Firing Line
The Mechanism of Moral Development
TV Flash files “The Mechanism of Moral Development” as hour 117 of 326 in the TV Flash guide — Firing Line (1966–1999) on Syndicated/PBS, season 8, episode 39, aired 1973-10-16, 120 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S08E39: listed hour 117 of 326 in the Firing Line guide, hour 17 of 20 in season 8. It aired 1973-10-16 (120 min). The listed hour before it is “The Nixon Presidency” (S08E38). Next is “Heredity, IQ, and Social Issues” (S08E40).
Viewer FAQ
Where does The Mechanism of Moral Development sit in the Firing Line guide?
S08E39 is listed hour 117 of 326 — hour 17 of 20 in season 8, season 8 episode 39.
When did Firing Line S08E39 air?
The Mechanism of Moral Development aired 1973-10-16 and is listed at 120 minutes.
Where should I start?
A Buckley hour with a guest from across the aisle and room for full sentences is the contract. Clipboard, drawl, no countdown clock. Sample debates, not a serialized doctrine.
In the series
Why this series still plays
Firing Line is William F. Buckley Jr. turning argument into spectator sport: clipboard, drawl, and guests from across the aisle in conversations that refused the sound bite. Syndicated, then PBS, it ran for decades on polysyllables. Political talk before the countdown clock — intellectual blood sport with manners, and sentences allowed to finish on national television.
Clipboard, drawl, and a guest from across the aisle — argument as spectator sport before the countdown clock. Firing Line is William F. Buckley Jr. turning political talk into ballet and blood sport at once. Premiered 1966, then ran through syndication and PBS into 1999. Sesquipedalian flair, pointed civility, ideas as combat. Public-affairs TV with a maestro's ego. Sentences allowed to finish on national television. **It set a gold standard for intellectual TV debate across ideological lines.**
Filed against
- William F. Buckley Jr. as Host
William F. Buckley Jr. hosted Firing Line as argument-as-spectator-sport — clipboard, drawl, guests from across the aisle in conversations that refused the sound bite. Syndicated, then PBS, decades on polysyllables. TV Flash files him as…