
Philosophers of literature
Philosophy and literature involves the literary treatment of philosophers and philosophical themes (the literature of philosophy), and the philosophical treatment of issues raised by literature (the philosophy of literature). == The philosophy of literature == Strictly speaking, the philosophy of literature is a branch of aesthetics, the branch of philosophy that deals with the question, "what is art"?
18 episodes
Episodes in this category also belong to the following categories:
Aldous Huxley's Brave New World
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Aldous Huxley's dystopian 1932 novel Brave New World and its vision of a future of test tube babies, free love and round-the-clock surveillance.
9 April 2009
Featuring: David Bradshaw, Daniel Pick, Michèle Barrett
CulturePhilosophers of literatureEnglish male poetsEnglish essayistsEnglish male novelistsAnti-consumeristsEnglish male short story writersEnglish agnosticsPhilosophers of technologyEnglish travel writersEnglish satiristsMale essayists20th-century English philosophersBritish philosophers of mind20th-century English novelistsEnglish short story writersJames Tait Black Memorial Prize recipientsEnglish emigrants to the United StatesNew Age predecessors20th-century British essayists20th-century mysticsDuke University facultyLost Generation writersAlumni of Balliol College, OxfordEnglish science fiction writersPeople educated at Eton CollegeEnglish pacifists, British philosophers of cultureAverroes
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
PhilosophySocial philosophersOntologistsPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of mindPhilosophers of historyPhilosophers of religionPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of scienceEpistemologistsAristotelian philosophersLogiciansPhilosophers of logicPhilosophers of psychologyPolitical philosophersPhilosophers of languageIslamic philosophersCritics of atheismCritics of ChristianityCritics of deismPeople from Córdoba, Spain12th-century Muslim theologiansArabic-language commentators on AristotlePhilosophers from al-AndalusBenjamin 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
CultureFellows of the Royal SocietySocial philosophersPhilosophy writersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophers of literatureTheorists on Western civilizationWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of historyPhilosophers of scienceMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyWriters about religion and scienceRecipients of the Copley MedalAphoristsAge of EnlightenmentHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesHall of Fame for Great Americans inducteesAmerican male non-fiction writersAmerican people of English descentSimple living advocatesPhilosophers of technologyPeople associated with electricityRhetoric theoristsAmerican political philosophersIndependent scientistsAmerican male journalistsHumor researchers18th-century pseudonymous writersActivists for African-American civil rightsAmerican slave ownersAmerican autobiographersAmerican philosophers of educationAmerican deistsAmerican philosophers of cultureAmerican philosophers of religionIndependent scholarsMasonic grand mastersPolitical activists from PennsylvaniaCreators of writing systemsPhilosophers from Massachusetts18th-century American writers, Founding Fathers of the United States, People of the American EnlightenmentWriters from Philadelphia, Recreational cryptographers, Writers from Boston18th-century American politicians, Signers of the United States Constitution, American FreemasonsBertrand 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
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 cultureGoethe
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 servantsIris 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
CulturePhilosophy writersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of historyPhilosophers of cultureAtheist philosophers20th-century atheistsAnalytic philosophersVirtue ethicists20th-century British philosophersAlumni of Newnham College, CambridgeBritish ethicistsAlumni of Somerville College, OxfordBritish socialistsJames Tait Black Memorial Prize recipientsBritish historians of philosophyBritish atheistsBritish women philosophers20th-century British non-fiction writersBritish parodistsBritish people of Irish descentPlatonistsJorge Luis Borges
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and work of the Argentinian master of the short story, Jorge Luis Borges.
4 January 2007
Featuring: Edwin Williamson, Efraín Kristal, Evelyn Fishburn
CulturePhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of mindPhilosophers of cultureSonneteersAphoristsPhilosophers of mathematicsLiteracy and society theoristsPhilosophers of artLiterary theorists20th-century essayistsTrope theoristsMetaphysics writersMetaphor theoristsPhilosophers of pessimismSurrealist writersLecturers20th-century translatorsPhilosophers of timeJerusalem Prize recipients20th-century mysticsAnthologistsBlind writersCommanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of GermanySpanish-language poetsHaiku poetsMagic realism writersPhilosophers of identityBlind poetsKant'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 philosophersKierkegaard
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the rich and radical ideas of Soren Kierkegaard, often called the father of Existentialism.
