Jewish agnostics
This page lists well-known Jewish atheists. Based on Jewish law's emphasis on matrilineal descent, religiously conservative Orthodox Jewish authorities would accept an atheist born to a Jewish mother as fully Jewish.
6 episodes
Episodes in this category also belong to the following categories:
PhilosophyScienceOntologistsSocial philosophersPhilosophy writersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophers of mindTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of historyWriters about activism and social changeMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of religionPhilosophers of scienceMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyEpistemologistsWriters about religion and scienceGerman male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of lawPhilosophers of social scienceForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesJewish philosophersMetaphilosophersPantheistsPhilosophers of economicsPhilosophers of mathematicsAristotelian philosophersBritish male essayistsExistentialistsGerman political philosophersLogiciansMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophers of logicPhilosophy of scienceAmerican male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of artPhilosophers of languagePolitical philosophersAnalytic philosophersCritics of religionsEnglish agnosticsGerman philosophers of education, German ethicistsPhilosophers of technology20th-century German philosophersAnti-nationalistsBritish philosophers of educationJewish socialistsMetaphysics writersRationalistsRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)Women religious writersWriters about globalization20th-century British philosophersAlumni of Newnham College, CambridgeAmerican political philosophersBritish ethicistsBritish political philosophersEuropean democratic socialistsFellows of the British AcademyHeidelberg University alumniMembers of the American Academy of Arts and LettersNaturalized citizens of the United States20th-century American male writers20th-century British biologists20th-century British essayistsAlbert EinsteinAlumni of Trinity College, CambridgeAmerican humanistsAmerican philosophers of educationBisexual male writersBritish consciousness researchers and theoristsBritish historians of philosophyCambridge University Moral Sciences ClubExilliteratur writersFellows of Trinity College, CambridgeForeign members of the Royal SocietyGerman Ashkenazi JewsGerman agnosticsGerman women philosophersInstitute for Advanced Study visiting scholarsJewish atheistsJewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United StatesKnights BachelorLinguistic turnMental calculatorsNobel laureates in PhysicsPeople with post-traumatic stress disorderPresidents of the Aristotelian SocietyRecipients of Franklin MedalStateless peopleWittgensteinian philosophers20th-century American engineers20th-century American essayists20th-century American inventors, Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences20th-century American philosophers20th-century American women writers20th-century British non-fiction writers20th-century German non-fiction writers20th-century German women writersAcademic staff of ETH ZurichAcademics of King's College LondonAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of scienceAcademics of the Victoria University of ManchesterAustro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I, Austrian people of Jewish descentBertrand Russell Professors of PhilosophyBisexual military personnelBritish crystallographers, British biophysicists, 20th-century British chemistsBritish male non-fiction writersBritish social liberalsCritics of MarxismDeaths from cancer in EnglandGerman Zionists, American Ashkenazi Jews, American agnostics, American ZionistsJewish British scientistsJewish German physicists, Jewish scientistsJewish ethicistsJewish existentialistsJewish women scientistsLGBTQ mathematicians, LGBTQ philosophersMembers of the Order of the Companions of HonourNaturalised citizens of AustriaNaturalised 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 philosophyPrinceton University facultyRecipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and ArtScholars of antisemitismSet theoristsThe New School facultyUniversity of Chicago faculty, Intellectual historiansUniversity of Marburg alumniWinners of the Max Planck Medal
Albert Einstein
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Einstein's impact on the world of physics after his 'miraculous year' in 1905 and why he went on to become so very famous after World War One.
14 September 2023
Featuring: Richard Staley, Diana Kormos Buchwald, John Heilbron
SciencePhilosophers of scienceMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyGerman male non-fiction writersPantheistsPhilosophers of mathematicsMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophy of scienceAmerican male non-fiction writersJewish agnosticsAnti-nationalistsJewish socialistsNaturalized citizens of the United StatesEuropean democratic socialistsAlbert EinsteinAmerican humanists20th-century American male writersGerman agnosticsGerman Ashkenazi JewsJewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United StatesNobel laureates in PhysicsRecipients of Franklin MedalStateless peopleNaturalised citizens of Austria20th-century American engineersAcademic staff of ETH ZurichWinners of the Max Planck Medal20th-century American inventors, Members of the United States National Academy of SciencesGerman Zionists, American Ashkenazi Jews, American agnostics, American ZionistsJewish German physicists, Jewish scientistsHannah Arendt
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas of Hannah Arendt who examined totalitarianism and politics and, when covering the Eichmann trial, explored 'the banality of evil'.
2 February 2017
Featuring: Lyndsey Stonebridge, Frisbee Sheffield, Robert Eaglestone
PhilosophySocial philosophersPhilosophy writersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophers of historyPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of sciencePhilosophers of lawGerman political philosophersExistentialistsPolitical philosophersJewish agnosticsPhilosophers of technologyWomen religious writers20th-century German philosophersHeidelberg University alumniMembers of the American Academy of Arts and LettersAmerican political philosophersExilliteratur writersGerman agnosticsGerman Ashkenazi JewsJewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United StatesGerman women philosophersAmerican philosophers of educationPrinceton University faculty20th-century American essayists20th-century American women writers20th-century German women writers20th-century American philosophers20th-century German non-fiction writersJewish existentialistsThe New School facultyScholars of antisemitismUniversity of Marburg alumniGerman philosophers of education, German ethicistsGerman Zionists, American Ashkenazi Jews, American agnostics, American ZionistsUniversity of Chicago faculty, Intellectual historiansPaul Erdős
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and work of the highly prolific, itinerant 20th century Hungarian mathematician, who enjoyed an unrivalled reputation for problem-solving.
23 Feb 2023
Featuring: Colva Roney-Dougal, Timothy Gowers, Andrew Treglown
ScienceForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesJewish agnosticsMental calculatorsJewish atheistsForeign members of the Royal SocietyInstitute for Advanced Study visiting scholarsSet theoristsAcademics of the Victoria University of ManchesterPrinceton University facultyPopper
Melvyn Bragg discusses the philosopher Karl Popper, author of The Open Society and a seminal thinker about science.
8 February 2007
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 agnosticsRosalind Franklin
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the achievements of the pioneering scientist Rosalind Franklin.
22 February 2018
Featuring: Patricia Fara, Jim Naismith, Judith Howard
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
Featuring: Ray Monk, Barry Smith, Marie McGinn
PhilosophySocial philosophersOntologistsPhilosophy writersTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of mindMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of cultureEpistemologistsPhilosophers of social sciencePhilosophers of mathematicsJewish philosophersMetaphilosophersBritish male essayistsPhilosophers of logicPhilosophers of artPhilosophers of languageAnalytic philosophersJewish agnostics20th-century British philosophersWittgensteinian philosophersCambridge University Moral Sciences ClubPeople with post-traumatic stress disorderAlumni of Trinity College, CambridgeFellows of Trinity College, CambridgeLinguistic turn20th-century British essayistsBisexual male writersBertrand Russell Professors of Philosophy20th-century British non-fiction writersOrdinary language philosophyBisexual military personnelAustro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I, Austrian people of Jewish descentLGBTQ mathematicians, LGBTQ philosophersNaturalised 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