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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CulturePhilosophyScienceFellows 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 essayistsWriters about religion and scienceAtheist philosophersEnglish male non-fiction writersGerman male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of lawPhilosophers of social science19th-century German male writers19th-century German philosophers20th-century atheistsMetaphilosophersNobel laureates in LiteraturePantheistsPhilosophers of economicsPhilosophers of mathematicsAristotelian philosophersBritish male essayistsEnglish people of Scottish descentGerman male essayistsGerman philosophers of historyGerman political philosophersLogiciansNatural philosophersPhilosophers of logicPhilosophers of lovePhilosophers of psychologyPhilosophers of sexuality19th-century atheistsCritics of work and the work ethicEmpiricistsGerman philosophers of artGerman philosophers of cultureLiteracy and society theoristsPhilosophers of art19th-century German essayistsAnalytic philosophersEnglish agnosticsEpic poetsGerman philosophers of education, German ethicistsLiterary theoristsPhilosophers of technologyVirtue ethicists18th-century German male writersAnti-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 theoristsRomantic poetsWriters about globalization18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayists19th-century German non-fiction writers20th-century English philosophersAlumni of the University of EdinburghBritish ethicistsBritish philosophers of mindBritish political philosophersDeist philosophersEnglish people of Welsh descentEnglish political philosophersEuropean democratic socialistsFabulistsMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesUtilitarians18th-century British essayists18th-century British philosophers19th-century English essayists19th-century English philosophers19th-century German historians19th-century German novelists19th-century historians, 18th-century historians, 19th-century German educators, 18th-century German educators19th-century travel writers20th-century English mathematiciansAlumni of Trinity College, CambridgeBritish 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 poets, German male dramatists and playwrightsGerman travel writersGerman untitled nobilityJerusalem Prize recipientsLinguistic turnPhilosophers of linguisticsPresidents of the Aristotelian SocietySturm und Drang, Johann Wolfgang von GoetheUniversity of Strasbourg alumni19th-century English mathematiciansAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of scienceAction theoristsBritish atheism activistsBritish critics of ChristianityBritish male non-fiction writersBritish philosophers of logicBritish philosophers of religionEnglish anti-fascistsEnglish humanistsEnglish pacifists, British philosophers of cultureEnglish prisoners and detaineesEnglish scepticsFree love advocatesGerman bibliophiles, 19th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 18th-century travel writers, Writers from Weimar, 19th-century German diplomats, 18th-century German novelists, German diplomats, 18th-century German historians, German male novelists, 19th-century German poets, People from Weimar, Scientists from Weimar, 18th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 19th-century German civil servants, Writers from Frankfurt, 18th-century German poets, 18th-century German civil servantsPeople from MonmouthshirePeople of the Scottish EnlightenmentPhilosophers of identitySecular humanistsSet theoristsSkeptic philosophersUniversal basic income writersUniversity of California, Los Angeles facultyUniversity of Chicago faculty, Intellectual historiansWriters 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

     
    PhilosophyFellows of the Royal SocietyOntologistsPhilosophers of literatureTheorists on Western civilizationWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of historyCritics of the Catholic ChurchWriters about religion and scienceEnglish essayistsAtheist philosophersEnglish male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of lawPhilosophers of social sciencePhilosophers of mathematics20th-century atheistsMetaphilosophersPhilosophers of economicsNobel laureates in LiteratureAristotelian philosophersPhilosophers of loveLogiciansPhilosophers of sexualityEnglish people of Scottish descent19th-century atheistsEmpiricistsCritics of work and the work ethicAnalytic philosophersEnglish agnosticsPhilosophers of technologyAnti-nationalistsMembers of the Order of MeritBritish critics of religionsRhetoric theoristsEnglish Nobel laureatesEnglish socialistsMetaphysics writersWriters about globalizationBritish philosophers of education20th-century English philosophersEuropean democratic socialistsBritish philosophers of mindEnglish people of Welsh descentBritish ethicistsUtilitariansEnglish political philosophersFreethought writersBritish political philosophersBritish philosophers of languagePresidents of the Aristotelian SocietyBritish historians of philosophy20th-century English mathematiciansEnglish logicians19th-century English philosophersJerusalem Prize recipientsGeorgists19th-century English essayistsAlumni of Trinity College, CambridgeBritish consciousness researchers and theoristsConsequentialistsEnglish political writersFellows of Trinity College, CambridgeBritish free speech activistsLinguistic turnUniversity of California, Los Angeles facultySet theoristsEnglish humanistsBritish atheism activistsUniversal basic income writersEnglish anti-fascistsWriters about communismPeople from Monmouthshire19th-century English mathematiciansBritish critics of ChristianityEnglish prisoners and detaineesEnglish scepticsFree love advocatesBritish philosophers of logicBritish philosophers of religionSecular humanistsUniversity of Chicago faculty, Intellectual historiansAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of scienceEnglish pacifists, British philosophers of culture
  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

