Bryan Magee - Broadcaster and Writer

Broadcaster and Writer

At Oxford, Magee had mixed with poets as well as politicians and in 1951 published a volume of verse through the Fortune Press. The publisher did not pay its writers and expected them to buy a certain number of copies themselves – a similar deal had been struck with such writers as Dylan Thomas and Philip Larkin for their first anthologies. The slim volume was dedicated to the memory of Richard Wagner, with a quote from Rilke's Duino Elegies: ... das Schöne ist nichts als des Schrecklichen Anfang, den wir noch grade ertragen ("... beauty is nothing but the awesome beginning, we barely endure"). Magee said later: "I'm rather ashamed of the poems now, although I have written poems since which I haven't published, which I secretly think are rather good. It has always been a dimension of what I do."

Magee's most important influence in popular culture, however, remains his efforts to make philosophy accessible to the layman. Between 1970–1971, he presented a series for BBC Radio entitled Modern British Philosophy. The series took the form of Magee in conversation with a number of contemporary British philosophers, discussing both their own work, the work of earlier 20th century British philosophers (and Wittgenstein and Karl Popper), and the relationship between philosophy and other fields such as religion and the arts. The series began with an introductory conversation between Magee and British philosopher Anthony Quinton. Other programs included discussions on Bertrand Russell, G. E. Moore and J. L. Austin, and the relationship between philosophy and religion, among others. The transcripts of the series are available in the book, Modern British Philosophy.

In 1978, Magee presented for BBC television 15 dialogues with noted philosophers in a series called Men of Ideas. Following an "Introduction to Philosophy" presented by Magee in discussion with Isaiah Berlin, Magee discussed topics like Marxist philosophy, the Frankfurt School, and modern Existentialism in subsequent episodes. Transcripts of the dialogues within the Men of Ideas series are available in published form in the book, Talking Philosophy.

Another BBC television series, The Great Philosophers, followed in 1987. In this series, Magee discussed the major historical figures of Western philosophy with fifteen contemporary philosophers. The series covered the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, and Descartes, among others, ending with a discussion with John Searle on the philosophy of Wittgenstein. Transcripts of The Great Philosophers are available in published form in a book of the same name. The Story of Thought (also published as The Story of Philosophy) also covers the history of Western philosophy.

In 1998, Magee published Confessions of a Philosopher, which essentially offers an introduction to philosophy in autobiographical form. This latter book was involved in a libel lawsuit as a result of Magee repeating the rumour that Ralph Schoenman, a controversial associate of Bertrand Russell during the philosopher's final decade, had been planted by the CIA in an effort to discredit Russell. Schoenman successfully sued Magee for libel in the UK, with the result that the first printing of the British edition of the book was pulped. A second defamation suit, filed in California against Random House, was settled in 2001. The allegations were expunged by settlement, and a new edition was issued and provided to more than 700 academic and public libraries. In Confessions of a Philosopher, Magee charts his own philosophical development in an autobiographical context. He also emphasizes the importance of Schopenhauer's philosophy as a serious attempt to solve philosophical problems. In addition to this, he launches a critique of analytic philosophy, particularly in its linguistic form over three chapters, contesting its fundamental principles and lamenting its influence.

His book, The Philosophy of Schopenhauer, (first published in 1983), remains one of the most substantial and wide-ranging treatments of Schopenhauer; it is particularly appreciated for its several essay-appendices in which Magee assesses in depth his influence on Wittgenstein, Wagner and other creative writers. He also addresses Schopenhauer's thoughts on homosexuality and the influence of Buddhism on his philosophy. He regards the work as his "academic magnum opus".

Magee has a particular interest in the life, thought and music of Richard Wagner and has written two notable books on the composer and his world Aspects of Wagner (1968; rev. ed. 1988), and The Tristan Chord: Wagner and Philosophy (2001). He is also an admirer of the philosophy of Karl Popper on whom he has written an introduction (Modern Masters series, 1997).

Magee's novel Facing Death, published in 1977, was originally written under the title Love Story. It is frequently asserted that the 1970 film of the same name is based on Magee's book; but this is incorrect. The film is actually based on a book by Erich Segal.