Portrait of Lord Melvyn Bragg, host of In Our Time

Philosophers of law

Philosophy of law is a branch of philosophy that examines the nature of law and law's relationship to other systems of norms, especially ethics and political philosophy. It asks questions like "What is law?", "What are the criteria for legal validity?", and "What is the relationship between law and morality?" Philosophy of law and jurisprudence are often used interchangeably, though jurisprudence sometimes encompasses forms of reasoning that fit into economics or sociology.Philosophy of law can be sub-divided into analytical jurisprudence, and normative jurisprudence.

11 episodes

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HistoryPhilosophyFellows of the Royal SocietyAnglican saintsOntologistsSocial philosophersPhilosophy writersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of mindTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of historyWriters about activism and social changeMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of religionPhilosophers of scienceEnlightenment philosophersEpistemologistsAphoristsCritics of the Catholic ChurchEnglish essayistsWriters about religion and scienceAge of EnlightenmentAtheist philosophersEnglish male non-fiction writersGerman male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of educationPhilosophers of social science18th-century philosophers19th-century German male writers19th-century German philosophers20th-century atheistsMetaphilosophersNobel laureates in LiteraturePantheistsPhilosophers of economicsPhilosophers of mathematicsWriters from Paris17th-century English male writersAristotelian philosophersEnglish people of Scottish descentExistentialistsFrench Roman CatholicsGerman LutheransGerman male essayistsGerman philosophers of historyGerman political philosophersLogiciansNatural law ethicistsNatural philosophersPhilosophers of logicPhilosophers of lovePhilosophers of sexualityUniversity of Paris alumni19th-century atheistsCatholic philosophersCritics of work and the work ethicEmpiricistsFrench political philosophersGerman philosophers of artGerman philosophers of culturePhilosophers of languagePolitical philosophers17th-century English writers19th-century German essayistsAlumni of St John's College, CambridgeAnalytic philosophersAnti-consumeristsChristian ethicistsCritics of religionsEnglish agnosticsFounders of religionsGerman philosophers of education, German ethicistsJewish agnosticsLutheran saintsMembers of the Académie FrançaisePhilosophers of technologyTheoretical historiansVirtue ethicists17th-century writers in Latin18th-century German male writers20th-century German philosophersAncient Roman 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philosophersEuropean democratic socialistsFreethought writersFrench male non-fiction writersFrench philosophers of culture, French sociologistsGerman Marxist writersGerman philosophers of mind, German philosophers of religionHeidelberg University alumniHistorians of the French RevolutionMedieval Latin-language poetsMembers of the American Academy of Arts and LettersRoman pharaohsUtilitarians13th-century philosophers13th-century writers in Latin18th-century French male writers18th-century French philosophers18th-century German writers19th-century English essayists19th-century English philosophers19th-century German historians19th-century historians, 18th-century historians, 19th-century German educators, 18th-century German educators19th-century mystics20th-century English mathematicians5th-century BC historiansAcademic staff of the Humboldt University of BerlinAlumni of Trinity College, CambridgeAmerican philosophers of educationBritish consciousness researchers and theoristsBritish free speech activistsBritish historians of philosophyBritish philosophers of languageBurials at Highgate CemeteryConsequentialistsContributors to the Encyclopédie (1751–1772)Deified Roman emperorsDoctors of the ChurchEnglish logiciansEnglish political writersExilliteratur writersFellows of Trinity College, CambridgeGeorgistsGerman Ashkenazi JewsGerman agnosticsGerman epistemologistsGerman idealistsGerman nationalistsGerman revolutionariesGerman women philosophersHumor researchersIdealistsJerusalem Prize recipientsJewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United StatesKnights of the Legion of HonourLecturersLinguistic turnPamphleteersPeople of the Age of EnlightenmentPhilosophers of Roman ItalyPresidents of the Aristotelian SocietySocialist feministsStateless people19th-century English mathematicians19th-century French male writers19th-century Prussian people20th-century American essayists20th-century American philosophers20th-century American women writers20th-century German non-fiction writers20th-century German women writers6th-century BC Chinese writers, Zhou dynasty philosophers, Deified Chinese men, Chinese political philosophers, 5th-century BC Chinese writers, Zhou dynasty writers6th-century BC religious leaders, 5th-century BC religious leadersAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of scienceAeliiAnti-imperialistsAugurs of the Roman EmpireBritish atheism activistsBritish critics of ChristianityBritish philosophers of logicBritish philosophers of religionBurials at the Dorotheenstadt CemeteryChristian apologistsCritics of political economyDeaths from choleraDominican mysticsEconomic historians, German sociologistsEconomic sociologistsEnglish anti-fascistsEnglish humanistsEnglish pacifists, British philosophers of cultureEnglish prisoners and detaineesEnglish scepticsEnglish theologiansFellows of the Royal Society of ArtsFree love advocatesFrench political scientistsFrench political writersGerman Zionists, American Ashkenazi Jews, American agnostics, American ZionistsGerman anti-capitalists, Jewish communists, German socialist feministsGerman logicians, Kantian philosophersGerman writers on atheismJewish existentialistsKantianismMagic (supernatural)MaterialistsMembers of the International Workingmen's AssociationNerva–Antonine dynastyPeople from MonmouthshirePhilosophical anthropologyPrinceton University facultyRoman-era Stoic philosophersScholars of antisemitismSecular humanistsSet theoristsSystematic theologiansThe New School facultyThomas AquinasThomas HobbesUniversal basic income writersUniversity of Bonn alumniUniversity of California, Los Angeles facultyUniversity of Chicago faculty, Intellectual historiansUniversity of Jena alumniUniversity of Marburg alumniUniversity of Tübingen alumniWriters about communism
  1. Bertrand 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

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    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 culture
  2. Confucius

    Melvyn Bragg discusses the philosophy of Confucius, a body of ideas which, more than any other philosophy, has defined what it is to be Chinese.

    1 November 2001

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    Featuring: Frances Wood, Tim Barrett, Tao Tao Liu

     
  3. Hannah 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

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    Featuring: Lyndsey Stonebridge, Frisbee Sheffield, Robert Eaglestone

     
  4. Hegel's Philosophy of History

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Hegel's ideas on history as the progress of the consciousness of freedom, and whether we enjoy more freedom now than those in past centuries.

    26 May 2022

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    Featuring: Sally Sedgwick, Robert Stern, Stephen Houlgate

     
  5. Hobbes

    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

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    Featuring: Quentin Skinner, David Wootton, Annabel Brett

     
  6. 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

     
  7. Marcus Aurelius

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life, meditations and reputation of this stoic and philosopher king, who Machiavelli called the last of the 'Five Good Emperors'.

    25 February 2021

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    Featuring: Simon Goldhill, Angie Hobbs, Catharine Edwards

     
  8. Marx

    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

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    Featuring: A. C. Grayling, Francis Wheen, Gareth Stedman Jones

     
  9. Montesquieu

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas of the French political philosopher (1689-1755) whose work on liberty and republicanism, banned at home, influenced the US constitution.

    14 June 2018

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    Featuring: Richard Bourke, Rachel Hammersley, Richard Whatmore

     
  10. St Thomas Aquinas

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss St Thomas Aquinas, the Catholic Church's foremost western philosopher and theologian.

    17 September 2009

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    Featuring: Martin Palmer, John Haldane, Annabel Brett

     
  11. Tocqueville: Democracy in America

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Alexis de Tocqueville and his study of the American democratic system, written as an example to France of how democracy might develop there.

    22 March 2018

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    Featuring: Robert Gildea, Susan-Mary Grant, Jeremy Jennings