The Modern Turn

The 20th century splits: Husserl's phenomenology and Heidegger's being; Sartre, Beauvoir and existentialism; Russell, Wittgenstein and the analytic/logical turn; Arendt on power and evil.

Part of Philosophy

17 moments in this segment.

1. 1900 — Edmund Husserl (1859–1938). Phenomenology: "to the things themselves" — the rigorous study of consciousness as it appears.
2. 1903 — William James (1842–1910). Pragmatism and the stream of consciousness — truth as what works. This photograph dates from 1903.
3. 1930 — Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951). The Tractatus and the Investigations — the limits of language, twice redrawn. This photograph dates from 1930.
4. 1936 — Bertrand Russell (1872–1970). Logic, the theory of descriptions, and a public conscience — a founder of analytic philosophy. This photograph dates from 1936.
5. 1945 — Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–1980). Existence precedes essence; we are "condemned to be free."
6. 1960 — Martin Heidegger (1889–1976). Being and Time — the question of Being, thrownness, and being-toward-death. This photograph dates from 1960.
7. 1967 — Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986). The Second Sex: "one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman" — existentialist feminism. This photograph dates from 1967.
8. 1975 — Hannah Arendt (1906–1975). The human condition, totalitarianism, and the banality of evil. This photograph dates from 1975.
9. 2015-05-08 — Ludwig Wittgenstein (The School of Life). A deeper look — part of the history of philosophy.
10. 2019-05-23 — Critical Theory: Adorno, Horkheimer & the culture industry. A deeper look — part of the history of philosophy.
11. 2020-02-07 — The Frankfurt School: from failed revolution to critical theory (Tom Nicholas). A deeper look — part of the history of philosophy.
12. 2020-03-10 — The meaning of life according to Simone de Beauvoir (TED-Ed). A deeper look — part of the history of philosophy.
13. 2020-03-31 — What Pragmatism Means — William James. A deeper look — part of the history of philosophy.
14. 2020-12-11 — Camus's Myth of Sisyphus — the philosophy of the absurd (Eternalised). A deeper look — part of the history of philosophy.
15. 2021-01-24 — Heidegger: Being and Time (Michael Sugrue). A deeper look — part of the history of philosophy.
16. 2022-05-27 — Sartre: Existentialism is a Humanism (Overthink). A deeper look — part of the history of philosophy.
17. 2024-08-23 — Arendt's lessons: the banality of evil & totalitarianism (British Academy). A deeper look — part of the history of philosophy.