The Big Ideas

The Guardian
  • 4.9 (9)
  • PHILOSOPHY

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

Episodes

  1. 2012-07-10

    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

    13 min

  2. 2012-05-09

    The Big Ideas podcast: Plato's 'just society'

    Benjamen Walker and guests explore the legacy of Plato's Republic

    10 min

  3. 2012-03-28

    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

    13 min

  4. 2012-02-04

    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

    14 min

  5. 2011-12-27

    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'

    13 min

  6. 2011-11-09

    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'

    12 min

  7. 2011-10-06

    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

    12 min

  8. 2011-08-17

    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

    20 min

  9. 2011-07-20

    The Big Ideas podcast: The medium is the message

    In the first of a series of philosophy podcasts, Benjamen Walker and guests discuss the communication theorist Marshall McLuhan and his most famous line

    11 min

  10. 2011-07-15

    The Big Ideas podcast: coming soon

    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

    1 min
  • 10 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

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

Information

  • Creator
    The Guardian
  • Years Active
    2011 - 2012
  • Episodes
    10
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Big Ideas

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