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 ParisClassical liberalismFrench 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 philosophersGerman 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 French women writers19th-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 letter writers19th-century French novelistsAmerican 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 letter writers18th-century French scientists18th-century Irish philosophers18th-century male musicians19th-century American 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 sociologistsFrench philosophers of education18th-century French writers18th-century French mathematiciansFrench biographers, French ethicistsVoting theoristsPhilosophers of religionUniversity of Paris alumniFrench male non-fiction writersFrench feministsFrench philosophers of scienceScholars of feminist philosophy18th-century philosophersBurials at the Panthéon, ParisPeople killed in the French RevolutionFrench abolitionists18th-century French male writersMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesMembers of the Académie FrançaiseHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesProto-feministsFrench philosophers of historyTheoretical historiansFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesRationalistsAtheist philosophersEnlightenment philosophersMembers of the French Academy of SciencesDeputies to the French National ConventionAge of EnlightenmentFrench political scientistsFrench philosophers of cultureFrench atheists18th centuryFranceMathematicsEdmund 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
Philosophy18th-century Irish philosophers18th-century Irish writersPhilosophers of cultureIrish Freemasons, Irish libertarians, Irish people of English descentBritish MPs 1774–1780Rectors of the University of GlasgowBritish MPs 1784–1790, British MPs 1790–1796Virtue ethicistsPhilosophers of religionCritics of deismEnglish libertariansHistorians of the French RevolutionAlumni of Trinity College Dublin18th-century philosophersEnglish people of Irish descentPhilosophers of education18th-century English philosophersPhilosophers of art18th-century English male writersStreathamitesPolitical philosophersClassical liberalismPhilosophers of historyBritish MPs 1780–1784, Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituenciesWriters from Dublin (city)18th-century English writersBritish political philosophersIrish AnglicansConservatismPhilosophers of economicsSocial philosophersNatural law ethicists18th-century Anglo-Irish people, 18th-century Irish male writersAnglican philosophers18th centuryEconomicsFranceIrelandEmilie 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 women writers18th-century French writers18th-century French mathematicians18th-century philosophers18th-century French philosophersContributors to the Encyclopédie (1751–1772)French women physicistsFrench women philosophersDeaths in childbirth18th-century French scientistsDeaths from pulmonary embolism18th centuryFranceMathematicsGermaine 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 literary criticsConversationalistsPeople of the First French Empire19th-century French novelistsFrench travel writers19th-century French women writers18th-century French women writersFrench feminists18th-century philosophersConverts to Roman Catholicism from Calvinism, Romantic philosophers18th-century French letter writersFrench salon-holders19th-century French philosophersWomen in the French RevolutionWriters from ParisFrench Roman Catholics19th-century French letter writersFrench women novelistsFrench women philosophers18th century19th centuryFranceKant'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
Philosophy18th-century German male writersGerman logicians, Kantian philosophers19th-century German non-fiction writersHumor researchersGerman LutheransPhilosophers of sexualityWriters about religion and scienceGerman nationalistsMetaphilosophersGerman philosophers of historyGerman male non-fiction writers19th-century Prussian peoplePhilosophers of logicGerman idealistsGerman agnostics18th-century philosophersNatural philosophersWriters about activism and social changeMembers of the Prussian Academy of SciencesPhilosophy writers18th-century German writersGerman political philosophersKantianismPhilosophers of lawGerman philosophers of culture18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayistsLecturersGerman ethicists, German philosophers of educationGerman philosophers of science19th-century German philosophersTheoretical historiansTheorists on Western civilizationRationalistsGerman philosophers of mind, German philosophers of religionGerman epistemologistsLogiciansIdealistsPhilosophers of social science19th-century German essayists19th-century German male writersGerman male essayistsEnlightenment philosophersOntologistsNatural law ethicistsPhilosophers of warPeople of the Age of EnlightenmentAge of EnlightenmentPhilosophers of literatureGerman philosophers of art18th century19th centuryGermanyMoses 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
Culture18th-century French women writers18th-century philosophersFrench deistsWomen in the French Revolution18th-century French philosophersFrench abolitionistsWomen religious writersFrench women philosophersDeist philosophersExecuted French women, French people executed by guillotine during the French RevolutionExecuted writersExecuted philosophersFrench political philosophersFrench women dramatists and playwrights18th centuryFranceRousseau 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
PhilosophyPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of mind18th-century classical composers18th-century philosophersWriters about activism and social changeSimple living advocatesBurials at the Panthéon, ParisContributors to the Encyclopédie (1751–1772)Proto-evolutionary biologistsPhilosophers of educationFrench political philosophersPhilosophers of artConverts to Roman Catholicism from Calvinism, Romantic philosophersPeople with hypochondriasisClassical-period composersDeist philosophersPhilosophers of scienceAutobiographersPhilosophers of economicsEnlightenment philosophersCatholic philosophers18th-century male musiciansSocial philosophersAge of EnlightenmentPhilosophers of literature18th centuryEconomicsFranceMusicThomas 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
HistoryHall of Fame for Great Americans inducteesAmerican philosophers of educationRadicalsAmerican philosophers of culture19th-century male writersUniversal basic income writersEnglish libertariansAmerican male non-fiction writersAmerican deistsAnti-monarchists18th-century philosophersWriters about activism and social changeAmerican political philosophersNaturalized citizens of France19th-century American writers18th-century English male writers19th-century American philosophersEnglish inventorsAmerican philosophers of religionClassical liberalismDeist philosophers18th-century American male writers, American foreign policy writers18th-century English peopleTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of history18th-century English writersCritics of JudaismPolitical activists from PennsylvaniaAmerican nationalists, American religious skeptics18th-century American writers, Founding Fathers of the United States, People of the American Enlightenment19th-century English writersEnlightenment philosophersSocial philosophersMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyDeputies to the French National ConventionEnglish republicansBritish deists18th century19th centuryAmerica