Portrait of Lord Melvyn Bragg, host of In Our Time

Freethought writers

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as treatises on botany, anatomy, and colour.

4 episodes

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PhilosophyScienceFellows of the Royal SocietyOntologistsSocial philosophersPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of mindTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of historyWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of religionPhilosophers of scienceEnlightenment philosophersEpistemologistsCritics of the Catholic ChurchEnglish essayistsEnglish male non-fiction writersWriters about religion and scienceAtheist philosophersGerman male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of law20th-century atheistsNobel laureates in LiteraturePhilosophers of social science19th-century German male writers19th-century German philosophersMetaphilosophersPantheistsPhilosophers of economicsPhilosophers of mathematicsPhilosophers of psychologyAristotelian philosophersBritish male essayistsEnglish people of Scottish descentGerman male essayistsGerman philosophers of historyGerman political philosophersLogiciansNatural philosophersPhilosophers of logicPhilosophers of lovePhilosophers of sexuality19th-century atheistsCritics of work and the work ethicEmpiricistsEpic poetsGerman philosophers of artGerman philosophers of cultureLiteracy and society theoristsPhilosophers of art19th-century German essayistsAnalytic philosophersEnglish agnosticsGerman ethicists, German philosophers of educationLiterary theoristsPhilosophers of technologyRomantic poetsVirtue ethicists18th-century German male writersAlumni of the University of EdinburghAnti-nationalistsBritish critics of religionsBritish philosophers of educationEnglish Nobel laureatesEnglish socialistsGerman philosophers of languageGerman philosophers of scienceLeipzig University alumniMembers of the Bavarian Academy of SciencesMembers of the Order of MeritMetaphysics writersRhetoric theoristsWriters about globalization18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayists19th-century German non-fiction writers20th-century English philosophersAlumni of Trinity College, CambridgeBritish ethicistsBritish philosophers of mindBritish political philosophersDeist philosophersEnglish people of Welsh descentEnglish political philosophersEuropean democratic socialistsFabulistsGerman untitled nobilityMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesUtilitarians18th-century British essayists18th-century British philosophers18th-century German educators, 18th-century historians, 19th-century German educators, 19th-century historians19th-century English essayists19th-century English philosophers19th-century German historians19th-century German novelists19th-century travel writers20th-century English mathematiciansAction theoristsBritish consciousness researchers and theoristsBritish free speech activistsBritish historians of philosophyBritish philosophers of languageColor scientistsConsequentialistsConservatismCriticism of rationalismEnglish logiciansEnglish political writersEpigrammatistsFellows of Trinity College, CambridgeGeorgistsGerman FreemasonsGerman autobiographersGerman librariansGerman male dramatists and playwrights, German male poetsGerman travel writersJerusalem Prize recipientsJohann Wolfgang von Goethe, Sturm und DrangLinguistic turnPhilosophers of linguisticsPresidents of the Aristotelian SocietyUniversity of Strasbourg alumni18th-century German civil servants, 18th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 18th-century German historians, 18th-century German novelists, 18th-century German poets, 18th-century travel writers, 19th-century German civil servants, 19th-century German diplomats, 19th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 19th-century German poets, German bibliophiles, German diplomats, German male novelists, People from Weimar, Scientists from Weimar, Writers from Frankfurt, Writers from Weimar19th-century English mathematiciansAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of scienceBritish atheism activistsBritish critics of ChristianityBritish male non-fiction writersBritish philosophers of culture, English pacifistsBritish philosophers of logicBritish philosophers of religionEnglish anti-fascistsEnglish humanistsEnglish prisoners and detaineesEnglish scepticsFree love advocatesIntellectual historians, University of Chicago facultyPeople from MonmouthshirePeople of the Scottish EnlightenmentPhilosophers of identitySecular humanistsSet theoristsSkeptic philosophersUniversal basic income writersUniversity of California, Los Angeles facultyWriters about communism
  1. Bertrand Russell

    Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the influential 20th-century British thinker Bertrand Russell, widely regarded as one of the founders of Analytical philosophy.

    6 December 2012

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    Featuring: A. C. Grayling, Mike Beaney, Hilary Greaves

