In this episode, Karl and Soren are finally joined by long lost brother Friedrich, the third bastard son of Hegel, to discuss the work of philosopher/novelist Iris Murdoch. They begin by discussing her work of literary criticism "Against Dryness," (available here) and her insistence in a video interview that her philosophy and her creative writing are separate.
Building on these discussions, the boys turn to Murdoch's strange, delightful 1961 novel A Severed Head, a tale filled with upper class Britishisms, along with darker things like violence and incest. They consider the extent to which Murdoch folds in philosophical concerns, the nature of psychoanalysis and anthropology, and the need to "wake up" from the stupor in which we lead our lives.
Theme music: "Shostakovich," by Mucca Pazza.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.