The Big Ideas

The Guardian

Every month, a group of academics, columnists and philosophers dissect a phrase that's become an intellectual cliché in order to analyse its true meaning

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10 episodes
Updated Jul 10, 2012

Episodes10

Newest first

Jul 10, 2012 · 12 min
The Big Ideas podcast: Rousseau's 'Man is born free'
On the tricentenary of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Benjamen Walker and guests explore the legacy of the Swiss-born French philosopher
May 9, 2012 · 9 min
The Big Ideas podcast: Plato's 'just society'
Benjamen Walker and guests explore the legacy of Plato's Republic
Mar 28, 2012 · 13 min
The Big Ideas podcast: Guy Debord's 'society of the spectacle'
Benjamen Walker explores situationism and the legacy of French philosopher Guy Debord's famous phrase
Feb 4, 2012 · 14 min
The Big Ideas podcast: Friedrich Nietzsche's 'God is dead'
What did Nietzsche mean by the death of God? Benjamen Walker and guests explore the legacy of the German philosopher's statement
Dec 27, 2011 · 13 min
The Big Ideas podcast: Friedrich Kittler's computer wars
Philosopher Avital Ronell and novelist Tom McCarthy are among those joining Benjamen Walker to discuss the legacy of 'the Derrida of the digital age'
Nov 9, 2011 · 12 min
The Big Ideas podcast: EF Schumacher's 'small is beautiful'
Economist Andrew Simms and Guardian columnist Madeleine Bunting are among those joining Benjamen Walker to discuss the legacy of Schumacher's 'Buddhist economics'
Oct 6, 2011 · 12 min
The Big Ideas podcast: Adam Smith's 'invisible hand' - audio
Philosopher John Gray and Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee are among those joining Benjamen Walker to consider the legacy of Smith's much-abused phrase
Aug 17, 2011 · 20 min
The Big Ideas podcast: the banality of evil
In the second of a series of philosophy podcasts, Benjamen Walker and guests consider the impact and legacy of Hannah Arendt's famous phrase
Jul 20, 2011 · 10 min
The Big Ideas podcast: The medium is the message
Audio: In the first of a series of philosophy podcasts, Benjamen Walker and guests discuss the communication theorist Marshall McLuhan and his most famous line
Jul 15, 2011 · 37 sec
The Big Ideas podcast: coming soon
Audio: Every month, a group of academics, columnists and philosophers dissect a phrase that's become an intellectual cliche in order to analyse its true meaning. The Big Ideas podcast starts on 21 July 2011