A History of Ideas animations

Podcast

A History of Ideas animations

BBC Radio

48 episodesen-gb
Big questions and theories explained in under 2 minutes from A History of Ideas on BBC Radio 4. Animations voiced by Harry Shearer, Gillian Anderson, Stephen Fry and Aidan Turner. Scripted by Nigel Warburton. This project is made in collaboration with The Open University and the animations were created by Cognitive.

Episodes

Wittgenstein's Beetle in a Box Analogy

You can't know exactly what it is like to be another person or experience things from their perspective. Wittgenstein had an analogy for this. Narrated by Aidan Turner.
Aug 7, 20151m

Esse est Percipi - ('To be is to be perceived')

If a tree falls in a forest and nobody is there to hear it, does it make a sound? Narrated by Aidan Turner.
Aug 6, 20151m

Karl Popper's Falsification

Science is based on fact. Isn't it? Narrated by Aidan Turner.
Aug 5, 20151m

Should You Believe in Miracles?

Philosopher David Hume thought you should look at the evidence. We've employed a Time Lord to investigate. Narrated by Aidan Turner.
Aug 4, 20151m

The Myth of the Missing Half

In Plato’s dialogue The Symposium, Aristophanes presented a light-hearted creation myth that attempted to explain the human search for love. Narrated by Aidan Turner.
Aug 3, 20151m

Is Selfless Love Possible?

Why do people do good deeds? Are they being selfless or is there something else going on? Narrated by Aidan Turner.
Aug 3, 20151m

Jean Paul Sartre on Love

For Jean-Paul Sartre, freedom was everything. Real freedom means freedom to change your mind and freedom to fall out of love. Narrated by Aidan Turner.
Aug 3, 20151m

The Oedipus Complex and the Westermarck Effect

The Oedipus Complex explained in under 2 minutes. Narrated by Aidan Turner.
Aug 3, 20151m

Confucian Ancestor Worship

The family is at the heart of Confucian philosophy. Narrated by Aidan Turner.
Jul 31, 20151m

Plato's Philosopher Kings

Plato thought leaders should be specially trained philosophers chosen because they were incorruptible and had a deeper knowledge of reality. Narrated by Aidan Turner.
Jul 30, 20151m

The Invisible Hand

Does an invisible hand guide the economy? Narrated by Aidan Turner.
Jul 29, 20151m

John Locke on Toleration

Is it possible to persuade people to change their beliefs by force? John Locke thought not. Narrated by Aidan Turner.
Jul 28, 20151m

Rene Descartes - “I think, therefore I am”

How did Descartes come to the conclusion of certainty when surrounded by uncertainty and doubt? Narrated by Stephen Fry.
Apr 17, 20151m

Erving Goffman and The Performed Self

Do we have a true self or are we endlessly performing? Narrated by Stephen Fry.
Apr 16, 20151m

Jean-Paul Sartre and Existential Choice

According to Jean-Paul Sartre, every choice reveals what we think a human being should be.
Apr 15, 20152m

Know Thyself

Is it possible to ever 'Know Thyself'? Narrated by Stephen Fry.
Apr 14, 20152m

Habeas Corpus

Habeas Corpus protects individual freedom and ensures that no one is held without charge.Narrated by Stephen Fry.
Apr 10, 20151m

Civil Disobedience

A just society has fair laws. But most societies aren’t like that. So what can you do? Narrated by Stephen Fry.
Apr 9, 20152m

The Veil Of Ignorance

John Rawls argued it might be more just to construct a blueprint for a just society from behind a 'veil of ignorance'. Narrated by Stephen Fry.
Apr 8, 20151m

Lex Talionis and Retribution

An eye for an eye might sound like brutal retribution but its roots were in encouraging a sense of proportion. Narrated by Stephen Fry.
Apr 7, 20151m