Members of the Order of Merit
The Order of Merit (French: Ordre du Mérite) is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by King Edward VII, admission into the order remains the personal gift of its Sovereign—currently Edward VII's great-great-grandson, Charles III—and is restricted to a maximum of 24 living recipients from the Commonwealth realms, plus a limited number of honorary members.
5 episodes
Episodes in this category also belong to the following categories:
CultureHistoryPhilosophyScienceFellows of the Royal SocietyOntologistsFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophers of literatureTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of historyWriters about activism and social changeMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyCritics of the Catholic ChurchEnglish essayistsRecipients of the Copley MedalWriters about religion and scienceAtheist philosophersBurials at Westminster AbbeyEnglish male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of lawPhilosophers of social science20th-century atheistsForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesMetaphilosophersNobel laureates in LiteraturePantheistsPhilosophers of economicsPhilosophers of mathematicsAristotelian philosophersEnglish people of Scottish descentLogiciansPhilosophers of lovePhilosophers of sexuality19th-century English poets19th-century atheistsCritics of work and the work ethicEmpiricistsEnglish male novelistsVictorian novelists19th-century English novelistsAlumni of St John's College, CambridgeAnalytic philosophersEnglish agnosticsEnglish male short story writersPhilosophers of technologyRoyal Medal winnersVictorian poets20th-century English male writersAnti-nationalistsBritish critics of religionsBritish philosophers of educationCharles DarwinEnglish Nobel laureatesEnglish socialistsMetaphysics writersRhetoric theoristsWriters about globalization19th-century British short story writers20th-century English philosophersAcademic staff of the University of GöttingenAlumni of Newnham College, CambridgeBritish Nobel laureatesBritish ethicistsBritish philosophers of mindBritish political philosophersEnglish people of Welsh descentEnglish political philosophersEnglish short story writersEuropean democratic socialistsFellows of the Royal Society of LiteratureFreethought writersUtilitariansVictorian writers19th-century English essayists19th-century English philosophers20th-century British biologists20th-century English mathematiciansAlumni of Somerville College, OxfordAlumni of Trinity College, CambridgeBritish consciousness researchers and theoristsBritish free speech activistsBritish historians of philosophyBritish philosophers of languageConsequentialistsEnglish activistsEnglish emigrants to the United StatesEnglish logiciansEnglish political writersFellows of Somerville College, OxfordFellows of Trinity College, CambridgeGeorgistsInstitute for Advanced Study visiting scholarsJerusalem Prize recipientsLinguistic turnNobel laureates in ChemistryNobel laureates in PhysicsPresidents of the Aristotelian Society19th-century British writers19th-century English mathematicians19th-century English scientists20th-century English non-fiction writersAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of scienceAlumni of King's College LondonBritish atheism activistsBritish biochemistsBritish botanical illustratorsBritish critics of ChristianityBritish crystallographers, British biophysicists, 20th-century British chemistsBritish deistsBritish male poetsBritish philosophers of logicBritish philosophers of religionBritish scientists with disabilitiesEnglish anti-fascistsEnglish humanistsEnglish pacifists, British philosophers of cultureEnglish prisoners and detaineesEnglish scepticsFellows of the Royal Geographical Society, 19th-century British biologists, 19th-century English naturalists, British evolutionary biologists, Fellows of the Zoological Society of London, Fellows of the Linnean Society of LondonForeign members of the USSR Academy of SciencesFree love advocatesMathematical physicists, British theoretical physicistsMembers of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, 20th-century British physicistsPeople from MonmouthshireRecipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and ArtRecipients of the Dalton MedalSecular humanistsSet theoristsUniversal basic income writersUniversity of California, Los Angeles facultyUniversity of Chicago faculty, Intellectual historiansWinners of the Max Planck MedalWomen Nobel laureatesWriters about communism
Alfred Russel Wallace
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Victorian pioneer of evolutionary theory Alfred Russel Wallace.
21 March 2013
Featuring: Steve Jones, George Beccaloni, Ted Benton
HistoryFellows of the Royal SocietyRecipients of the Copley MedalEnglish people of Scottish descentRoyal Medal winnersMembers of the Order of MeritEnglish socialistsCharles DarwinVictorian writers20th-century British biologistsEnglish activistsGeorgists20th-century English non-fiction writersBritish botanical illustratorsBritish deists19th-century English scientists19th-century British writersPeople from MonmouthshireFellows of the Royal Geographical Society, 19th-century British biologists, 19th-century English naturalists, British evolutionary biologists, Fellows of the Zoological Society of London, Fellows of the Linnean Society of LondonBertrand 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
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 cultureDorothy Hodgkin
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the work, ideas and life of the woman who won the 1964 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her work on the structures of vitamin B12 and penicillin.
3 October 2019
Featuring: Georgina Ferry, Judith Howard, Patricia Fara
ScienceFellows of the Royal SocietyFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesRecipients of the Copley MedalForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesRoyal Medal winnersMembers of the Order of MeritEnglish Nobel laureatesAlumni of Newnham College, CambridgeBritish Nobel laureatesAlumni of Somerville College, OxfordFellows of Somerville College, Oxford20th-century British biologistsNobel laureates in ChemistryForeign members of the USSR Academy of SciencesBritish biochemistsRecipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and ArtWomen Nobel laureatesRecipients of the Dalton MedalBritish scientists with disabilitiesBritish crystallographers, British biophysicists, 20th-century British chemistsPaul Dirac
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Bristolian theoretical physicist, ranked alongside Einstein by his peers, who won a Nobel for his work on quantum mechanics.
5 March 2020
Featuring: Graham Farmelo, Valerie Gibson, David Berman
ScienceFellows of the Royal SocietyMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyRecipients of the Copley MedalForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesAlumni of St John's College, CambridgeEnglish agnosticsRoyal Medal winnersMembers of the Order of MeritEnglish Nobel laureatesAcademic staff of the University of GöttingenBritish Nobel laureatesNobel laureates in PhysicsInstitute for Advanced Study visiting scholars20th-century English mathematiciansEnglish emigrants to the United StatesWinners of the Max Planck MedalForeign members of the USSR Academy of SciencesMembers of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, 20th-century British physicistsMathematical physicists, British theoretical physicistsThomas Hardy's Poetry
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Hardy's poems, which he prized far above the novels which made him famous and rich, and his ambition to be ranked alongside Shelley and Byron.
13 January 2022
Featuring: Mark Ford, Jane Thomas, Tim Armstrong
CultureBurials at Westminster AbbeyPantheists19th-century English poetsEnglish male novelistsVictorian novelists19th-century English novelistsEnglish male short story writersVictorian poets20th-century English male writersMembers of the Order of Merit19th-century British short story writersEnglish short story writersFellows of the Royal Society of LiteratureAlumni of King's College LondonBritish male poets