
Philosophers of history
Philosophy of history is the philosophical study of history and its discipline. The term was coined by French philosopher Voltaire.In contemporary philosophy a distinction has developed between speculative philosophy of history and critical philosophy of history, now referred to as analytic.
17 episodes
Episodes in this category also belong to the following categories:
Averroes
Melvyn Bragg discusses the philosopher Averroes who worked to reconcile the theology of Islam with the rationality of Aristotle, achieving both fame and infamy.
5 October 2006
Featuring: Amira Bennison, Peter Adamson, Anthony Kenny
PhilosophyEpistemologistsCritics of atheismPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of logicLogiciansSocial philosophersAristotelian philosophersArabic-language commentators on AristotleCritics of deismPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of languageIslamic philosophersPhilosophers of psychologyPhilosophers from al-AndalusOntologistsPhilosophers of mindPolitical philosophersPhilosophers of religionPeople from Córdoba, Spain12th-century Muslim theologiansPhilosophers of sciencePhilosophers of historyCritics of ChristianityBenjamin Franklin
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the life and work of the scientist, writer, printer, diplomat and American founding father Benjamin Franklin.
1 March 2012
Featuring: Simon Middleton, Simon Newman, Patricia Fara
CultureMasonic grand mastersFellows of the Royal SocietyHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesIndependent scholarsAmerican male non-fiction writersTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of literatureAmerican deistsAge of EnlightenmentSocial philosophersPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of technologyAmerican political philosophersActivists for African-American civil rightsWriters about religion and sciencePolitical activists from PennsylvaniaAphoristsRecipients of the Copley MedalRhetoric theoristsFellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences18th-century pseudonymous writersAmerican people of English descentAmerican philosophers of cultureHumor researchersAmerican male journalistsRecreational cryptographers, Writers from Boston, Writers from PhiladelphiaHall of Fame for Great Americans inducteesAmerican philosophers of religion18th-century American politicians, American Freemasons, Signers of the United States ConstitutionPhilosophers from MassachusettsMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyPeople associated with electricityCreators of writing systemsWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of scienceAmerican slave ownersPhilosophers of historyAmerican autobiographers18th-century American writers, Founding Fathers of the United States, People of the American EnlightenmentSimple living advocatesIndependent scientistsAmerican philosophers of educationBertrand 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
PhilosophyNobel laureates in LiteratureBritish philosophers of languageGeorgistsEnglish political writersFree love advocatesSet theoristsAristotelian philosophersWriters about religion and scienceJerusalem Prize recipientsFellows of Trinity College, CambridgeEnglish logiciansPhilosophers of mathematicsBritish historians of philosophyEmpiricistsOntologistsMetaphysics writersBritish political philosophersFellows of the Royal SocietyMetaphilosophersTheorists on Western civilizationBritish ethicistsPhilosophers of literatureBritish free speech activists20th-century English philosophersAnalytic philosophersEnglish humanistsRhetoric theoristsAtheist philosophersEnglish political philosophersEnglish anti-fascistsEnglish people of Scottish descentPhilosophers of historyEnglish agnostics20th-century atheistsConsequentialistsEnglish socialistsPhilosophers of social scienceBritish philosophers of religionPresidents of the Aristotelian SocietyLogiciansPhilosophers of lawPhilosophers of sexuality19th-century English mathematiciansCritics of work and the work ethicSecular humanistsPhilosophers of technologyPhilosophers of economicsWriters about globalizationBritish philosophers of educationBritish philosophers of culture, English pacifistsBritish philosophers of logicCritics of the Catholic ChurchPeople from MonmouthshireAlumni of Trinity College, CambridgeLinguistic turnPhilosophers of loveEuropean democratic socialistsBritish consciousness researchers and theoristsWriters about activism and social changeEnglish Nobel laureatesMembers of the Order of MeritEnglish prisoners and detaineesUtilitariansIntellectual historians, University of Chicago facultyEnglish scepticsBritish critics of ChristianityEnglish people of Welsh descentUniversal basic income writersBritish philosophers of mind19th-century English philosophersBritish critics of religionsAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of science19th-century atheistsUniversity of California, Los Angeles facultyAnti-nationalists20th-century English mathematiciansEnglish essayistsFreethought writersBritish atheism activistsWriters about communism19th-century English essayistsEnglish male non-fiction writersDavid Hume
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the work of David Hume, the philosopher and leading figure of the Scottish Enlightenment.
