Did anyone write about human psychology long before there was such a term? Yes and this season we are going to discuss five of them, beginning with three Greek tragedians. 32 of their plays have survived, written almost two and a half thousand years ago and a small sample of a thousand or so performed in the 'golden age' of Greek democracy. After talking though their historical and social context, and a brief diversion into Christopher Nolan's 'Odyssey', Simon dismantles Nietzsche's influential take on Greek tragedy, favouring a more nuanced and strange take, referencing especially Euripides, whose plays mostly feature strong women (despite the fact that they were performed by men most likely to men in their thousands, part of spring festivals that featured masked performers and music). We talk Plato, who banned them from his ideal Republic, and Aristotle who reckoned he knew exactly what they were good for, but whose notion of 'catharsis' has been widely misunderstood and repurposed. After comparing Andy Burnham to Phillip of Macedonia, the sophists get a significant look in, including their influence on drama and the way they play with deception and truth. French actress Isabel Huppert makes an entrance, then Euripides translator Anne Carson and there's much more. In short, another terrific wide ranging conversation and to close, Simon reads from the opening and closing paragraphs of his book. In short, a must listen.
Participants:
Simon Critchley is Hans Jonas Professor of Philosophy at the New School for Social Research in New York City .https://simon-critchley.com/
Ken Barrett is an artist, writer and former neuropsychiatrist http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/
Simon's book 'Tragedy, the Greeks and us: https://www.amazon.com/Tragedy-Greeks-Us-Simon-Critchley/dp/0525564640/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2IV6ZVSSA9WC9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.QaqozU95ZRxDtLG5dEGBB7HA8fU4H4-FmnYggilEEO3pq2jgE-wqPXKVZXgnGQNGti9BL6V4mxOAmdjHSu1N0OM-RhtMqV5BNvVWkCyzrvtvVb_eMFwQgTGv5mQrgzEgQUaQXWLQ2V6vpgGwY7r0qUdqSMuGCwpK78bb-8xmSDARl3MunkeRR4Tl-VGdG4jgVkxJ3Vqmt55I9vsq_6UcbQ4FN4d03GlH4Il7NBIJMD8.d6ocuMesHoi8TIRhVyJY1ovRrvlCL9hNtbnz6Kb-6TQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=tragedy%2C+the+greeks+and+us&qid=1721389262&sprefix=tragedy%2C+the+greeks+and+us%2Caps%2C156&sr=8-1
Musical extract: Prelude from Act 1 of Brainland, composed by Stephen Brown.
Brainland the opera website: www.brainlandtheopera.co.uk
Instagram: #brainlandcollective
Sketch by KB
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