20 March 2008
Featuring: Jonathan Rée, Clare Carlisle, John Lippitt
PhilosophySocial philosophersOntologistsPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of mindPhilosophers of religionMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of cultureEpistemologistsAphoristsMetaphilosophersChristian humanistsPhilosophers of loveExistentialistsPhilosophers of psychologyChristian radicalsPhilosophers of artChristian ethicists19th-century pseudonymous writersPeople celebrated in the Lutheran liturgical calendarChristian poets19th-century male writersPhilosophers of deathIrony theorists19th-century essayists19th-century deaths from tuberculosisExistentialist theologiansUniversity of Copenhagen alumniNietzsche's Genealogy of Morality
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Nietzsche's influential ideas about what it means to be moral.
12 January 2017
Featuring: Stephen Mulhall, Fiona Hughes, Keith Ansell-Pearson
PhilosophyOntologistsPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of literatureTheorists on Western civilizationWriters about activism and social changeMetaphysiciansCritics of the Catholic ChurchWriters about religion and scienceAphoristsGerman male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of social science19th-century German male writers19th-century German philosophersMetaphilosophersGerman male essayistsGerman philosophers of historyPhilosophers of sexualityExistentialistsPhilosophers of psychologyGerman philosophers of artGerman philosophers of cultureCritics of work and the work ethicAnti-consumeristsCritics of religionsAnti-nationalistsLeipzig University alumniIrony theorists19th-century German male musicians19th-century German non-fiction writersCritical theoristsGerman critics of ChristianityPeople associated with the University of BaselStateless peopleGerman epistemologistsDeterministsPeople from the Province of Saxony19th-century German novelistsPhilosophers of time19th-century Prussian people19th-century German journalistsGerman music criticsPhilosophers of nihilismUniversity of Bonn alumniDeaths from pneumonia in GermanyGerman philosophers of education, German ethicistsGerman philosophers of mind, German philosophers of religionProust
Melvyn Bragg discusses the life and achievements of the 19th century French novelist Marcel Proust whose 3000 page work À La Recherche du Temps Perdu has been called the definitive modern novel.
17 April 2003
Featuring: Jacqueline Rose, Malcolm Bowie, Robert Fraser
CulturePhilosophers of literatureAphorists20th-century atheistsWriters from ParisFrench atheists19th-century atheists20th-century French philosophersModernist writers20th-century French novelistsConversationalistsFormer Roman CatholicsFrench male non-fiction writersFrench LGBTQ novelistsBurials at Père Lachaise CemeteryLGBTQ Roman Catholics19th-century French philosophersFrench literary critics19th-century mysticsPeople with hypochondriasisLycée Condorcet alumniFrench philosophers of artFrench Roman Catholic writers20th-century mysticsFrench short story writersFrench essayists20th-century French LGBTQ people, 19th-century French LGBTQ peoplePrix Goncourt winners, Deaths from pneumonia in France20th-century French essayists, 20th-century French short story writersRoger 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 translatorsRousseau on Education
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Rousseau's ideas on how to educate children so they retain their natural selves and are not corrupted by society.
10 October 2019
Featuring: Richard Whatmore, Caroline Warman, Denis McManus
PhilosophySocial philosophersPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of mindWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of scienceEnlightenment philosophersAge of EnlightenmentPhilosophers of education18th-century philosophersPhilosophers of economicsCatholic philosophersFrench political philosophersPhilosophers of artSimple living advocatesDeist philosophers18th-century classical composersBurials at the Panthéon, ParisContributors to the Encyclopédie (1751–1772)AutobiographersPeople with hypochondriasisClassical-period composers18th-century male musiciansProto-evolutionary biologistsRomantic philosophers, Converts to Roman Catholicism from CalvinismSartre
Melvyn Bragg discusses the life and works of French novelist, playwright and philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre.
