Natural philosophers
Natural philosophy or philosophy of nature (from Latin philosophia naturalis) is the philosophical study of physics, that is, nature and the physical universe. It was dominant before the development of modern science.
8 episodes
Episodes in this category also belong to the following categories:
CultureHistoryPhilosophyScienceAnglican saintsOntologistsPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of mindTheorists on Western civilizationWriters about activism and social changeMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of religionPhilosophers of scienceEnlightenment philosophersWriters about religion and scienceAge of EnlightenmentGerman male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of educationPhilosophers of lawPhilosophers of social science18th-century philosophers19th-century German male writers19th-century German philosophersMetaphilosophersPantheistsEnglish AnglicansGerman LutheransGerman male essayistsGerman philosophers of historyGerman political philosophersLogiciansNatural law ethicistsPhilosophers of logicPhilosophers of lovePhilosophers of sexualityCatholic philosophersEmpiricistsGerman philosophers of artGerman philosophers of cultureLiteracy and society theoristsPhilosophers of language19th-century German essayistsEpic poetsGerman philosophers of education, German ethicistsLiterary theoristsTheoretical historians17th-century writers in Latin18th-century German male writersAncient Greek philosophers of mindGerman philosophers of languageGerman philosophers of scienceLeipzig University alumniMembers of the Bavarian Academy of SciencesMembers of the Prussian Academy of SciencesPhilosophers of deathPhilosophers of warRationalistsRomantic poetsScholastic philosophers18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayists19th-century German non-fiction writersAncient Greek political philosophersClassical theismEnglish inventorsEnglish philosophersEnglish physicistsFabulistsFreethought writersGerman philosophers of mind, German philosophers of religionMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities13th-century philosophers13th-century writers in Latin16th-century writers in Latin18th-century German writers19th-century German historians19th-century German novelists19th-century historians, 18th-century historians, 19th-century German educators, 18th-century German educators19th-century travel writers5th-century BC Greek philosophers6th-century BC Greek philosophersAncient Athenian philosophersAncient Greek ethicists, Ancient Greek epistemologistsAncient Greek metaphysiciansAncient Greek physicistsAttic Greek writersColor scientistsCopernican RevolutionEpigrammatistsGerman FreemasonsGerman agnosticsGerman autobiographersGerman epistemologistsGerman idealistsGerman librariansGerman male poets, German male dramatists and playwrightsGerman nationalistsGerman travel writersGerman untitled nobilityHumor researchersIdealistsLecturersPeople of the Age of EnlightenmentPhilosophers of linguisticsPhilosophers of timeSturm und Drang, Johann Wolfgang von GoetheUniversity of Strasbourg alumni19th-century Prussian peopleAncient Greek logiciansAncient Greek slaves and freedmenAncient Greeks from the Achaemenid EmpireBritish scientific instrument makersCatholic clergy scientistsChristian astrologersEnglish alchemistsEpigrammatists of the Greek AnthologyGerman 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 servantsGerman logicians, Kantian philosophersGrammarians of LatinKantianismMedieval orientalists, English translatorsMembers of the Lincean AcademyMoral realistsPeople educated at Westminster School, LondonPlatonismPupils of SocratesUniversity of Tübingen alumni
Goethe
Melvyn Bragg discusses the great German polymath Johann Wolfgang Goethe - novelist, dramatist, poet, humanist, scientist and philosopher.
6 April 2006
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 servantsGoethe 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
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 servantsHeraclitus
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the ancient Greek thinker Heraclitus, immortalised by later scholars as the Weeping Philosopher.
8 December 2011
Featuring: Angie Hobbs, Peter Adamson, James Warren
PhilosophyOntologistsPhilosophers of religionNatural philosophersAncient Greek philosophers of mindAncient Greek political philosophers6th-century BC Greek philosophersAncient Greek metaphysiciansAncient Greek physicistsPhilosophers of time5th-century BC Greek philosophersAncient Greeks from the Achaemenid EmpireAncient Greek ethicists, Ancient Greek epistemologistsJohannes Kepler
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the German astronomer Johannes Kepler.
29 December 2016
Featuring: David Wootton, Ulinka Rublack, Adam Mosley
Kant's Copernican Revolution
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Kant's ideas on how the world depends on us, on the limits of human knowledge and why we are bound to ask questions we cannot answer.
3 June 2021
Featuring: Fiona Hughes, Anil Gomes, John Callanan
PhilosophyOntologistsPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of literatureTheorists on Western civilizationWriters about activism and social changeEnlightenment philosophersWriters about religion and scienceAge of EnlightenmentGerman male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of lawPhilosophers of social science18th-century philosophers19th-century German male writers19th-century German philosophersMetaphilosophersGerman LutheransGerman male essayistsGerman political philosophersGerman philosophers of historyLogiciansNatural law ethicistsNatural philosophersPhilosophers of logicPhilosophers of sexualityGerman philosophers of artGerman philosophers of cultureTheoretical historians19th-century German essayistsRationalistsMembers of the Prussian Academy of Sciences18th-century German male writersGerman philosophers of sciencePhilosophers of war19th-century German non-fiction writersGerman agnostics18th-century German writersGerman idealistsIdealistsGerman epistemologistsGerman nationalistsHumor researchersLecturersPeople of the Age of Enlightenment19th-century Prussian peopleKantianismGerman philosophers of education, German ethicists18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayistsGerman philosophers of mind, German philosophers of religionGerman logicians, Kantian philosophersPlato's Gorgias
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss arguably the most personal of Plato's dialogues in which he examines the values that led to the execution of his mentor Socrates by drinking hemlock
25 November 2021
Featuring: Angie Hobbs, Frisbee Sheffield, Fiona Leigh
PhilosophyOntologistsTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of educationPhilosophers of loveLogiciansNatural law ethicistsNatural philosophersRationalistsAncient Greek philosophers of mindPhilosophers of deathAncient Greek political philosophersClassical theismAncient Athenian philosophersAncient Greek metaphysiciansAncient Greek physicistsAttic Greek writersIdealistsMoral realistsPlatonismAncient Greek logiciansAncient Greek slaves and freedmenEpigrammatists of the Greek AnthologyPupils of SocratesAncient Greek ethicists, Ancient Greek epistemologistsRobert Hooke
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Robert Hooke, the 17th-century scientist with a wide variety of interests from elasticity to microscopes who fell out with Newton.
18 February 2016
Featuring: David Wootton, Patricia Fara, Rob Iliffe
Roger Bacon
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss medieval English scholar Roger Bacon, an early pioneer of science who became known as Doctor Mirabilis.
20 April 2017
Featuring: Jack Cunningham, Amanda Power, Elly Truitt
HistoryPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of mindMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of scienceNatural philosophersCatholic philosophersPhilosophers of languageEmpiricistsScholastic philosophersEnglish philosophers13th-century writers in Latin13th-century philosophersGrammarians of LatinCatholic clergy scientistsEnglish alchemistsMedieval orientalists, English translators