18 November 2005
Friday 18 November 2005 21:30-22:15 (Radio 3)
Who am I? What do I know? And How should I live? The latest answers to these oldest of questions arrive in a new book, which is discussed by the author, Nicholas Fearn, and philosopher Piers Benn.
Programme details
Nicholas Fearn has been travelling the world asking people the same three questions; Who am I? What do I know? And How should I live? The latest answers to these oldest of questions arrive in his new book, Philosophy, a mix of travelogue and an intriguing audit of Western thinking. Fearn has consulted many of the world's most distinguished intellectuals, including Bernard Williams, Daniel Dennett, Martha Nussbaum and Jacques Derrida. In tonight's Night Waves Matthew Sweet talks to Nicholas Fearn and the philosopher Piers Benn about the conclusions of the book and about the current state of the philosophical art. Has anything really changed?
Tom Murphy is a leading playwright in his native Ireland but still largely unknown here in Britain . His latest play, Alice Trilogy, arrives at the Royal Court in London with a hugely demanding central role for actress Juliet Stevenson. She plays the same character - battling alcohol, boredom and breakdown - in three different but precise moments in her history, in 1980, 1995 and 2005. Susannah Clapp reviews her performance and describes the significance of Tom Murphy in tonight's Night Waves.
Also on the programme; the directorial debut from Julian Fellowes, who is perhaps best known as an actor and as the writer of Gosford Park . His first film is called Separate Lies and is a mysterious morality tale set in idyllic English countryside. And Matthew Sweet talks to the highly respected New York literary critic and cultural commentator Benjamin Kunkel about his first novel, Indecision.