     
    PhilosophyBritish free speech activistsBritish historians of philosophyEnglish logiciansUniversal basic income writersEuropean democratic socialistsMetaphysics writersMembers of the Order of MeritEnglish anti-fascists19th-century atheistsBritish philosophers of educationEmpiricistsEnglish humanistsFree love advocatesGeorgistsBritish critics of religionsEnglish Nobel laureatesNobel laureates in LiteratureTheorists on Western civilizationBritish political philosophersPhilosophers of social scienceEnglish people of Scottish descentEnglish socialistsEnglish male non-fiction writersConsequentialistsFellows of the Royal SocietyLinguistic turnPhilosophers of sexualityRhetoric theoristsMetaphilosophersPhilosophers of loveEnglish political philosophersCritics of work and the work ethicEnglish people of Welsh descent20th-century atheists20th-century English mathematiciansPresidents of the Aristotelian SocietyUtilitariansBritish atheism activistsWriters about communismLogicians19th-century English essayistsSecular humanistsPhilosophers of economicsIntellectual historians, University of Chicago facultyOntologistsEnglish scepticsFreethought writersCritics of the Catholic Church19th-century English philosophersBritish critics of ChristianityPeople from MonmouthshireAristotelian philosophersJerusalem Prize recipientsPhilosophers of lawEnglish prisoners and detaineesBritish philosophers of languageSet theoristsPhilosophers of technologyBritish consciousness researchers and theoristsPhilosophers of mathematicsBritish philosophers of mind20th-century English philosophers19th-century English mathematiciansAnti-nationalistsPhilosophers of literatureEnglish agnosticsBritish philosophers of culture, English pacifistsWriters about globalizationWriters about religion and scienceFellows of Trinity College, CambridgeEnglish essayistsAnalytic philosophersAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of scienceWriters about activism and social changeAlumni of Trinity College, CambridgePhilosophers of historyBritish philosophers of religionBritish ethicistsAtheist philosophersUniversity of California, Los Angeles facultyBritish philosophers of logicEnglish political writers19th century20th centuryEconomicsLanguageMathematics
  2. David Hume

    Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the work of David Hume, the philosopher and leading figure of the Scottish Enlightenment.

    6 October 2011

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    Featuring: Peter Millican, Helen Beebee, James Harris

     
  3. Goethe

    Melvyn Bragg discusses the great German polymath Johann Wolfgang Goethe - novelist, dramatist, poet, humanist, scientist and philosopher.

    6 April 2006

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    Featuring: Tim Blanning, Sarah Colvin, W. Daniel Wilson

     
    18th-century German male writersMembers of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences19th-century German non-fiction writersGerman philosophers of language19th-century travel writersMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesPhilosophers of sexualityLiteracy and society theoristsGerman autobiographersGerman philosophers of historyGerman male non-fiction writersEpigrammatistsJohann Wolfgang von Goethe, Sturm und DrangEpic poetsPhilosophers of linguistics18th-century German civil servants, 18th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 18th-century German historians, 18th-century German novelists, 18th-century German poets, 18th-century travel writers, 19th-century German civil servants, 19th-century German diplomats, 19th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 19th-century German poets, German bibliophiles, German diplomats, German male novelists, People from Weimar, Scientists from Weimar, Writers from Frankfurt, Writers from WeimarGerman untitled nobilityNatural philosophersWriters about activism and social changeRomantic poetsGerman travel writersGerman librariansPhilosophy writersGerman political philosophersFabulists19th-century German novelistsGerman FreemasonsColor scientistsGerman philosophers of culture18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayistsFreethought writersGerman philosophers of science19th-century German philosophersGerman ethicists, German philosophers of educationTheorists on Western civilizationLiterary theoristsUniversity of Strasbourg alumniLeipzig University alumni19th-century German historiansGerman male dramatists and playwrights, German male poetsPhilosophers of social science19th-century German essayists19th-century German male writersGerman male essayistsEnlightenment philosophers18th-century German educators, 18th-century historians, 19th-century German educators, 19th-century historiansPantheistsPhilosophers of literatureGerman philosophers of art18th century19th centuryGermanyLanguage
  4. Goethe and the Science of the Enlightenment

    Melvyn Bragg assesses the scientific legacy of the 18th century German poet and thinker Goethe, who gave us the term morphology and is sometimes even credited with inventing biology itself.

    10 February 2000

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    Featuring: Nicholas Boyle, Simon Schaffer

     
    Science18th-century German male writersMembers of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences19th-century German non-fiction writersGerman philosophers of language19th-century travel writersMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesPhilosophers of sexualityLiteracy and society theoristsGerman autobiographersGerman philosophers of historyGerman male non-fiction writersEpigrammatistsJohann Wolfgang von Goethe, Sturm und DrangEpic poetsPhilosophers of linguistics18th-century German civil servants, 18th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 18th-century German historians, 18th-century German novelists, 18th-century German poets, 18th-century travel writers, 19th-century German civil servants, 19th-century German diplomats, 19th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 19th-century German poets, German bibliophiles, German diplomats, German male novelists, People from Weimar, Scientists from Weimar, Writers from Frankfurt, Writers from WeimarGerman untitled nobilityNatural philosophersWriters about activism and social changeRomantic poetsGerman travel writersGerman librariansPhilosophy writersGerman political philosophersFabulists19th-century German novelistsGerman FreemasonsColor scientistsGerman philosophers of culture18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayistsFreethought writersGerman philosophers of science19th-century German philosophersGerman ethicists, German philosophers of educationTheorists on Western civilizationLiterary theoristsUniversity of Strasbourg alumniLeipzig University alumni19th-century German historiansGerman male dramatists and playwrights, German male poetsPhilosophers of social science19th-century German essayists19th-century German male writersGerman male essayistsEnlightenment philosophers18th-century German educators, 18th-century historians, 19th-century German educators, 19th-century historiansPantheistsPhilosophers of literatureGerman philosophers of art18th century19th centuryGermanyLanguage