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 SocietyBurials at Westminster AbbeyCritics of the Catholic ChurchEnglish essayistsEnglish male non-fiction writersRecipients of the Copley MedalWriters about religion and scienceAtheist philosophersPhilosophers of law20th-century atheistsNobel laureates in LiteraturePhilosophers of social scienceForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesMetaphilosophersPantheistsPhilosophers of economicsPhilosophers of mathematics19th-century English poetsAristotelian philosophersEnglish male novelistsEnglish people of Scottish descentLogiciansPhilosophers of lovePhilosophers of sexuality19th-century atheistsCritics of work and the work ethicEmpiricistsEnglish male short story writersVictorian novelists19th-century English novelists20th-century English male writersAlumni of St John's College, CambridgeAnalytic philosophersEnglish agnosticsPhilosophers of technologyRoyal Medal winnersVictorian poetsAnti-nationalistsBritish critics of religionsBritish philosophers of educationCharles DarwinEnglish Nobel laureatesEnglish short story writersEnglish socialistsMetaphysics writersRhetoric theoristsWriters about globalization19th-century British short story writers20th-century English philosophersAcademic staff of the University of GöttingenAlumni of Newnham College, CambridgeAlumni of Trinity College, CambridgeBritish Nobel laureatesBritish ethicistsBritish philosophers of mindBritish political philosophersEnglish people of Welsh descentEnglish political philosophersEuropean democratic socialistsFellows of the Royal Society of LiteratureFreethought writersUtilitariansVictorian writers19th-century English essayists19th-century English philosophers20th-century British biologists20th-century English mathematicians20th-century English non-fiction writersAlumni of King's College LondonAlumni of Somerville College, OxfordAlumni of the University of BristolBritish 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 SocietyRecipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and ArtWinners of the Max Planck Medal19th-century British biologists, 19th-century English naturalists, British evolutionary biologists, Fellows of the Linnean Society of London, Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society, Fellows of the Zoological Society of London19th-century British writers19th-century English mathematicians19th-century English scientists20th-century British chemists, British biophysicists, British crystallographers20th-century British physicists, Members of the Pontifical Academy of SciencesAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of scienceBritish atheism activistsBritish biochemistsBritish botanical illustratorsBritish critics of ChristianityBritish deistsBritish male poetsBritish philosophers of culture, English pacifistsBritish philosophers of logicBritish philosophers of religionBritish scientists with disabilitiesBritish theoretical physicists, Mathematical physicistsEnglish anti-fascistsEnglish humanistsEnglish prisoners and detaineesEnglish scepticsForeign members of the USSR Academy of SciencesFree love advocatesIntellectual historians, University of Chicago facultyPeople from MonmouthshireRecipients of the Dalton MedalSecular humanistsSet theoristsUniversal basic income writersUniversity of California, Los Angeles facultyWomen 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
HistoryRecipients of the Copley MedalBritish botanical illustrators19th-century English scientists20th-century British biologists19th-century British biologists, 19th-century English naturalists, British evolutionary biologists, Fellows of the Linnean Society of London, Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society, Fellows of the Zoological Society of LondonGeorgistsEnglish activistsMembers of the Order of MeritEnglish people of Scottish descentEnglish socialists20th-century English non-fiction writersPeople from MonmouthshireRoyal Medal winnersVictorian writersFellows of the Royal Society19th-century British writersBritish deistsCharles Darwin19th century20th centuryAnimalsBertrand 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
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 centuryEconomicsLanguageMathematicsDorothy 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
ScienceWomen Nobel laureatesRoyal Medal winnersMembers of the Order of MeritAlumni of Somerville College, OxfordForeign members of the USSR Academy of Sciences20th-century British biologists20th-century British chemists, British biophysicists, British crystallographersRecipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and ArtRecipients of the Dalton MedalEnglish Nobel laureatesFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesBritish scientists with disabilitiesRecipients of the Copley MedalBritish Nobel laureatesForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesFellows of Somerville College, OxfordAlumni of Newnham College, CambridgeFellows of the Royal SocietyBritish biochemistsNobel laureates in Chemistry20th centuryPaul 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
ScienceEnglish agnosticsAcademic staff of the University of Göttingen20th-century British physicists, Members of the Pontifical Academy of SciencesEnglish emigrants to the United StatesAlumni of the University of BristolRoyal Medal winnersMembers of the Order of MeritNobel laureates in Physics20th-century English mathematiciansForeign members of the USSR Academy of SciencesBritish theoretical physicists, Mathematical physicistsWinners of the Max Planck MedalEnglish Nobel laureatesAlumni of St John's College, CambridgeRecipients of the Copley MedalBritish Nobel laureatesForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesInstitute for Advanced Study visiting scholarsMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyFellows of the Royal Society20th centuryMathematicsThomas 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
CultureFellows of the Royal Society of LiteratureBritish male poetsEnglish short story writersAlumni of King's College London20th-century English male writers19th-century English poets19th-century English novelistsEnglish male novelistsEnglish male short story writersMembers of the Order of MeritPantheistsVictorian novelists19th-century British short story writersBurials at Westminster AbbeyVictorian poets19th century20th centuryPoetry