Simply Charly's Culture Insight

German philosopher of the late 19th century, Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) boldly and daringly challenged the foundations of Christianity, traditional morality, and other prevalent social mores. He was at the forefront of the existentialism, perspectivism, and nihilism movements that emphasized the importance of human individuality and freedom; discovery of truth only in the context of our own perceptions and interpretations; and rejection of religious and moral doctrines. Paul Katsafanas is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Boston University where he teaches courses on nineteenth-century philosophy and ethics. His research centers on topics at the interface of ethics and philosophy of mind, including the way in which normative claims might be justified; the nature of self-consciousness; the nature of agency; the notion of drive; and the concepts of free agency and unified agency. Katsafanas’ recent book Agency and the Foundations of Ethics: Nietzschean Constitutivism was recently published by Oxford University Press. He joins us on Culture Insight to share his insight into the life and work of Friedrich Nietzsche.

  Widely considered as one of the top musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis (1926–1991) was a major force in jazz. He was not only a gifted trumpeter and composer, but also an innovator who created a nine-member band called the “nonet,” in which unconventional (in jazz) instruments like French horn and tuba were used. He also invented a style known as “cool jazz,” characterized by softer and more subdued tempos than traditional jazz rhythms. Quincy Troupe is an awarding-winning author of ten volumes of poetry, three children’s books, and six non-fiction works. In 2010 Troupe received the American Book Award for Lifetime Literary Achievement. Among Troupe's best-selling works are Miles: The Autobiography of Miles Davis and his memoir, Miles & Me soon to become a major motion picture. He joins us on Culture Insight to share his insight into the life and work of Miles Davis.

  Best known for his Incompleteness Theorem, Kurt Gödel (1906–1978) is considered one of the most important mathematicians and logicians of the 20th century. By showing that the establishment of a set of axioms encompassing all of mathematics would never succeed, he revolutionized the world of mathematics, logic, and philosophy. Rebecca Goldstein is the author of Incompleteness: The Proof and Paradox of Kurt Gödel and, most recently, Betraying Spinoza: The Renegade Jew Who Gave Us Modernity. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and has received many awards for her fiction and scholarship, including a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. She shares her insight into the life and work of Kurt Gödel. SUGGESTED READING

Paul Dirac (1902–1984) was an English theoretical physicist and mathematician who was instrumental in the development of both quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics. In 1933, he shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger. Sir Michael Atiyah is one of the world's greatest living mathematicians and is well known throughout the mathematical world. He is a recipient of the Fields Medal, the mathematical equivalent of the Nobel Prize, as well as the Abel Prize—two of mathematics' highest honors—and is still at the peak of his career. Atiyah received a knighthood in 1983 and the Order of Merit in 1992. He also served as president of the Royal Society from 1990–1995. He joins us on Culture Insight to share his insight into the life and work of British physicist Paul Dirac. He joins us on Culture Insight to share his insight into the life and work of British physicist Paul Dirac.

The author of such literary classics as Ulysses and Finnegans Wake, James Joyce (1882 – 1941) was one of Ireland's most celebrated novelists known for his avant-garde and often experimental style of writing.  Michael Patrick Gillespie is Professor of English at Florida International University and the Director of the Center for the Humanities in an Urban Environment. He has written eleven books and numerous articles on the works of James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, William Kennedy, Chaos Theory, and Irish Film. His anthology of early Joyce criticism was published in the spring of 2011 as part of the University Press of Florida Joyce Series. He is currently at work on an oral history of early Joyce studies and on a book on Joyce and the experience of exile. He joins us on Culture Insight to share his insight into the life and work of James Joyce.

Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882) laid the foundations of evolutionary biology through the process of natural selection, which he outlined in his seminal work, On the Origin of Species. John Darnton is a Pulitzer-prize winning reporter and best-selling novelist who has worked for The New York Times for over 40 years. His many books include Neanderthal, The Experiment, Mind Catcher, The Darwin Conspiracy and most recently Black & White and Dead All Over Again. He joins us on Culture Insight to share his insight into the life and work of Charles Darwin.

Arguably the most influential architect, designer and urban planner of the 20th century, Swiss-born Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, 1887–1965), played a decisive role in the development of modern architecture representative of the industrial age. Kenneth Frampton is the Ware Professor of Architecture at Columbia University, and the author of several books including Modern Architecture: A Critical History, Labour, Work and Architecture, and a book about the Swiss-born architect Le Corbusier who became a French citizen in his 30's. He joins us on Culture Insight to share his insight into the life and work of Le Corbusier.

  Scotland’s greatest philosopher, David Hume (1711–1776) was a key figure of the Scottish Enlightenment. He is generally considered one of the three main figureheads along with John Locke and Bishop George Berkley of the influential British Empiricism movement. Although not well-received in his own time, his A Treatise on Human Nature, published in 1739, is now a classic text. Paul Russell is Professor of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia where he teaches courses on Metaphysics, Philosophy of Religion and the History of Modern Philosophy among others. His research interests focus primarily on free will and moral responsibility and the history of early modern philosophy (particularly the philosophy of David Hume). His most recent work is entitled The Riddle of Hume's Treatise: Skepticism, Naturalism, and Irreligion (Oxford University Press: 2008). He joins us on Culture Insight to share his insight into the life and work of David Hume.

