18th-century philosophers
The 18th century lasted from January 1, 1701 (MDCCI) to December 31, 1800 (MDCCC). During the 18th century, elements of Enlightenment thinking culminated in the American, French, and Haitian revolutions.
9 episodes
Episodes in this category also belong to the following categories:
CultureHistoryPhilosophyScienceOntologistsSocial philosophersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of mindTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of historyWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of religionPhilosophers of scienceEnlightenment philosophersMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyAge of EnlightenmentPhilosophers of educationWriters about religion and scienceAtheist philosophersGerman male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of lawMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesPhilosophers of social science19th-century German male writers19th-century German philosophersGerman LutheransJewish philosophersMetaphilosophersPhilosophers of economicsUniversity of Paris alumniWriters from ParisFrench Roman CatholicsFrench atheistsFrench political philosophersGerman male essayistsGerman philosophers of historyGerman political philosophersHall of Fame for Great Americans inducteesHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesLogiciansNatural law ethicistsNatural philosophersPhilosophers of logicPhilosophers of sexualityAmerican male non-fiction writersCatholic philosophersClassical liberalismGerman philosophers of artGerman philosophers of cultureMembers of the French Academy of SciencesPhilosophers of artPolitical philosophers19th-century German essayistsAlumni of Trinity College DublinFrench philosophers of educationFrench philosophers of scienceFrench women philosophersGerman ethicists, German philosophers of educationMembers of the Académie FrançaiseSimple living advocatesTheoretical historiansVirtue ethicists18th-century English male writers18th-century German male writers19th-century English writers19th-century male writersConversationalistsExecuted philosophersFrench male non-fiction writersFrench philosophers of cultureFrench philosophers of historyGerman philosophers of scienceIrish AnglicansMembers of the Prussian Academy of SciencesPhilosophers of warRationalistsWomen religious writers18th-century Anglo-Irish people, 18th-century Irish male writers18th-century English writers18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayists18th-century classical composers19th-century French philosophers19th-century German non-fiction writersAmerican political philosophersBritish political philosophersCritics of JudaismDeist philosophersEnglish inventorsEnglish libertariansEnglish people of Irish descentEnglish republicansExecuted writersFrench feministsFrench literary criticsFrench sociologistsFrench women novelistsGerman philosophers of mind, German philosophers of religionHistorians of the French RevolutionScholars of feminist philosophyStreathamites18th-century American writers, Founding Fathers of the United States, People of the American Enlightenment18th-century French male writers18th-century French mathematicians18th-century French philosophers18th-century French women writers18th-century French writers18th-century German writers18th-century Irish writers19th-century American philosophers19th-century French novelists, 19th-century French women writersAmerican deistsAmerican philosophers of cultureAmerican philosophers of educationAmerican philosophers of religionAnglican philosophersAutobiographersBritish MPs 1780–1784, Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituenciesBurials at the Panthéon, ParisConservatismContributors to the Encyclopédie (1751–1772)Critics of deismFrench deistsFrench physicistsGerman agnosticsGerman epistemologistsGerman idealistsGerman nationalistsHumor researchersIdealistsLecturersPeople of the Age of EnlightenmentPeople with hypochondriasisWomen in the French RevolutionWriters from Dublin (city)18th-century American male writers, American foreign policy writers18th-century English people18th-century English philosophers18th-century French scientists18th-century Irish philosophers18th-century male musicians19th-century American writers19th-century French letter writers19th-century Prussian peopleAmerican nationalists, American religious skepticsAnti-monarchistsBritish MPs 1774–1780British MPs 1784–1790, British MPs 1790–1796British deistsClassical-period composersConverts to Roman Catholicism from Calvinism, Romantic philosophersDeaths from pulmonary embolismDeaths in childbirthDeputies to the French National ConventionExecuted French women, French people executed by guillotine during the French RevolutionFrench abolitionistsFrench biographers, French ethicistsFrench political scientistsFrench salon-holdersFrench travel writersFrench women dramatists and playwrightsFrench women physicistsGerman logicians, Kantian philosophersIrish Freemasons, Irish libertarians, Irish people of English descentJewish translators of the BibleKantianismNaturalized citizens of FrancePeople killed in the French RevolutionPeople of the First French EmpirePhilosophers of JudaismPolitical activists from PennsylvaniaProto-evolutionary biologistsProto-feministsRadicalsRectors of the University of GlasgowUniversal basic income writersVoting theorists
Condorcet
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the influential French philosopher and mathematician who tried to apply his Enlightenment ideas on the benefit of education to the French Revolution.
