Episode 7 — Iris Murdoch: The Sovereignty of Good Seeing Clearly in a World Full of Illusion

Episode 7 — Iris Murdoch: The Sovereignty of Good

Seeing Clearly in a World Full of Illusion

Narrated by Charles Sebastian Whitby Philosophy for Better Humans

Why is it so hard to truly see the world as it is? Why do we so often misunderstand the people we love most? And what does genuine goodness look like in an age of distraction, ego, and noise?

In this profound and quietly transformative episode, Charles Sebastian Whitby explores the central insights of Iris Murdoch’s masterpiece The Sovereignty of Good — a philosophy of moral clarity, compassionate attention, and the lifelong struggle to see reality truthfully.

Through vivid storytelling, psychological depth, and Murdoch’s own piercing ideas, this episode guides listeners through:

• The ego as a fantasy-making machine
• Attention as the foundation of moral life
• “Unselfing” — the dissolving of ego through beauty
• Love as the clear perception of another’s reality
• Why goodness is a direction, not a performance
• How Murdoch’s ideas can heal modern relationships
• Practical clarity practices for everyday life
• Beauty, silence, and humility as moral disciplines

This is not a lecture. It is a gentle invitation to look again at the world, to see others with more depth and compassion, and to walk toward the Good — one clear moment at a time.