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 philosophersPhilosophy writersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of mindTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of historyWriters about activism and social changeMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of religionEpistemologistsWriters about religion and scienceAtheist philosophersPhilosophers of social science20th-century atheistsForeign 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 technologyVirtue ethicistsBritish philosophers of educationMetaphysics writersRationalistsRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)Writers about globalizationAlumni of Newnham College, CambridgeBritish ethicistsBritish philosophers of mindBritish political philosophersFellows of the British Academy20th-century British essayistsAlumni of Somerville College, OxfordAlumni of Trinity College, CambridgeBisexual male writersBritish consciousness researchers and theoristsBritish historians of philosophyBritish philosophers of languageBritish socialistsCambridge University Moral Sciences ClubFellows of Somerville College, OxfordFellows of Trinity College, CambridgeJames Tait Black Memorial Prize recipientsKnights BachelorLinguistic turnPeople with post-traumatic stress disorderPresidents of the Aristotelian SocietyRoman Catholic writersWittgensteinian philosophers20th-century British non-fiction writersAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of scienceAction theoristsAustro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I, Austrian people of Jewish descentBertrand 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 HonourNaturalised citizens of the United Kingdom, Austrian agnostics, British people of Austrian-Jewish descent, Austrian essayists, Writers from Vienna, British logicians, 20th-century Austrian philosophers, Austrian logicians, British agnosticsOrdinary language philosophyPlatonistsRecipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art
  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

     
    PhilosophySocial philosophersOntologistsTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of mindWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of historyPhilosophers of religionMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of cultureEpistemologistsWriters about religion and sciencePhilosophers of mathematicsForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesJewish philosophersPhilosophers of economicsAristotelian philosophersLogiciansBritish male essayistsPhilosophers of logicPolitical philosophersJewish agnosticsPhilosophers of technologyCritics of religionsRationalistsRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)Metaphysics writersWriters about globalizationBritish philosophers of educationFellows of the British Academy20th-century British philosophersBritish ethicistsBritish political philosophersCambridge University Moral Sciences ClubPresidents of the Aristotelian SocietyBritish historians of philosophyKnights BachelorBritish consciousness researchers and theorists20th-century British essayistsRecipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and ArtCritics of MarxismBritish male non-fiction writersJewish ethicistsBritish social liberalsMembers of the Order of the Companions of HonourAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of scienceNaturalised citizens of the United Kingdom, Austrian agnostics, British people of Austrian-Jewish descent, Austrian essayists, Writers from Vienna, British logicians, 20th-century Austrian philosophers, Austrian logicians, British agnostics
  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