As a tool for characterizing rational thought, logic cuts across many philosophical disciplines and lies at the core of mathematics and computer science. Drawing on Aristotle's Organon, Russell's Principia Mathematica, and other central works, this program tracks the evolution of logic, beginning with the basic syllogism. A sampling of subsequent topics includes propositional and predicate logic, Bayesian confirmation theory, Boolean logic, Frege's...

We assume all events are caused by something. Yet we happily refer to random chance be it a freak accident, or the state of quantum particles. Might causality be a fiction and inexplicable events written into the character of the universe, or with greater understanding could we find an explanation for everything? Sponsored by BBC Focus Magazine. The Panel Templeton prize winning cosmologist George Ellis, Imperial College string theorist Michael Duff...

How do the stories we tell shape the boundaries of our beliefs about what is possible? From the dawn of time, stories are how humans have made sense of the world. Episode three emphasizes the fundamental role stories play in our lives, our inclination towards dystopian narratives, and the potential for bigger, better stories to unleash the power of human imagination and creativity moving forward.

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...

Epics embody the goals and ethics of a culture and Big History provides insight into the human connection with Earth. Tom Collins of the Religion and Philosophy Department at Lawrenceville School and teacher Bindu Mohanty describe how learning The Universe Story allows high school and college students to experience an expanded sense of self and become mindful of working toward a sustainable future.

This program summarizes and distills what we have learned about the great religions in this series. Smith's lifetime of experience and study helps him to go beyond the differences between each tradition. He shows how the cultivation of virtues valued by all religions-intelligence, compassion, creativity, truth, beauty, and goodness-can lead to transcendence. In the many faces of God he has contemplated, Huston Smith sees no conflict. He believes them...

This program begins with a challenge to the story of the history of science and the philosophy of science presented so far. It shows it to be an ethnocentric Western perspective and introduces the concept of “epistemicide” to explain the erasure of Persian, Arabic, and Islamic contributions to both science and the philosophy of science. It gives a selection of examples to show errors in the Western narration of historical discovery and achievement....

The impact of continental philosophy has been tremendous, infusing the humanities with a strange brew made up of energy and insight combined with absurdity and meaninglessness. This program delves deeply into concepts and thought processes that fueled the inquiries of the era's major exponents: Hegel's dialectic, Marx's dialectical materialism, Kierkegaard's lone individual standing before God, Nietzsche's declaration that God is dead, Husserl's intentionality,...

Levin explores the philosophical basis of America's foundations and the crisis that the government faces today.

Beliefs spelled out in the Apostle's Creed link Christians around the world-but in practice, the faith has fractured. This program presents views from five insightful and widely differing believers who reveal their thoughts on conflict and harmony within Christianity. The participants are Terry Waite, author, humanitarian, and former hostage in Beirut; Ann Widdecombe, conservative British politician and Catholic convert; the Reverend Joel Edwards,...