Jean-Paul Sartre: A Retrospective
Produced 20 years after Sartre’s death in 1980, this program assesses the philosophical legacy of one of France’s most renowned intellectuals. The documentary features extensive film footage of Sartre conducting lectures, as well as several interviews. A host of friends, scholars, and philosophers, including Jean-Toussaint Desanti, J. B. Pontalis, Gerard Wormser, and Bernard-Henri Levy, discuss his works and his pivotal role in the Existentialist movement.

Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Da Vinci
Was the historical Jesus really a married man? Could he have even been a father? Was Mary Magdalene his wife? And do their direct descendants still survive today? As can be readily imagined, by raising controversial questions such as these, the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code has sparked a vigorous debate. In this ABC News special, Elizabeth Vargas explores the Code’s extraordinary claims by traveling to significant locations around the world to seek out what evidence may exist to support them. Religion and art history scholars, an aristocrat who believes his family to have married into Jesus’ bloodline in the 12th century, and others offer their perspectives.


John Locke
This program chronicles the life and work of John Locke, the 17th-century English philosopher and political theorist considered by many to be the first notable thinker of the Enlightenment. Without a doubt, Locke’s legacy is vast: his articulation of empiricism laid the intellectual groundwork for an explosion of scientific activity that continues to this day, and his political philosophy is widely seen as the genesis of modern liberalism—an inspiration behind the American and French Revolutions and the philosophical foundation for the development of democracy in the West. Truly, John Locke is one of the principal architects of the modern world. Excerpts from Locke’s An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Two Treatises of Government, and Letter Concerning Toleration are included.

The Life of the Buddha
Called a religion, a philosophy, and a science of mind, Buddhism is the way for hundreds of millions throughout the world. Who was the historical Prince Siddhartha, and where did he undergo the events that shaped his perceptions of the human condition? This remarkably accessible program dramatizes the life of the one who, beneath a tree at Bodh Gaya, transcended life’s misfortunes and sufferings and became known, forevermore, as Buddha. Scholars, researchers, and monastics provide illuminating insights into Siddhartha/Buddha’s experiences, his teachings, and the rapid spread of Buddhism after his death.

Logic: The Structure of Reason
As a tool for characterizing rational thought, logic cuts across many philosophical disciplines and lies at the core of mathematics and computer science. Drawing on Aristotle’s Organon, Russell’s Principia Mathematica, and other central works, this program tracks the evolution of logic, beginning with the basic syllogism. A sampling of subsequent topics includes propositional and predicate logic, Bayesian confirmation theory, Boolean logic, Frege’s use of variables and quantifiers, Gödel’s work with meta-mathematics, the Vienna Circle’s logical positivism, and the Turing machine. Commentary by Hilary Putnam, of Harvard University; NYU’s Kit Fine; and Colin McGinn, of Rutgers University, is featured.

Machiavelli: The Prince
Few literary works have inspired as diverse and impassioned opinions as Machiavelli’s The Prince. While some have denounced it as epitomizing the immorality and cynicism of despotic political rulers, others have considered it a paragon of pragmatism and lucidity in political affairs—including Napoleon Bonaparte, who deemed The Prince the only book that deserved to be read. In this program, the treatise that gave birth to modern political theory is examined in depth, both from a historical perspective and in the context of Machiavelli’s own turbulent life. As a diplomat and city official, Machiavelli witnessed firsthand and was eventually caught up in the power struggles and intrigues of 16th-century Florence. From these observations and experiences, The Prince—acknowledged by many as western history’s most important text on politics—was born. Includes numerous excerpts from the text.

Marital Sex: A Religious Perspective
This program examines religious guidelines designed to regulate and add meaning to the sex lives of married couples of the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh faiths. Topics include when intercourse is permissible and when it should be avoided, whether it is sinful for men and women to use contraception, what type of genital contact is allowable, whether marital sex for non-procreative pleasure is morally acceptable, and possible penalties for marital sex that is deemed sinful. Special attention is given to ways in which these religions are changing, or not changing, with the times. Contains mature themes and explicit language and imagery.



