The Big Ideas

Latest episodes

Showing 10 · updated from the feed

The Big Ideas podcast: Rousseau's 'Man is born free'

On the tricentenary of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Benjamen Walker and guests explore the legacy of the Swiss-born French philosopher

Jul 10 2012
12 min

The Big Ideas podcast: Plato's 'just society'

Benjamen Walker and guests explore the legacy of Plato's Republic

May 9 2012
9 min

The Big Ideas podcast: Guy Debord's 'society of the spectacle'

Benjamen Walker explores situationism and the legacy of French philosopher Guy Debord's famous phrase

Mar 28 2012
13 min

The Big Ideas podcast: Friedrich Nietzsche's 'God is dead'

What did Nietzsche mean by the death of God? Benjamen Walker and guests explore the legacy of the German philosopher's statement

Feb 4 2012
14 min

The Big Ideas podcast: Friedrich Kittler's computer wars

Philosopher Avital Ronell and novelist Tom McCarthy are among those joining Benjamen Walker to discuss the legacy of 'the Derrida of the digital age'

Dec 27 2011
13 min

The Big Ideas podcast: EF Schumacher's 'small is beautiful'

Economist Andrew Simms and Guardian columnist Madeleine Bunting are among those joining Benjamen Walker to discuss the legacy of Schumacher's 'Buddhist economics'

Nov 9 2011
12 min

The Big Ideas podcast: Adam Smith's 'invisible hand' - audio

Philosopher John Gray and Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee are among those joining Benjamen Walker to consider the legacy of Smith's much-abused phrase

Oct 6 2011
12 min

The Big Ideas podcast: the banality of evil

In the second of a series of philosophy podcasts, Benjamen Walker and guests consider the impact and legacy of Hannah Arendt's famous phrase

Aug 17 2011
20 min

The Big Ideas podcast: The medium is the message

In the first of a series of philosophy podcasts, Benjamen Walker and guests discuss the communication theorist Marshall McLuhan and his most famous line

Jul 20 2011
10 min

The Big Ideas podcast: coming soon

Every month, a group of academics, columnists and philosophers dissect a phrase that's become an intellectual cliche in order to analyse its true meaning. The Big Ideas p

Jul 15 2011
1 min

Chart trend

Position in the Philosophy chart (US), last 90 days.

#1#92#183SepOct

#90

all-time peak

5

days in the top 100 since Dec 2024

Chart positions

Where The Big Ideas ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 17, 2026).

#99 ▲ 75 Philosophy US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

A nice summary of significant concepts. The first episode was a bit too short and even the second could have been fleshed out. Even so, I look forward to more episodes.

Carmackart · Sep 2011

We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.