Part 2

In Ideas of the 20th Century: Part 2, Dr. Bonevac continues our analysis of the intellectual currents shaping 20th-century Western thought. Beginning with thinkers who warned about threats to civilization, we examine the rise of totalitarianism in Europe. We then turn to existentialism and its response to meaning and absurdity, critiques grounded in universal moral truth, and accounts of how language connects mind to reality. We consider defenses of freedom, warnings about linguistic manipulation, and postmodern challenges to objective truth. Finally, we study the revival of moral normativity, theories of justice, and the intellectual movements behind the collapse of Soviet communism. Our course concludes by reflecting on the enduring challenges to Western values and the importance of moral truth in sustaining civilization.