6 October 2011
Featuring: Peter Millican, Helen Beebee, James Harris
PhilosophyCriticism of rationalismEpistemologistsAction theorists18th-century British essayistsMetaphilosophersSkeptic philosophersPhilosophers of social scienceTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of logicSecular humanistsSocial philosophersPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of economicsWriters about religion and sciencePhilosophers of identityBritish philosophers of educationVirtue ethicistsBritish male non-fiction writers18th-century British philosophersPhilosophers of psychologyPhilosophers of artCritics of the Catholic ChurchBritish critics of religionsPhilosophers of mathematicsAlumni of the University of EdinburghConservatismEmpiricistsOntologistsPhilosophers of mindDeist philosophersPeople of the Scottish EnlightenmentPhilosophers of religionFreethought writersBritish consciousness researchers and theoristsEnlightenment philosophersWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of sciencePhilosophers of historyBritish male essayistsEdmund Burke
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the work of the philosopher, politician and writer Edmund Burke, whose views on revolution in America and France were hugely influential.
3 June 2010
Featuring: Karen O'Brien, Richard Bourke, John Keane
PhilosophyBritish political philosophersEnglish libertariansNatural law ethicistsIrish Freemasons, Irish libertarians, Irish people of English descentBritish MPs 1774–1780Historians of the French RevolutionEnglish people of Irish descent18th-century philosophersClassical liberalismStreathamitesSocial philosophers18th-century English writersPhilosophers of economics18th-century Irish philosophersVirtue ethicistsCritics of deism18th-century English philosophersPhilosophers of cultureIrish AnglicansPhilosophers of education18th-century Irish writersPhilosophers of artBritish MPs 1784–1790, British MPs 1790–1796Writers from Dublin (city)18th-century Anglo-Irish people, 18th-century Irish male writersRectors of the University of GlasgowConservatismPolitical philosophersPhilosophers of religionAnglican philosophersAlumni of Trinity College DublinBritish MPs 1780–1784, Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituenciesPhilosophers of history18th-century English male writersHannah 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
PhilosophyPrinceton University facultyGerman political philosophersExistentialists20th-century American women writersIntellectual historians, University of Chicago facultyUniversity of Marburg alumniJewish existentialistsWomen religious writersPhilosophers of lawMembers of the American Academy of Arts and LettersSocial philosophersPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of technologyAmerican political philosophers20th-century German women writersGerman women philosophersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophers of cultureThe New School faculty20th-century American essayistsExilliteratur writersJewish agnosticsGerman agnosticsGerman Ashkenazi JewsAmerican Ashkenazi Jews, American Zionists, American agnostics, German Zionists20th-century German philosophers20th-century American philosophers20th-century German non-fiction writersGerman ethicists, German philosophers of educationHeidelberg University alumniPolitical philosophersJewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United StatesPhilosophers of scienceScholars of antisemitismPhilosophers of historyAmerican philosophers of educationHobbes
Melvyn Bragg discusses Thomas Hobbes, the great 17th century philosopher who famously said that ungoverned man lived a life that was ‘solitary, poor, brutish and short’.
1 December 2005
Featuring: Quentin Skinner, David Wootton, Annabel Brett
PhilosophyEpistemologistsMaterialistsNatural law ethicistsAlumni of St John's College, Cambridge17th-century English philosophersTheorists on Western civilizationEnglish physicistsPhilosophers of lawSocial philosophersBritish philosophers of educationRhetoric theoristsBritish critics of ChristianityPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of language17th-century writers in LatinBritish critics of religionsCritics of the Catholic Church17th-century English writersPolitical realistsPhilosophers of mathematicsEnglish theologiansEmpiricistsOntologistsPhilosophers of mindMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of religionThomas HobbesEnglish political philosophersPhilosophers of sciencePhilosophers of history17th-century English male writersIbn Khaldun
Melvyn Bragg and guests Robert Hoyland, Robert Irwin and Hugh Kennedy discuss the life and ideas of the 14th-century Arab philosopher of history Ibn Khaldun.