Metaphysics: What There Is
Systematic thought about the true nature of things is the very foundation of philosophical reasoning: idealism and materialism…realism, nominalism, and conceptualism…the noumenal and the phenomenal…logical positivism, emergentism, and modal realism. In this program, Rutgers philosophers Brian McLaughlin, Barry Loewer, John Hawthorne, Ted Sider, and Dean Zimmerman discuss the nature of this most ancient branch of philosophy, exploring concepts of causation, time, necessity, and possibility and contemplating the big questions of “Who am I?” and “Where am I?” In the process, they reference the works and theories of Aristotle, Plato, William of Ockham, Hume, Kant, Mill, Leibniz, and others. (

Mystics and Miracles
Of the thousands of holy individuals recognized by the Catholic Church, only a fraction are considered mystics—and of those, even fewer are reputed to have performed miracles during their lifetimes. This program takes a balanced look at signs that many believe reveal God’s divine presence on Earth, such as the visions of Juan Diego and Agnes of Montepulciano; the resurrection of Christina the Astonishing; the levitations of Joseph of Cupertino; the stigmata of Francis of Assisi and Padre Pio; and healings at Lourdes. Michael Carroll, professor of sociology at the University of Western Ontario, and other experts, both religious and secular, are featured.


The Nightingale of Wittenberg
Congregational music during worship owes its origin to Martin Luther, who used it to proclaim his bedrock message of the Protestant Reformation: God’s grace as the sole ingredient for salvation. This elegant program explains how Luther changed the mode of public worship by integrating music into the divine service so that all Christians—not just the clergy—could express and celebrate their belief. It also highlights Luther’s biography, from his time as a professor of Theology in 1512 at Wittenberg University to his "love for the truth and…desire to elucidate it" expressed in his 95 Theses five years later. Excommunicated and under the ban of the Emperor, Luther’s love of music in Protestant worship never waned.

NOW with Bill Moyers: Islam—Facing East, Facing West
As the faithful of Islam face the east in prayer, some Muslims also face the West with a growing sense of confusion, alarm, and anger. This timely four-part series brings Bill Moyers together with several of today’s leading experts on Islam to grapple with some of the issues on everyone’s mind since September 11, 2001. 4-part series, 23-47 minutes each.

Peter Singer: A Dangerous Mind
Dr. Peter Singer has been called the most influential living philosopher. He has also been called a monster. In this thought-provoking program, he faces his critics and discusses his ideas on euthanasia, abortion, and infanticide. The program follows his worldwide tour of lectures and encounters, including case conferences and a trip to Austria, where most of his family was killed in the Holocaust. A range of commentators consider his utilitarian stance and its impact on public policy, including Wesley J. Smith, a bioethicist and attorney with International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide; Raimond Gaita, professor of moral philosophy at London University; and Harold T. Shapiro, former president of Princeton University, where Dr. Singer teaches.



Philosophy of Mind
The mysterious relationship between the mind and the body is avidly being researched by today’s cognitive scientists. This program seeks to understand the mind/matter dichotomy through the eyes of some of history’s keenest philosophers, including Descartes, Wittgenstein, Leibniz, Mill, Gilbert Ryle, Willard Van Orman Quine, Thomas Nagel, and John Searle. Three of today’s leading lights in this intriguing branch of philosophy—Colin McGinn and Brian McLaughlin, both of Rutgers University, and NYU’s Ned Block—share their views as well. Descartes’s Meditations, Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations, and Quine’s “Mind and Verbal Dispositions” are consulted.


Philosophy of Religion
This program explores three major areas of philosophical inquiry into religion: religious epistemology, or the exploration of the rational grounds for religious beliefs and, in particular, the existence of God; the metaphysics of religion, which inquires into the nature of God; and theodicy, which examines the philosophical implications of the presence of evil in the world. Commentary by Alvin Plantinga, of the University of Notre Dame; Fordham University’s Merold Westphal; Dean Zimmerman, of Rutgers University; and Richard Sorabji, of King’s College London, is featured. Readings from Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica, Moses Maimonides’ Guide for the Perplexed, and other essential texts are included.