11 January 2024
Featuring: Rachel Hammersley, Richard Whatmore, Tom Hopkins
PhilosophyFrench political scientistsFrench sociologistsDeputies to the French National ConventionFrench biographers, French ethicistsHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesFrench philosophers of scienceFrench feminists18th-century philosophersTheoretical historiansAge of EnlightenmentFrench atheists18th-century French mathematiciansRationalistsBurials at the Panthéon, ParisFrench philosophers of historyFrench philosophers of educationFellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences18th-century French writersMembers of the Académie FrançaiseFrench male non-fiction writersFrench philosophers of cultureMembers of the French Academy of SciencesAtheist philosophersVoting theoristsFrench abolitionistsPhilosophers of religionProto-feministsEnlightenment philosophersUniversity of Paris alumniMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesPeople killed in the French RevolutionScholars of feminist philosophy18th-century French male writersEdmund Burke
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the work of the philosopher, politician and writer Edmund Burke, whose views on revolution in America and France were hugely influential.
3 June 2010
Featuring: Karen O'Brien, Richard Bourke, John Keane
PhilosophyBritish political philosophersEnglish libertariansNatural law ethicistsIrish Freemasons, Irish libertarians, Irish people of English descentBritish MPs 1774–1780Historians of the French RevolutionEnglish people of Irish descent18th-century philosophersClassical liberalismStreathamitesSocial philosophers18th-century English writersPhilosophers of economics18th-century Irish philosophersVirtue ethicistsCritics of deism18th-century English philosophersPhilosophers of cultureIrish AnglicansPhilosophers of education18th-century Irish writersPhilosophers of artBritish MPs 1784–1790, British MPs 1790–1796Writers from Dublin (city)18th-century Anglo-Irish people, 18th-century Irish male writersRectors of the University of GlasgowConservatismPolitical philosophersPhilosophers of religionAnglican philosophersAlumni of Trinity College DublinBritish MPs 1780–1784, Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituenciesPhilosophers of history18th-century English male writersEmilie du Châtelet
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 18th-century mathematical genius whose insights into Newton and Leibniz were part of the great advance in science in the Enlightenment.
4 February 2021
Featuring: Patricia Fara, David Wootton, Judith Zinsser
ScienceFrench physicists18th-century French philosophersDeaths in childbirth18th-century French writersContributors to the Encyclopédie (1751–1772)French women philosophersDeaths from pulmonary embolism18th-century French mathematicians18th-century philosophers18th-century French scientists18th-century French women writersFrench women physicistsGermaine de Staël
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas, works and life of Germaine de Stael (1766-1817), a literary critic, author, opponent of Napoleon and developer of Romanticism.
16 November 2017
Featuring: Catriona Seth, Alison Finch, Katherine Astbury
CultureFrench travel writers19th-century French novelists, 19th-century French women writersConversationalistsFrench Roman Catholics19th-century French letter writersFrench women philosophersFrench literary criticsWriters from Paris19th-century French philosophersFrench salon-holdersFrench feminists18th-century philosophersConverts to Roman Catholicism from Calvinism, Romantic philosophersWomen in the French Revolution18th-century French women writersPeople of the First French EmpireFrench women novelistsKant's Copernican Revolution
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Kant's ideas on how the world depends on us, on the limits of human knowledge and why we are bound to ask questions we cannot answer.