7 October 2004
Featuring: Jonathan Rée, Benedict O'Donohoe, Christina Howells
CultureOntologistsPhilosophy writersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophers of literatureTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of mindMetaphysiciansAphoristsAtheist philosophersPhilosophers of social science20th-century atheistsWriters from ParisNobel laureates in LiteratureFrench atheistsPhilosophers of sexualityExistentialistsFrench political philosophers20th-century French philosophersLegion of Honour refusalsFrench philosophers of educationFrench philosophers of historyFrench philosophers of science20th-century French novelistsPhilosophers of deathFrench socialistsÉcole Normale Supérieure alumniPhenomenologistsFrench Nobel laureatesLibertarian socialistsFrench literary criticsCritical theoristsFrench epistemologistsFrench Resistance membersBurials at Montparnasse CemeteryFrench communistsFrench philosophers of artLycée Henri-IV alumniBlind writersFrench scientists with disabilitiesScholars of antisemitismPhilosophers of nihilismContinental philosophersFree love advocatesFrench philosophers of culture, French sociologistsFrench anarchists, French anti-fascists, French anti-capitalistsFrench ethicists, French biographersFrench Marxists, French anti-war activistsFrench humanists, 20th-century French dramatists and playwrightsSchopenhauer
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the pessimistic philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer and his extraordinary influence.
29 October 2009
Featuring: A. C. Grayling, Beatrice Han-Pile, Christopher Janaway
PhilosophyOntologistsPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of literatureTheorists on Western civilizationAphoristsAtheist philosophersGerman male non-fiction writers19th-century German male writers19th-century German philosophersMetaphilosophersPhilosophers of loveGerman male essayistsGerman political philosophersGerman philosophers of historyLogiciansPhilosophers of logicPhilosophers of psychologyGerman philosophers of art19th-century atheistsGerman philosophers of culture19th-century German essayistsSimple living advocatesCritics of religionsGerman philosophers of languageGerman philosophers of scienceUniversity of Göttingen alumniPhenomenologistsPhilosophers of pessimism19th-century German writersCritical theoristsGerman critics of ChristianityCritics of JudaismAcademic staff of the Humboldt University of BerlinGerman idealistsGerman epistemologistsAnti-natalistsGerman writers on atheismGerman eugenicistsGerman monarchistsGerman philologistsGerman philosophers of education, German ethicistsGerman philosophers of mind, German philosophers of religionGerman logicians, Kantian philosophersTolstoy
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
CultureSocial philosophersOntologistsPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of mindWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of historyPhilosophers of religionMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of cultureEpistemologistsPhilosophers of educationHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesPolitical philosophers20th-century essayistsMembers of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts19th-century essayists19th-century non-fiction writers from the Russian EmpireAnarchist writersCorresponding members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesGeorgistsRussian anarchistsChristian vegetarians20th-century letter writersRussian male journalists19th-century short story writers from the Russian Empire, 20th-century Russian short story writers, Russian opinion journalists, Philanthropists from the Russian Empire, Novelists from the Russian Empire, 20th-century Russian dramatists and playwrights, Russian-language writers, Russian male novelists, Russian male dramatists and playwrights, 19th-century dramatists and playwrights from the Russian EmpireNonviolence advocates, Christian anarchistsWalter Benjamin
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the remarkable philosopher and critic whose ideas, developed in the 1930s, became highly influential after his death while escaping the Holocaust.
10 February 2022
Featuring: Esther Leslie, Kevin McLaughlin, Carolin Duttlinger
PhilosophyPhilosophers of literatureGerman male non-fiction writersJewish philosophersGerman male essayistsGerman philosophers of historyGerman philosophers of artGerman philosophers of cultureJewish socialistsGerman philosophers of language20th-century German philosophersHumboldt University of Berlin alumniGerman Marxist writersExilliteratur writersGerman literary critics20th-century German male writersGerman philosophers of technologyWriters from Berlin