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Ideas of the 20th Century

20262 Seasons16 Episodes
DocumentaryTalkWar & Politics

In Ideas of the 20th Century, Dr. Daniel Bonevac examines the major intellectual movements that shaped modern Western thought. Beginning with the Scientific, Agricultural, and Industrial Revolutions, the course explores how traditional beliefs came under pressure, creating tensions between human freedom and scientific determinism and contributing to cultural and political upheavals. Through the ideas of thinkers such as Nietzsche, Marx, Freud, and the existentialists, as well as debates over totalitarianism, liberty, language, truth, and justice, the course traces the search for meaning in the modern world. By connecting philosophy, politics, and culture, it reveals how the central ideas of the 20th century continue to shape contemporary society and the challenges facing Western civilization today.

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About Ideas of the 20th Century

In Ideas of the 20th Century, Dr. Daniel Bonevac examines the major intellectual movements that shaped modern Western thought. Beginning with the Scientific, Agricultural, and Industrial Revolutions, the course explores how traditional beliefs came under pressure, creating tensions between human freedom and scientific determinism and contributing to cultural and political upheavals. Through the ideas of thinkers such as Nietzsche, Marx, Freud, and the existentialists, as well as debates over totalitarianism, liberty, language, truth, and justice, the course traces the search for meaning in the modern world. By connecting philosophy, politics, and culture, it reveals how the central ideas of the 20th century continue to shape contemporary society and the challenges facing Western civilization today.

Status
Continuing
First Aired
19/Mar/2026
Language
English
Schedule
—

Latest Episodes

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S2 E8No Other End of the World29/May/2026 • 79m
S2 E7Murmur of the Absolute29/May/2026 • 67m
S2 E6Something to Say about Reality29/May/2026 • 72m
S2 E5A Renaissance of Wonder29/May/2026 • 68m
Next Air TimeNot announced

Air-time details have not been announced.

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Binge Meter48%Slow Burn
Episode PulseQuiet40% activity
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Season 20 / 8 watched

In Ideas of the 20th Century: Part 2, Dr. Bonevac continues our analysis of the intellectual currents shaping 20th-century Western thought. Beginning with thinkers who warned about threats to civilization, we examine the rise of totalitarianism in Europe. We then turn to existentialism and its response to meaning and absurdity, critiques grounded in universal moral truth, and accounts of how language connects mind to reality. We consider defenses of freedom, warnings about linguistic manipulation, and postmodern challenges to objective truth. Finally, we study the revival of moral normativity, theories of justice, and the intellectual movements behind the collapse of Soviet communism. Our course concludes by reflecting on the enduring challenges to Western values and the importance of moral truth in sustaining civilization.

S2 E1Dust and Dreams29/May/2026 • 68m
Not rated
S2 E2Disintegrating This World29/May/2026 • 64m
Not rated
S2 E3Constantly Risking Absurdity29/May/2026 • 68m
Not rated
S2 E4The Prospects of Freedom29/May/2026 • 76m
Not rated
S2 E5A Renaissance of Wonder29/May/2026 • 68m
Not rated
S2 E6Something to Say about Reality29/May/2026 • 72m
Not rated
S2 E7Murmur of the Absolute29/May/2026 • 67m
Not rated
S2 E8No Other End of the World29/May/2026 • 79m
Not rated
Season 10 / 8 watched

In Ideas of the 20th Century Part 1, an eight-hour course, Dr. Daniel Bonevac explores how the Scientific, Agricultural, and Industrial Revolutions created a lasting tension between human agency and scientific determinism. We examine how this crisis of belief contributed to the erosion of traditional values and upheavals like World War I and the Russian Revolution. By examining key thinkers including Nietzsche, Marx, Freud, and modernist writers like Eliot and Fitzgerald, the course traces the search for meaning in a fractured world and shows how this struggle still shapes modern culture and politics.

S1 E1A Mighty Maze19/Mar/2026 • 62m
Not rated
S1 E2The Abdication of Belief19/Mar/2026 • 64m
Not rated
S1 E3Wisdom of the Age19/Mar/2026 • 62m
Not rated
S1 E4Disturb the Universe19/Mar/2026 • 62m
Not rated
S1 E5Downward to Darkness19/Mar/2026 • 62m
Not rated
S1 E6The Ruins of Meaning19/Mar/2026 • 64m
Not rated
S1 E7As an Endless Dream19/Mar/2026 • 62m
Not rated
S1 E8Unfathomable Reservoirs of the Absurd19/Mar/2026 • 62m
Not rated

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Production Details & External Links

Database information and official source references.

Format
Scripted
Created by
Dr. Daniel Bonevac
Country
United States
Original language
English
First aired
19/Mar/2026
Last aired
29/May/2026
Seasons
2
Episodes
16
Official timezone
UTC
Official website
Visit official site
External IDs
TMDb
Full cast and crew

Cast

1 credit
Dr. Daniel Bonevac Dr. Daniel Bonevac Host

Crew

1 credit
Dr. Daniel Bonevac Dr. Daniel Bonevac Presenter
Contributors and edit history

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