Political Philosophy
Who should lead the world’s only superpower? When is it acceptable to topple another country’s leader? Are personal freedom and national security mutually incompatible? The answers to urgent political questions such as these are informed by 23 centuries of discourse that started with The Republic. This program focuses successively on the pivotal ideas of Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Rousseau, Marx, Mill, John Rawls, and Robert Nozick to elucidate the thinking that underpins the West’s conceptions of good and bad government. Commentary by Ronald Dworkin, of New York University, and Kwame Anthony Appiah, of Princeton University, is featured.

Reinventing the Taliban?
When Sharmeen Obaid returned to Karachi after attending college in the U.S., she was alarmed by what she saw: a fundamentalist political party on the rise and strictly interpreted Islamic laws that were gradually eliminating freedom of expression. This program follows Ms. Obaid in her travels throughout Pakistan as she exposes inequity and injustice, particularly in regard to women, while seeking to understand why and how the Taliban’s ideology is being given new life in her home country. A diverse sampling of pro- and anti-Taliban voices is heard, and footage of rallies and protests is included.
 

Religion in Hindu India
From ritual ablutions to ceremonial cremation, the religious life of a Hindu is intimately associated with the spiritual properties of water and fire. This program steps off the beaten path for a journey with two sadhus as they visit holy locales, witness religious rites, and, in general, immerse themselves in Hindu culture as it is exists in the religion’s motherland, India. The Festival of Shivaratri, in Benares, and the Festival of Holi, in Mathura, are featured, along with devotional and secular activities in Allahabad that follow the official conclusion of the Kumbh Mela. Contains nudity associated with Nagas, male warrior ascetics

Religion, War, and Violence: The Ethics of War and Peace
This selection of compelling stand-alone segments from Religion & Ethics Newsweekly brings together experts, scholars, and religious leaders from a variety of communities and faiths to discuss a wide range of related issues: war and peace, terrorism and its roots, fundamentalism, just war, holy war, pacifism, the use of force, and violence in the name of God. Along with documentary footage and field reportage, the panel discussions provide new, insightful perspectives into some of the most timely issues today—issues at the root of current events around the world.


The Republic: Plato’s Utopia
This timeless program scrutinizes The Republic, a work that has intrigued and infuriated for thousands of years. Was Plato’s plan for an ideal city—a place where philosophers are rulers and wisdom is the cornerstone of society—a blueprint, a satire, or a bit of both? Columbia University’s Bonnie Kent; Princeton University’s Alexander Nehamas; Martha Nussbaum, of The University of Chicago; Thomas Pangle, of the University of Toronto; poet Joseph Brodsky; novelist Joyce Carol Oates; William Bennett, former U.S. Secretary of Education; and radio personality Michael Savage consider the worth of a system that promotes the common good through state control that, by necessity, must involve censorship and eugenics.

Revolution of Conscience: The Life, Convictions, and Legacy of Martin Luther
Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on the church door at Wittenberg hoping to open a theological dialogue. Instead, he sparked the Reformation. This definitive documentary chronicles Luther’s life and lasting impact on religion and society through a wealth of location footage, original manuscripts, period paintings, and expert commentary from Dr. Timothy George, Dean of Beeson Divinity School, and Dr. Paul Richardson, professor of hymnology at Samford University. Providing social and historical context, the program elucidates key theological issues, such as sanctification, justification, the sale of plenary indulgences, the dogma of transubstantiation, and, ultimately, the origin of religious authority itself.