3 June 2021
Featuring: Fiona Hughes, Anil Gomes, John Callanan
PhilosophyGerman philosophers of artNatural law ethicistsGerman philosophers of scienceGerman political philosophersMetaphilosophersPhilosophers of social sciencePhilosophers of warGerman Lutherans18th-century philosophersTheoretical historiansGerman nationalists19th-century German philosophersTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of literatureGerman idealistsAge of EnlightenmentPhilosophers of logicLogiciansPhilosophers of lawPhilosophers of sexuality18th-century German writersPhilosophy writersRationalists18th-century German male writersKantianismGerman philosophers of mind, German philosophers of religionWriters about religion and science18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayists19th-century German male writers19th-century Prussian peopleHumor researchersGerman philosophers of culture19th-century German essayistsPeople of the Age of EnlightenmentGerman agnosticsGerman male essayistsOntologistsGerman ethicists, German philosophers of educationLecturersMembers of the Prussian Academy of SciencesIdealistsNatural philosophersEnlightenment philosophersGerman epistemologistsWriters about activism and social change19th-century German non-fiction writersGerman philosophers of historyGerman male non-fiction writersGerman logicians, Kantian philosophersMoses Mendelssohn
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the work of Moses Mendelssohn, one of the greatest thinkers of the German Enlightenment.
22 March 2012
Featuring: Christopher Clark, Abigail Green, Adam Sutcliffe
Olympe de Gouges
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life, ideas and works of the Frenchwoman who wrote The Declaration of the Rights of Woman in 1791 during the French Revolution
21 April 2022
Featuring: Catriona Seth, Katherine Astbury, Sanja Perovic
CultureWomen religious writers18th-century French philosophersFrench abolitionistsExecuted French women, French people executed by guillotine during the French RevolutionFrench women philosophersExecuted writersExecuted philosophersFrench women dramatists and playwrights18th-century philosophersFrench deistsWomen in the French RevolutionDeist philosophers18th-century French women writersFrench political philosophersRousseau on Education
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Rousseau's ideas on how to educate children so they retain their natural selves and are not corrupted by society.
10 October 2019
Featuring: Richard Whatmore, Caroline Warman, Denis McManus
Philosophy18th-century male musicians18th-century philosophersConverts to Roman Catholicism from Calvinism, Romantic philosophersPhilosophers of literatureAge of EnlightenmentProto-evolutionary biologistsSocial philosophersPhilosophers of economicsBurials at the Panthéon, ParisFrench political philosophersCatholic philosophersPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of educationPhilosophers of artPeople with hypochondriasis18th-century classical composersDeist philosophersPhilosophers of mindContributors to the Encyclopédie (1751–1772)Classical-period composersAutobiographersEnlightenment philosophersWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of scienceSimple living advocatesThomas Paine's Common Sense
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense, which was published in 1776 and bolstered support for American independence.
21 January 2016
Featuring: Kathleen Burk, Nicholas Guyatt, Peter Thompson
History19th-century American writersEnglish libertarians19th-century American philosophersBritish deistsDeputies to the French National Convention18th-century philosophersAmerican male non-fiction writersClassical liberalismTheorists on Western civilizationAmerican deists19th-century male writersRadicalsSocial philosophers18th-century English writersAmerican political philosophers18th-century English peoplePolitical activists from PennsylvaniaNaturalized citizens of France18th-century American male writers, American foreign policy writersAmerican philosophers of cultureUniversal basic income writersHall of Fame for Great Americans inducteesAmerican philosophers of religionCritics of Judaism19th-century English writersDeist philosophersAmerican nationalists, American religious skepticsMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyEnlightenment philosophersEnglish inventorsWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of historyEnglish republicans18th-century American writers, Founding Fathers of the United States, People of the American EnlightenmentAnti-monarchists18th-century English male writersAmerican philosophers of education