4 February 2010
Featuring: Robert Hoyland, Robert Graham Irwin, Hugh N. Kennedy
Iris Murdoch
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the growing prominence of the philosophy of one of the most celebrated novelists of the 20th century, who developed her ideas in response to WWII.
21 October 2021
Featuring: Anil Gomes, Anne Rowe, Miles Leeson
Culture20th-century atheistsBritish people of Irish descentAlumni of Newnham College, CambridgeBritish socialistsBritish ethicistsPhilosophers of literatureJames Tait Black Memorial Prize recipientsAnalytic philosophersPhilosophy writersPlatonistsVirtue ethicistsFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesBritish parodistsPhilosophers of cultureAlumni of Somerville College, OxfordBritish women philosophersBritish historians of philosophyBritish atheists20th-century British philosophersAtheist philosophersPhilosophers of history20th-century British non-fiction writersMarx
Melvyn Bragg discusses Karl Marx who once said that while other philosophers wanted to interpret the world, he wanted to change it. And he changed the world with his Communist Manifesto.
14 July 2005
Featuring: A. C. Grayling, Francis Wheen, Gareth Stedman Jones
PhilosophyEpistemologistsCritics of political economySocialist feministsHumboldt University of Berlin alumniMaterialistsUniversity of Jena alumniGerman political philosophersGerman anti-capitalists, German socialist feminists, Jewish communistsFellows of the Royal Society of Arts19th-century German philosophersTheorists on Western civilizationStateless peoplePamphleteersMarxist theoristsPhilosophers of lawCritics of work and the work ethicSocial philosophersPhilosophers of technologyMembers of the International Workingmen's AssociationPhilosophers of economicsWriters about religion and scienceWriters about globalizationUniversity of Bonn alumniPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of educationPhilosophical anthropologyGerman revolutionariesAnti-consumerists19th-century atheistsCritics of religionsAtheist philosophersCritics of JudaismEconomic historians, German sociologistsOntologistsPhilosophers of mindJewish socialistsMetaphysiciansGerman writers on atheismAnti-nationalistsGerman Marxist writersPhilosophers of religionBurials at Highgate CemeteryWriters about activism and social change19th-century German historiansPhilosophers of sciencePhilosophers of historyGerman male non-fiction writersAnti-imperialistsMill
Melvyn Bragg discusses the 19th century political philosopher John Stuart Mill and his treatise On Liberty which is one of the sacred texts of liberalism.
18 May 2006
Featuring: A. C. Grayling, Janet Radcliffe Richards, Alan Ryan
PhilosophyBritish political philosophersHonorary Fellows of the Royal Society of EdinburghEnglish libertariansBritish philosophers of languageConsequentialistsInfectious disease deaths in FranceEnglish socialistsUtilitariansEnglish suffragistsTheorists on Western civilizationBritish ethicistsBritish socialistsEnglish political writersLogiciansEnglish feminist writers, English feministsBritish free speech activistsPhilosophers of sexualityPhilosophy writersBritish classical liberal economistsPhilosophers of economicsBritish social liberals19th-century English non-fiction writersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophers of cultureRectors of the University of St AndrewsPhilosophers of psychologyBritish philosophers of mindEnglish logicians19th-century English philosophersBritish philosophers of logicEnglish autobiographersAnglo-ScotsUK MPs 1865–1868Empiricists19th-century English writersVoting theoristsEuropean democratic socialistsEnglish essayistsEnglish political philosophers19th-century English essayistsEnglish male non-fiction writersEnglish non-fiction writersPhilosophers of scienceEnglish people of Scottish descentPhilosophers of historyEnglish republicansScholars of feminist philosophyEnglish agnosticsBritish male essayistsPopper
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
PhilosophyBritish political philosophersEpistemologistsCambridge University Moral Sciences ClubForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesTheorists on Western civilizationBritish ethicistsPhilosophers of logicKnights BachelorLogiciansPresidents of the Aristotelian SocietySocial philosophersPhilosophers of technologyRationalistsAristotelian philosophersPhilosophers of economicsWriters about religion and scienceWriters about globalizationBritish philosophers of educationBritish social liberalsRecipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and ArtBritish male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of mathematicsBritish historians of philosophyJewish agnosticsAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of scienceCritics of religions20th-century British philosophers20th-century Austrian philosophers, Austrian agnostics, Austrian essayists, Austrian logicians, British agnostics, British logicians, British people of Austrian-Jewish descent, Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom, Writers from ViennaOntologistsPhilosophers of mindRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)MetaphysiciansJewish philosophersPolitical philosophersPhilosophers of religionBritish consciousness researchers and theoristsJewish ethicistsMembers of the Order of the Companions of HonourWriters about activism and social change20th-century British essayistsCritics of MarxismPhilosophers of historyFellows of the British AcademyMetaphysics writersBritish male essayistsSpinoza
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
Featuring: Jonathan Rée, Sarah Hutton, John Cottingham
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 historyThomas Paine's Common Sense
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense, which was published in 1776 and bolstered support for American independence.
