11| Can fiction help us see the world as it really is? — Iris Murdoch, her Literature and Philosophy, with Miles Leeson

Common Room Philosophy

This episode is an interview with Miles Leeson. Miles is the director of research at the Iris Murdoch research centre at Chichester university, and the host of the Iris Murdoch society podcast.

In this episode we discuss the novelist and philosopher Iris Murdoch, the links between her explicitly philosophical work and her literature, and her answer to the question “can fiction help us see the world as it really is?”.

It seems that fiction has a troubled place within our culture. If we think of science as the only valid way to discover reality, then what does fiction become? It may be seen as an entertaining expression of personal voice or fantasy, but it would have a very dubious claim to revealing reality. In this podcast, we explore how Murdoch's work pushes against this view.

We discuss:

- Who Iris Murdoch was, and what here primary concerns in Philosophy were

- The role of art and 'vision' in her philosophical arguments and fiction

- Whether Murdoch believes in a moral reality

- Whether fiction can help us see the world as it really is

Some links:

Miles's recommended first Murdoch book:

https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Iris-Murdoch/The-Nice-And-The-Good/141113

And first Murdoch philosophy book:

https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Iris-Murdoch/Existentialists-And-Mystics--Writings-on-Philosophy-and-Literature/16396120

Miles's five books interview on Iris Murdoch:

https://fivebooks.com/best-books/iris-murdoch-miles-leeson/

The Iris Murdoch Society Podcast:

https://soundcloud.com/user-548804258

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