Jonathan Livingston Seagull photos by Russel Munson
I very highly recommend this series of audio lectures concerning the Philosophy of the Self as viewed through the dominant philosophical movements of the 20th century. The lecturer, Rick Roderick, has one of the most enjoyable lecturing styles of any professor I’ve encountered, whether in real life or in the various audio courses I’ve come across, which tend to be super sleep inducing. He has a dry and witty West Texas sense of humor that helps guide you through some very dense and complex philosophical subjects. He’s been referred to as the, “The Bill Hicks of Philosophy.” I’ve listened to these lectures numerous times through the last few years and each listen gets better and better. I promise it is worth the time to make it through the series if you have any interest in humanity or ideas or things like that.
These lectures are produced by The Teaching Company, but are out of print so I don’t feel bad sharing them.
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Self Under Siege: Philosophy of the 20th Century, Audio Lectures
Taught by Rick Roderick
National University
Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin
Course Lecture Titles
1. The Masters of Suspicion
2. Heidegger and the Rejection of Humanism
3. Sartre and the Roads to Freedom
4. Marcuse and One-Dimensional Man
5. Habermas and the Fragile Dignity of Humanity
6. Foucault and the Disappearance of the Human
7. Derrida and the Ends of Man
8. Fatal Strategies (Baudrillard)
From The Teaching Company:
“What does it mean to be human? How can we find meaning in our lives? How can we maintain our selfhood?
This series by Professor Rick Roderick examines from a philosophical perspective the self under siege from the start of modernity to the beginnings of the postmodern age in the late 20th century. As we move into the 21st century, we encounter the self buried under oceans of complex technology and information, leading us to question whether it is at all possible to construct some small space within which an “authentic” self might dwell. These lectures present us with a range of philosophical narratives about how the self might be constructed and understood.”