21 January 2016
Featuring: Kathleen Burk, Nicholas Guyatt, Peter Thompson
History19th-century American writersEnglish libertarians19th-century American philosophersBritish deistsDeputies to the French National Convention18th-century philosophersAmerican male non-fiction writersClassical liberalismTheorists on Western civilizationAmerican deists19th-century male writersRadicalsSocial philosophers18th-century English writersAmerican political philosophers18th-century English peoplePolitical activists from PennsylvaniaNaturalized citizens of France18th-century American male writers, American foreign policy writersAmerican philosophers of cultureUniversal basic income writersHall of Fame for Great Americans inducteesAmerican philosophers of religionCritics of Judaism19th-century English writersDeist philosophersAmerican nationalists, American religious skepticsMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyEnlightenment philosophersEnglish inventorsWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of historyEnglish republicans18th-century American writers, Founding Fathers of the United States, People of the American EnlightenmentAnti-monarchists18th-century English male writersAmerican philosophers of educationThoreau and the American Idyll
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the American 19th century writer and philosopher, Henry David Thoreau
15 January 2009
Featuring: Kathleen Burk, Tim Morris, Stephen Fender
Philosophy19th-century American philosophersAmerican male essayists, American male poetsAmerican philosophers of mind, American philosophers of scienceAmerican spiritual writers19th-century American essayistsAmerican male non-fiction writersUnderground Railroad peopleCritics of work and the work ethicAmerican political philosophersAmerican lecturersAmerican philosophers of cultureHall of Fame for Great Americans inducteesAnti-consumeristsPhilosophers of lovePhilosophers from Massachusetts19th-century deaths from tuberculosis19th-century American poetsPantheists19th-century American non-fiction writersAnarchist writersPhilosophers of historySimple living advocatesTolstoy
Melvyn Bragg discusses the life and times of the 19th century Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, whose novels such as War and Peace gave expression to the compelling moral and social questions of their day.
25 April 2002
Featuring: A. N. Wilson, Catriona Kelly, Sarah Hudspith
Epistemologists19th-century essayistsHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences19th-century non-fiction writers from the Russian EmpireGeorgistsPhilosophers of literatureChristian vegetariansRussian anarchistsMembers of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and ArtsSocial philosophers19th-century dramatists and playwrights from the Russian Empire, 19th-century short story writers from the Russian Empire, 20th-century Russian dramatists and playwrights, 20th-century Russian short story writers, Novelists from the Russian Empire, Philanthropists from the Russian Empire, Russian male dramatists and playwrights, Russian male novelists, Russian opinion journalists, Russian-language writersCorresponding members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of education20th-century essayistsOntologistsPhilosophers of mindMetaphysiciansRussian male journalistsPolitical philosophersPhilosophers of religionAnarchist writersWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of historyChristian anarchists, Nonviolence advocates20th-century letter writersWilliam James's The Varieties of Religious Experience
Melvyn Bragg and guests Jonathan Ree, John Haldane and Gwen Griffith-Dickson discuss The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James.
13 May 2010
Featuring: Jonathan Rée, John Haldane, Gwen Griffith-Dickson
Philosophy19th-century American writersAnalytic philosophersMembers of the American Academy of Arts and Letters19th-century American philosophersCorresponding fellows of the British AcademyAmerican philosophers of religionAmerican philosophers of mind, American philosophers of sciencePsychologists of religionExistentialistsPhilosophers of deathPhilosophers of warPhilosophers of historyWilliam JamesOntologists20th-century American philosophers