Portrait of Lord Melvyn Bragg, host of In Our Time

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People of the Age of Enlightenment

The Age of Enlightenment or the Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries with global influences and effects. The Enlightenment included a range of ideas centered on the value of human happiness, the pursuit of knowledge obtained by means of reason and the evidence of the senses, and ideals such as natural law, liberty, progress, toleration, fraternity, constitutional government, and separation of church and state.The Enlightenment was preceded by the Scientific Revolution and the work of Francis Bacon, John Locke, among others.

3 episodes

Episodes in this category also belong to the following categories:

HistoryPhilosophyOntologistsSocial philosophersPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of mindTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of historyWriters about activism and social changeMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of religionPhilosophers of scienceEnlightenment philosophersEpistemologistsAge of EnlightenmentCritics of the Catholic ChurchPhilosophers of educationWriters about religion and scienceGerman male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of lawPhilosophers of social science18th-century philosophers19th-century German male writers19th-century German philosophersGerman LutheransJewish philosophersMetaphilosophersPantheistsGerman male essayistsGerman philosophers of historyGerman political philosophersLogiciansNatural law ethicistsNatural philosophersPhilosophers of logicPhilosophers of sexualityGerman philosophers of artGerman philosophers of culture17th-century writers in Latin19th-century German essayistsGerman ethicists, German philosophers of educationTheoretical historians18th-century German male writersGerman philosophers of scienceMembers of the Prussian Academy of SciencesPhilosophers of warRationalists18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayists18th-century classical composers19th-century German non-fiction writersCritics of JudaismGerman critics of ChristianityGerman philosophers of mind, German philosophers of religion18th-century German composers18th-century German writersDeterministsGerman FreemasonsGerman agnosticsGerman classical composersGerman epistemologistsGerman idealistsGerman nationalistsGerman opera librettistsHumor researchersIdealistsLecturersRoyal reburials18th-century German LGBTQ people18th-century art collectors, German art collectors, People of the War of the Bavarian Succession, Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland)18th-century male musicians19th-century Prussian peopleBaruch SpinozaGerman logicians, Kantian philosophersGerman male classical composersGerman military writersJewish translators of the BibleKantianismPeople of the Silesian WarsWriters from Berlin

  1. Frederick the Great

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Frederick II, king of Prussia from 1740 to 1786.

    2 July 2015

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    Featuring: Tim Blanning, Katrin Kohl, Thomas Biskup

    wikipedia article ↗
     
    History18th-century German composersGerman opera librettistsGerman military writersGerman male classical composersRoyal reburials18th-century male musiciansGerman critics of ChristianityGerman classical composersGerman FreemasonsWriters from BerlinPeople of the Age of Enlightenment18th-century classical composersPeople of the Silesian Wars18th-century German LGBTQ people18th-century art collectors, German art collectors, People of the War of the Bavarian Succession, Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland)

  2. 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

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    Featuring: Fiona Hughes, Anil Gomes, John Callanan

    wikipedia article ↗
     
    PhilosophyGerman philosophers of artNatural law ethicistsGerman philosophers of scienceGerman political philosophersMetaphilosophersPhilosophers of social sciencePhilosophers of warGerman Lutherans18th-century philosophersTheoretical historiansGerman nationalists19th-century German philosophersTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of literatureGerman idealistsAge of EnlightenmentPhilosophers of logicLogiciansPhilosophers of lawPhilosophers of sexuality18th-century German writersPhilosophy writersRationalists18th-century German male writersKantianismGerman philosophers of mind, German philosophers of religionWriters about religion and science18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayists19th-century German male writers19th-century Prussian peopleHumor researchersGerman philosophers of culture19th-century German essayistsPeople of the Age of EnlightenmentGerman agnosticsGerman male essayistsOntologistsGerman ethicists, German philosophers of educationLecturersMembers of the Prussian Academy of SciencesIdealistsNatural philosophersEnlightenment philosophersGerman epistemologistsWriters about activism and social change19th-century German non-fiction writersGerman philosophers of historyGerman male non-fiction writersGerman logicians, Kantian philosophers

  3. Spinoza

    Melvyn Bragg discusses the philosopher Spinoza whose profound and complex ideas about God had him celebrated as an atheist in the 18th century.

    3 May 2007

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    Featuring: Jonathan Rée, Sarah Hutton, John Cottingham

    wikipedia article ↗
     
    PhilosophyEpistemologistsMetaphilosophersDeterministsAge of EnlightenmentSocial philosophersPhilosophy writersRationalistsPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of education17th-century writers in LatinCritics of the Catholic ChurchPeople of the Age of EnlightenmentCritics of JudaismOntologistsPhilosophers of mindMetaphysiciansJewish philosophersJewish translators of the BiblePhilosophers of religionPantheistsEnlightenment philosophersBaruch SpinozaPhilosophers of sciencePhilosophers of history