Portrait of Lord Melvyn Bragg, host of In Our Time

20th-century British philosophers

Contemporary philosophy is the present period in the history of Western philosophy beginning at the early 20th century with the increasing professionalization of the discipline and the rise of analytic and continental philosophy.The phrase "contemporary philosophy" is a piece of technical terminology in philosophy that refers to a specific period in the history of Western philosophy (namely the philosophy of the 20th and 21st centuries). However, the phrase is often confused with modern philosophy (which refers to an earlier period in Western philosophy), postmodern philosophy (which refers to some philosophers' criticisms of modern philosophy), and with a non-technical use of the phrase referring to any recent philosophic work.

4 episodes

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CulturePhilosophyOntologistsSocial philosophersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of mindTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of historyWriters about activism and social changeMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of religionEpistemologistsWriters about religion and scienceAtheist philosophers20th-century atheistsPhilosophers of social scienceForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesJewish philosophersMetaphilosophersPhilosophers of economicsPhilosophers of mathematicsAristotelian philosophersBritish male essayistsLogiciansPhilosophers of logicCatholic philosophersPhilosophers of artPhilosophers of languagePolitical philosophersAnalytic philosophersChristian ethicistsCritics of religionsJewish agnosticsPhilosophers of technologyRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)Virtue ethicistsBritish philosophers of educationKnights BachelorMetaphysics writersRationalistsWriters about globalizationAlumni of Newnham College, CambridgeAlumni of Trinity College, CambridgeBisexual male writersBritish ethicistsBritish philosophers of mindBritish political philosophersFellows of the British AcademyJames Tait Black Memorial Prize recipientsPeople with post-traumatic stress disorder20th-century British essayistsAction theoristsAlumni of Somerville College, OxfordBritish consciousness researchers and theoristsBritish historians of philosophyBritish philosophers of languageBritish socialistsCambridge University Moral Sciences ClubFellows of Somerville College, OxfordFellows of Trinity College, CambridgeLinguistic turnPresidents of the Aristotelian SocietyRecipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and ArtRoman Catholic writersWittgensteinian philosophers20th-century Austrian philosophers, Austrian agnostics, Austrian essayists, Austrian logicians, British agnostics, British logicians, British people of Austrian-Jewish descent, Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom, Writers from Vienna20th-century British non-fiction writersAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of scienceAustrian people of Jewish descent, Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War IBertrand Russell Professors of PhilosophyBisexual military personnelBritish atheistsBritish male non-fiction writersBritish parodistsBritish people of Irish descentBritish social liberalsBritish women philosophersConverts to Roman CatholicismCritics of MarxismDeaths from kidney failure in the United KingdomJewish ethicistsLGBTQ mathematicians, LGBTQ philosophersMembers of the Order of the Companions of HonourOrdinary language philosophyPlatonists
  1. Elizabeth Anscombe

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the influential thinker who rejuvenated moral philosophy in the postwar period.

    22 June 2023

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    Featuring: Rachael Wiseman, Constantine Sandis, Roger Teichmann

     
  2. Iris Murdoch

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the growing prominence of the philosophy of one of the most celebrated novelists of the 20th century, who developed her ideas in response to WWII.

    21 October 2021

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    Featuring: Anil Gomes, Anne Rowe, Miles Leeson

     
  3. Popper

    Melvyn Bragg discusses the philosopher Karl Popper, author of The Open Society and a seminal thinker about science.

    8 February 2007

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    Featuring: John Worrall, Anthony O'Hear, Nancy Cartwright

     
    PhilosophyBritish political philosophersEpistemologistsCambridge University Moral Sciences ClubForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesTheorists on Western civilizationBritish ethicistsPhilosophers of logicKnights BachelorLogiciansPresidents of the Aristotelian SocietySocial philosophersPhilosophers of technologyRationalistsAristotelian philosophersPhilosophers of economicsWriters about religion and scienceWriters about globalizationBritish philosophers of educationBritish social liberalsRecipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and ArtBritish male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of mathematicsBritish historians of philosophyJewish agnosticsAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of scienceCritics of religions20th-century British philosophers20th-century Austrian philosophers, Austrian agnostics, Austrian essayists, Austrian logicians, British agnostics, British logicians, British people of Austrian-Jewish descent, Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom, Writers from ViennaOntologistsPhilosophers of mindRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)MetaphysiciansJewish philosophersPolitical philosophersPhilosophers of religionBritish consciousness researchers and theoristsJewish ethicistsMembers of the Order of the Companions of HonourWriters about activism and social change20th-century British essayistsCritics of MarxismPhilosophers of historyFellows of the British AcademyMetaphysics writersBritish male essayists
  4. Wittgenstein

    Melvyn Bragg discusses how Ludwig Wittgenstein, one of the greatest philosophers of the modern age has influenced contemporary culture with his ideas on language.

    4 December 2003

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    Featuring: Ray Monk, Barry Smith, Marie McGinn