Russia
It is no irony that Victor Zorkaltsev, a Communist, is also the head of the religious committee of the Russian parliament, the Duma. It is also not an accident that the Russian government paid for an extraordinary replica of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior that is maintained by local businessmen. And if more than 80 percent of Russians describe themselves as Orthodox Christians, why do only 5 percent go to church regularly? These are three of many examples in this potent program that concentrates on the resurgence of the Russian Orthodox Church and how its aspirations to spiritual and political power pose a threat to the fundamental freedoms of many Russians.


Sins of the Fathers: Sexual Misconduct in the Catholic Church
When revelations of sexual abuse by Catholic priests first made the headlines, top Church officials described the incidents as isolated—but a steady stream of alleged victims and incriminating church documents point to a deeper, more systemic problem. This two-part ABC News series investigates sexual misconduct in the priesthood and what is being done about it. 2-part series,



Thomas More: Utopia
Thomas More’s Utopia, one of the most significant texts of English humanism, has become the ideal for a society based on fundamental human principles of fairness and justice. This program follows the progress of More’s intellectual development, from his early friendship with the influential humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam, to his rise to power as a member of Parliament and later Chancellor of England, through his tempestuous relationship with King Henry VIII—who would eventually break away from the Catholic Church and set into motion More’s execution. In this program, quotations from Utopia serve as a dramatic counterpoint to More’s own life story, bringing into stark relief the contrast between his idealized state and the real world in which he lived and died.

Tomorrow’s Islam
Both in principle and historically, Islam is a pluralistic and progressive faith. Unfortunately, world events involving extremist groups and fundamentalist regimes have projected a distorted image of the religion into the West. In this program, devout Muslim intellectuals—Ridwan al-Killidar, of the Al Khoei Foundation; Baroness Pola Manzila Uddin, the first Muslim woman to sit in Britain’s House of Lords; the "Muslim Martin Luther," Tariq Ramadan; fiery Brookings scholar Muqtedar Khan; and others—correct misconceptions while envisioning an Islam that is at home in a modernized, interconnected world: one that retains the best of the tradition while embracing ijtihad, individual reformist thinking, to adapt the religion to the 21st century.

 

U.S.A.
This program addresses accusations of the Christian right’s distorting influence on America’s place in the world. President George W. Bush has actively promoted the idea of faith-based initiatives—government’s assistance in combating welfare and social deprivation—prompting charges of First Amendment violations from Democrats and liberals. But President Bush has had to force these initiatives through a highly resistant Congress. So is talk of the heavy power of the Christian right on American government based on liberal paranoia, as many conservatives attest? Archival congressional footage, with considerable attention paid to 9/11, chronicles the long-standing debate.

What Is Truth? The Gospels and Their Authors
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are generally regarded as the authors of the Gospels. But did they actually write them? And if not, who did, and when? This program focuses on accounts and theories pertaining to the identities of the four Evangelists, as well as the authenticity of the texts attributed to them. Scholars and clerics examine and discuss original manuscripts, such as Codex Sinaiticus, with its Shepherd of Hermas and the Epistle of Barnabas, and the Book of Alexandria with its first and second letters of Clement.


Who Wrote the New Testament?
Few books have wielded as much influence as this relatively slim tome: here is its story. Filmed in Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and other key locations, this three-part series carefully traces the saga of the New Testament’s composition and compilation, scrutinizing what was deemed canon or heresy. Noted scholars and clerics include Professors James Charlesworth of Princeton Theological Seminary, Bart D. Ehrman of the University of North Carolina, Carsten Thiede of the University of Basel, and Keith Hopkins of King’s College, Cambridge

World of Pain: Coping and Caring
This program mixes dramatizations from a painful day in the life of a hypothetical family with real-life case studies to better understand the dynamics of pain caused by a wide range of injuries and conditions: headaches, backaches, burns, abrasions, broken bones, sports injuries, and rheumatoid arthritis. Sophisticated 3-D computer animations illustrate how the body processes pain, while pain specialists provide information on pharmaceutical and non-drug approaches to pain management involving anesthesia and analgesics, distraction and reframing, acupuncture, and self-hypnosis.