia, and Germany. First, we study Mussolini’s fascism as a nationalist system built on state supremacy, propaganda, and the subordination of individual rights. Next, we analyze Stalin’s Soviet Union, focusing on collectivization, political purges, and mass repression. Finally, we learn about Hitler’s rise in Germany, showing how economic crisis and political instability enabled the Nazi regime to establish the most destructive form of totalitarian rule. We conclude by examining how Western intellectuals defended these brutal regimes despite evidence of their atrocities.

68 Min.

S2 · E3 · 29. Mai 2026

Constantly Risking Absurdity Folge 3

In lecture three, we explore existentialism, which emerged prominently during and after World War II, focusing on its themes of absurdity and meaning in human life. Dr. Bonevac covers key thinkers like Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Simone de Beauvoir, who argue that existence precedes essence and that individuals must create their own meaning in an inherently meaningless world. The discussion examines critical responses from Saul Bellow and C.S. Lewis, who argue that existentialism artificially isolates individuals from universal moral truths and spiritual dimensions that are inherently known to all humans, suggesting that meaning and purpose are not self-created but discovered through our shared humanity and objective moral order.

76 Min.

S2 · E4 · 29. Mai 2026

The Prospects of Freedom Folge 4

In lecture four, Dr. Bonevac discusses freedom through Friedrich Hayek’s economic philosophy and George Orwell’s warnings about totalitarianism. Hayek argues that socialism, despite its appeal as a rational pursuit of the common good, ultimately undermines individual liberty, concentrates power, and fails because centralized planning cannot manage the complexity of society. Orwell complements this critique by showing how totalitarian systems manipulate language and reality, eroding truth, integrity, and human dignity. The lecture concludes by considering democratic socialism and the dangers of political language manipulation.

68 Min.

S2 · E5 · 29. Mai 2026

A Renaissance of Wonder Folge 5

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.

72 Min.

S2 · E6 · 29. Mai 2026

Something to Say about Reality Folge 6

In lecture six, we analyze how cultural and political upheavals of the 1960s and 70s—including the Vietnam War and Watergate—generated moral confusion and skepticism about connecting mind to reality. We examine how these crises undermined trust in institutions, leadership, and shared moral frameworks. The lecture then turns to Saul Kripke’s theory of names as “rigid designators,” arguing that language can directly connect us to reality rather than merely to concepts. We also examine Joan Didion’s reflections on morality and self-respect, which suggest that beneath cultural disagreement lies a shared moral core grounded in survival, loyalty, responsibility, and love.

67 Min.

S2 · E7 · 29. Mai 2026

Murmur of the Absolute Folge 7

In lecture seven, we consider the post-World War II revival of moral normativity, driven by the recognition of real evil and the need for objective moral standards beyond personal preference. We examine two major theories of distributive justice: John Rawls’s “justice as fairness,” grounded in the social contract, original position, and veil of ignorance, and Robert Nozick’s historical theory of justice, which emphasizes legitimate acquisition and individual liberty over patterned distributions. The lecture concludes by considering the tension between fairness and liberty, as well as Rawls’s later concerns about maintaining consensus in increasingly diverse societies.

79 Min.

S2 · E8 · 29. Mai 2026

No Other End of the World Folge 8

In our eighth and final lecture, we explore the intellectual and political movements that contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union through figures such as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and Václav Havel, who exposed the lies sustaining communist societies and emphasized the importance of “living in truth.” We examine Solzhenitsyn’s critique of ideology and his experiences in the Gulag system, Havel’s analysis of conformity and “living within the lie,” and the role leaders like Reagan and Thatcher played in challenging Soviet power. Dr. Bonevac concludes by considering Solzhenitsyn's warning that Western civilization's focus on human happiness rather than higher spiritual duties may lead to its own form of moral decay.

8 Folgen in Staffel 2

In Ideas of the 20th Century, Dr. Daniel Bonevac examines the major intellectual movements that shaped modern Western thought. Beginning with the Scientific, Agricultural, and Industrial Revolutions, the course explores how traditional beliefs came under pressure, creating tensions between human freedom and scientific determinism and contributing to cultural and political upheavals. Through the ideas of thinkers such as Nietzsche, Marx, Freud, and the existentialists, as well as debates over totalitarianism, liberty, language, truth, and justice, the course traces the search for meaning in the modern world. By connecting philosophy, politics, and culture, it reveals how the central ideas of the 20th century continue to shape contemporary society and the challenges facing Western civilization today.

Dokumentarfilm Krieg und Politik Talkshow

Wo schauen

Nirgends im Stream

Bei keinem Streamingdienst in deiner Region (Vereinigte Staaten) und auch nicht zum Leihen.

Deine Bewertung

Deine Kritik

Besetzung

1 Person

Dr. Daniel Bonevac

Host

Dr. Daniel Bonevac Idee

Idee

Dr. Daniel Bonevac

Gesamtlaufzeit 17h 36m · Folgenlänge 66 Min. · Land Vereinigte Staaten

Infos zur Serie

Erste Folge

19. März 2026

Neueste Folge

29. Mai 2026

Status

Wird fortgesetzt

Land

Vereinigte Staaten

Format

Fiktion

Folgenlänge

66 Min.

Gesamtlaufzeit

17h 36m

Originalsprache

Englisch

Produktion

P

Peterson Academy

Produktion

Sprachen

Gesprochen

Englisch

Wenn dir Ideas of the 20th Century gefallen hat

Titel mit denselben Genres, Themen, Darstellern und Crew.

Introduction to Philosophy

Serie · 2026

Intro to Nietzsche

Serie · 2026

Maps of Meaning

Serie · 2025

Aristotle: From Logic to Life

Serie · 2026

Die amerikanische Revolution

Serie · 2025

Die USA und der Holocaust

Serie · 2022

Du bist offline

Zuletzt angesehene Seiten funktionieren weiter. Deine Änderungen werden lokal gespeichert und später synchronisiert.

Wieder online · Sync läuft