20th-Century Philosophy Intellectual Heroes and Key Themes I

The 20th century was one of the most significant and exciting periods ever witnessed in philosophy, characterised by intellectual change in a challenging context. These lectures present a colourful picture of the intellectual heroes and key themes of 20th-century philosophy. The central ideas of five philosophers will be introduced: Wittgenstein, Heidegger, Dewey, Rorty and Adorno. References to these philosophers are made in a discussion on themes like art, moral dilemmas, language, world disclosure, politics, literature, social pathologies and being-towards-death.
Although it is impossible to focus on every philosophical detail, the lectures cover the main movements of philosophy over the last hundred years: existentialism, analytical philosophy, pragmatism, neo-pragmatism and critical theory. These movements will be woven together in a narrative history that accounts for the influence of arts, science and politics. The lectures prove that the world’s oldest intellectual stone will keep on rolling.

The individual lectures:
1. Wittgenstein (1 Nov)
2. Heidegger (8 Nov)
3. Dewey (15 Nov)
4. Rorty (22 Nov)
5. Adorno (29 Nov)