A Celebration of the Life of Bryan Magee

On 29 October 2019 Keble College, Oxford, hosted a celebration of the life of Bryan Magee (1930-2019) in the College Chapel. There were audio and video clips of Bryan in action, music chosen by Bryan and played by the Amherst Sextet, and addresses by David Owen and Simon Callow. The contributions by the sextet are not included in this version of the film (at their request), but may be viewed in the Keble Archives.

[@aaronburns9538]

Just found he died. So sad to lose this passionately curious and entertaining host. RIP Bryan thank you.

[@ShalomFreedman]

Every one of his interviews with scholars of Philosophy was conducted with great articulateness, intelligence and consideration of the listening audience. It always seemed to be as expert in the subject as the expert he was dialoguing with. He seemed to have a mastery of the whole philosophical tradition and to respect and care for it in a profound way. Like so many other observers and listeners of those programs I feel a deep appreciation of his work and achievement.

[@doktortracy]

Bryan Magee gave me great comfort, stimulating my mind. I thank him and celebrate his life's contributions. Well done Bryan Magee.

[@hinteregions]

Confessions of a Philosopher is a truly wonderful book, that I don't own as I keep giving it away. I must buy one now to keep. A truly great man.

[@alexplotkin3368]

I'm reading 'Confessions of a Philosopher' as we speak. The book is a revelation of great ideas.

[@hinteregions]

@@alexplotkin3368 I love how he begins, talking about his horror when he was a child at the inevitability of death. I remember when I was very little this fact of life being explained to me not at all well, so that I went many days in distress thinking that when you get old they shoot you. I came late to Bryan Magee XD

[@maltesetony9030]

I am this moment reading it for the third time. It's a gem of a book.

[@kimyunmi452]

Read also his "Ultimate Questions". Wonderful book..

[@hinteregions]

@@kimyunmi452 I will, yesyes. I've only read that one, and this long before I found all his interviews here, that I so do love along with that one book. Do we know of any other comparable interviewers of in particular philosophers?

[@kimyunmi452]

Schopenhauer and Popper would have been very proud of you. Rest in Peace Bryan Magee...the ultimate agnostic. You have lived your life to the fullest. Well done Sir!

[@alexplotkin3368]

Bryan Magee was a very positive, insightful and great communicator of the ideas of philosophy.

[@grumpyoldman8661]

I thrust myself on Bryan Magee when he passed me whilst I was on holiday in Salzburg, and the memory still makes me squirm. It was an act foreign to my nature, but it was quite spontaneous and prompted by deep admiration for a philosopher (which indeed he was) who communicated ideas so lucidly and widely, and had introduced me to the work of Karl Popper; his small book on Sir Karl in the Fontana Modern Masters Series is still the best intro by far. Needless to say Bryan Magee listened to my feeble praise for his work - especially for his intellectual autobiography "Confessions of a Philosopher" - and thanked me courteously before extricating himself from this unsolicited conversation. Co-incidentally I had been re-reading Bryan Magee's "Modern British Philosophy (1970) when this celebration of his life popped up on U-tube.

[@azads.t8633]

He represented a generation of intellectuals of our time whose separation is a great sorrow for us ....

[@lilyghassemzadeh]

Rest in peace, Sir. You will always be remembered by me, if it means anything to you.

[@rationalsceptic7634]

A Wonderful Man and hugely underated Broadcaster,RIP tc

[@kimyunmi452]

The Ultimate Question.

[@RoyBurnell-o6n]

Martinez Susan Perez Edward Perez Kimberly

[@andreassmith7773]

As a maths student at university years ago, I read Magee's The Philosophy of Schopenhauer, which I found deeply fascinating. Several years later I found myself standing next to Magee at the Royal Festival Hall during the interval to Schoenberg's momentous Gurre-Lieder. I took the opportunity not only to tell him how much I had enjoyed his Schopenhauer book, but also that he had inspired me to go on to study philosophy. He shook my hand and said thank you. His television interviews with philosophers were wonderful. That age seems unrecapturable in the current media landscape, alas.