     
    CulturePhilosophy writersPhilosophers of literatureTheorists on Western civilizationWriters about activism and social changeEnlightenment philosophersGerman male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of social sciencePantheists19th-century German male writers19th-century German philosophersGerman male essayistsGerman political philosophersGerman philosophers of historyNatural philosophersPhilosophers of sexualityLiteracy and society theoristsGerman philosophers of artGerman philosophers of cultureEpic poetsLiterary theorists19th-century German essayistsRomantic poetsLeipzig University alumni18th-century German male writersGerman philosophers of languageGerman philosophers of scienceMembers of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences19th-century German non-fiction writersMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesFabulistsFreethought writersEpigrammatists19th-century German novelistsGerman FreemasonsUniversity of Strasbourg alumniPhilosophers of linguisticsGerman untitled nobilityGerman librariansGerman travel writers19th-century travel writersColor scientistsGerman autobiographers19th-century German historiansGerman philosophers of education, German ethicists18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayistsGerman male poets, German male dramatists and playwrights19th-century historians, 18th-century historians, 19th-century German educators, 18th-century German educatorsSturm und Drang, Johann Wolfgang von GoetheGerman bibliophiles, 19th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 18th-century travel writers, Writers from Weimar, 19th-century German diplomats, 18th-century German novelists, German diplomats, 18th-century German historians, German male novelists, 19th-century German poets, People from Weimar, Scientists from Weimar, 18th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 19th-century German civil servants, Writers from Frankfurt, 18th-century German poets, 18th-century German civil servants
  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

     
    SciencePhilosophy writersPhilosophers of literatureTheorists on Western civilizationWriters about activism and social changeEnlightenment philosophersGerman male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of social sciencePantheists19th-century German male writers19th-century German philosophersGerman male essayistsGerman political philosophersGerman philosophers of historyNatural philosophersPhilosophers of sexualityLiteracy and society theoristsGerman philosophers of artGerman philosophers of cultureEpic poetsLiterary theorists19th-century German essayistsRomantic poetsLeipzig University alumni18th-century German male writersGerman philosophers of languageGerman philosophers of scienceMembers of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences19th-century German non-fiction writersMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesFabulistsFreethought writersEpigrammatists19th-century German novelistsGerman FreemasonsUniversity of Strasbourg alumniPhilosophers of linguisticsGerman untitled nobilityGerman librariansGerman travel writers19th-century travel writersColor scientistsGerman autobiographers19th-century German historiansGerman philosophers of education, German ethicists18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayistsGerman male poets, German male dramatists and playwrights19th-century historians, 18th-century historians, 19th-century German educators, 18th-century German educatorsSturm und Drang, Johann Wolfgang von GoetheGerman bibliophiles, 19th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 18th-century travel writers, Writers from Weimar, 19th-century German diplomats, 18th-century German novelists, German diplomats, 18th-century German historians, German male novelists, 19th-century German poets, People from Weimar, Scientists from Weimar, 18th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 19th-century German civil servants, Writers from Frankfurt, 18th-century German poets, 18th-century German civil servants