One of the most influential American inventors of all time, Thomas Alva Edison (1847–1931) is responsible for the creation of several devices that shaped the face of modern technology. Most famous for his invention of the first practical light bulb, Edison was also a shrewd businessman who bridged the gap between invention and large-scale manufacturing. Possibly the single most important figure of the Second Industrial Revolution, Edison’s vast network of corporate contacts ensured that his name was forever cemented in history as the archetypal American scientist. Paul Israel is a historian of technology who serves as the Director and General Editor of the multi-volume documentary edition of the Thomas Edison Papers at Rutgers University. He joins us on Culture Insight to share his insight into the life and work of Thomas Alva Edison.

  Widely hailed as the greatest American architect of all time, Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959) designed hundreds of iconic buildings and structures throughout the early 20th century. Well-known for his creative and visionary designs, Wright believed that America should break away from traditional European architectural designs, and helped to establish a uniquely American style of structure. Over the course of his 70-year career, Wright planned over a thousand designs ranging from homes to churches to museums. Robert Twombly teaches architectural history at the City University of New York. He has written biographies of Louis Sullivan and of Frank Lloyd Wright, and has edited Sullivan's public papers. He shares his insight into the life and work of the great American architect.

Generally considered one of the most influential physicists in history, Albert Einstein’s (1879–1955) groundbreaking theories reshaped the scientific community’s view and understanding of the universe. He developed the special and general theories of relativity and won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect. Alan Lightman is a novelist, essayist, physicist, and educator. He is Adjunct Professor of Humanities and formerly senior lecturer in Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His novels include Einstein's Dreams, which has been translated into more than thirty languages, and The Diagnosis, which was a National Book Award finalist in Fiction in 2000. He joins us on Culture Insight to share his insight into the life and work of Albert Einstein.

Best known as the wife of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Clementine Ogilvy Spencer-Churchill served as one of her husband's closest confidantes, aiding him during his brightest moments as well as his darkest hours. During World War II, she led the Young Women's Christian Association's wartime efforts and also assisted in the Red Cross's efforts to provide relief in Russia. Sonia Purnell is a political reporter who has worked for a number of high-profile newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Independent on Sunday and the London Evening Standard. She is the author of Just Boris, an acclaimed biography of Boris Johnson, London’s exuberant mayor. Her latest book, Clementine: The Life of Mrs. Winston Churchill, explores the peculiar dynamics of the fascinating union between Clementine and Winston Churchill. She joins us on Culture Insight to share her insight into the life and work of Clementine Churchill.

Although some of his theories are still hotly debated, Sigmund Freud, (May 6, 1856–September 23, 1939) is widely regarded as a trailblazer in the realm of psychiatry and psychology. The Austrian psychiatrist and neurologist, who was allegedly the first to offer a comprehensive explanation of how human behavior is determined by the conscious and unconscious forces, is regarded as the founder of psychoanalysis. Along with the “talk therapy” that remains the staple of psychiatric treatment to this day, Freud popularized, among other notions, such concepts as the psychosexual stages of development; Oedipus complex; transference; dream symbolism; Ego, Id and Super-Ego; and the one that has become part of colloquial English more than any other psychiatric term—the Freudian slip. Edward Erwin is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Miami at Coral Gables. He is the author of several books as well as numerous articles in philosophy of science, epistemology, philosophy of language, and philosophy of psychology. He is also editor-in-chief of The Freud Encyclopedia: Theory, Therapy, and Culture—the first in-depth Encyclopedia on the life, work, and theories of Sigmund Freud. He joins us on Culture Insight to share his insight into the life and work of Sigmund Freud.

The Russian composer Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) was one of the most influential composers of the twentieth century. His career spanned from the early twentieth century, when he composed ballets inspired by Russian myth and the era's revived interest in distinctly Russian culture, to the experimentation in compositional styles that followed the Second World War. Though born in the nineteenth century, he lived and worked long enough to see his works inspire progressive rock music, just as he himself had been inspired by earlier masters like Bach and Tchaikovsky. His importance in the history of music is unquestionable. John Heiss is an active composer, conductor, flutist, and teacher. He is the Director of the Contemporary Ensemble at New England Conservatory, where he teaches in the flute, chamber music, composition, music history, and music theory departments. He joins us on Culture Insight to share his insight into the life and work of Igor Stravinsky.

Considered to be the most influential physicist of the 20th century, Albert Einstein (1879–1955) developed the theory of relativity and laid foundations for modern quantum mechanics. Herman Feshbach Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Frank Wilczek is a theoretical physicist who won the 2004 Nobel Prize in Physics for a discovery in the world of quarks, the building blocks of the atomic nucleus. His latest book is The Lightness of Being: Mass, Ether and the Unification of Forces. He joins us on Culture Insight to share his insight into the life and work of Albert Einstein.