[@henryhardy8760]

Alas indeed.

[@moveonupcb]

Magee was often more adept at describing ideas than the original thinkers who created the ideas.

[@kerravon2527]

That's a higher level of achievement than most of us ever attain.

[@hemlyns9916]

Bryan Magee was the absolute refutation of Shaw's witless dictum: Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.

[@medievalmusiclover]

Greetings from Dallas, Texas. U.S.A. My deep respect for this wonderful Philosopher Mr. Magee. Rest in Peace.

[@GoldLibrary]

Bryan Magee was a great man who lived a great life. His efforts at disseminating the insights of philosophy were a noble and rare achievement. His reputation outlives him. Rest easy.

[@michaelcollins7192]

Bryan was a brilliant scholar and one of those great English gentleman, who, expertly, brought philosophy to the television screen, these archived programs are gems. May he rest in peace.

[@kerravon2527]

I somewhat randomly came across Bryan Magee on KZbin some months ago when trying to establish a broad understanding of philosophical history and was utterly humbled by his knowledge, eloquence and generosity to his interviewees. I have watched them over and over and am a more complete person as a result. I appreciate this is very late, but for all those who knew him I wish you my deepest and heartfelt condolences.

[@syedadeelhussain2691]

he made philosophy popular on the TV! many people developed interests in the subject after watching his broadcasts.

[@osoio]

O livro "Confissões de um filósofo" foi um dos livros mais importantes de minha vida. Influenciou-me profundamente. Li mais de uma milhão de vezes. Obrigado, Bryan. Abraços do Brasil. Com ternura, Aldrin.

[@orangeSoda35]

"After your death you will be what you were before your birth." - Arthur Schopenhauer

[@Sunfried1]

Bravo and well done, Mr. Magee. RIP

[@parkhousetrainingltd4889]

One of the 20th greats - RIP Bryan Magee

[@ajw9533]

My dad was at CH with him. I recommend his tv programmes to my pupils now.

[@JonSebastianF]

18:25, Henry, the high voice is mostly a result of the recording technology of the time of recording: For a gramophone, the recording-speed, the RPM rate (revolutions per minute), is lower/slower than the playback-speed. So when the recording is played back unadjusted, the higher RPM rate effectively raises the pitch and tempo, which makes us all sound a bit like mice in a bit of a hurry.

[@solomonreal1977]

His name was Bryan Magee.... he stayed up listening to Queen..... when he was seventeeeeeeen......

[@HelloEveryonez678]

I watched every one of Bryan Magee's nterviews with philosophers. I always found listening to him, especially his introductions, far more interesting and fascinating than anything his guests had to say!

[@roostercogburn1943]

Very insightful thinker, commanded a great mind, but, I never would have thought he was on the left, and was a member of the labour party

[@johntent]

Thank you BM for so much. RIP!

[@hemlyns9916]

RIP Mr Magee. It's sad that his radio programmes are always forgotten. He gave a series called: What's the Big Idea, and they made a similar contribution as the televised series.

[@AI-Hallucination]

taught us working class freedom

[@Mazeppa6]

An unsung hero of British public life - his books on Wagner led me to Schopenhauer and expanded my horizons. Rest in peace Mr. Magee - I’m Sure you have the answers to your ‘ultimate questions’ now....

[@sabyasachisenapati3619]

I may not be smart Sayanti, but surely am not boring.❤

[@anhumblemessengerofthelawo3858]

Did he die ?

[@yvonneheald6456]

It tells one nothing about his inner self, his relationship with his disturbed mother, his failed marrige, his daughter and his grand children. Were they there at this event?

[@henryhardy8760]

Yes, and I ought to have mentioned this when I spoke. I had done so at the private funeral.

[@ericadler9680]

It's a scandal that Callow used this celebration of Magee for his own personal self-therapy, it's below all criticism. He should be ashamed of himself.

[@01dman]

Clearly you’ve mistaken the character of Bryan if you think this comment is appropriate here.

[@blackfang3000]

A bit sociopathic living in Britain and not romanticising Victorianism