Cornel West - American Allegro Molto Vivace (Part 5 of 6)
In this lecture, Prof. West argues that the two great philosophically-inclined artists in early twentieth-century America were T.S. Eliot and Eugene O’Neill. Eugene O’Neill’s 49 plays constitute the greatest literary exploration of the cultural and spiritual dynamics of the American empire. Eliot’s work, especially his poems and criticism from 1917-1942, explored the end of the age of Europe with its wars, loveless creatures, hollow men, mindless barbarity, and devastated wastelands. As Prof. West discusses in response to O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh and Eliot’s Four Quartets, both writers understood the profound human tragedy of their times, but, trapped within a waning civilisation, neither artist could find a way out. The original video can be found here. --- As always these talks are syndicated for educational and nonprofit purposes in accordance with Fair Use. They are produced ad-free, because I listen to my own stuff on here and like you, I hate ads. If you are able, donations to support the project, which is a labor of love for me, are available through Spotify. Anything helps and is felt. Furthermore my historical and philosophical writing, which is also entirely free is available at my blog, Hemlock, on Substack. The music of the intro and outro (Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major) is licensed under non-commercial attribution, and can be found here and has been remixed by me. Enjoy.