Portrait of Lord Melvyn Bragg, host of In Our Time

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:

CultureHistoryPhilosophyScienceFellows of the Royal SocietyOntologistsSocial philosophersPhilosophy writersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophers of mindTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of historyWriters about activism and social changeEnglish male poetsMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of religionPhilosophers of scienceEnlightenment philosophersMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyEpistemologistsSonneteersAphoristsCritics of the Catholic ChurchEnglish essayistsRecipients of the Copley MedalWriters about religion and scienceAge of EnlightenmentAtheist philosophersEnglish male non-fiction writersGerman male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of educationPhilosophers of lawPhilosophers of social science18th-century philosophers19th-century German male writers19th-century German philosophers20th-century atheistsChristian humanistsJewish philosophersMetaphilosophersNobel laureates in LiteraturePantheistsPhilosophers of economicsPhilosophers of mathematicsWriters from ParisAristotelian philosophersEnglish people of Scottish descentExistentialistsFrench atheistsGerman LutheransGerman male essayistsGerman philosophers of historyGerman political philosophersHall of Fame for Great Americans inducteesHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesLogiciansNatural law ethicistsNatural philosophersPhilosophers of logicPhilosophers of lovePhilosophers of psychologyPhilosophers of sexuality19th-century atheists20th-century French philosophersAmerican male non-fiction writersCatholic philosophersChristian radicalsCritics of work and the work ethicEmpiricistsEnglish male novelistsFrench political philosophersGerman philosophers of artGerman philosophers of cultureIslamic philosophersLiteracy and society theoristsPhilosophers of artPhilosophers of languagePolitical philosophers19th-century German essayists19th-century pseudonymous writers20th-century essayistsAmerican people of English descentAnalytic philosophersAnti-consumeristsChristian ethicistsCritics of religionsEnglish agnosticsEnglish male short story writersEnglish travel writersEpic poetsGerman philosophers of education, German ethicistsLiterary theoristsModernist writersPeople celebrated in the Lutheran liturgical calendarPhilosophers of technologySimple living advocatesTheoretical historiansVirtue ethicists18th-century German male writers19th-century male writers20th-century French novelists20th-century German philosophersAnti-nationalistsBritish critics of religionsBritish philosophers of educationChristian poetsConversationalistsEnglish Nobel laureatesEnglish satiristsEnglish socialistsFormer Roman CatholicsFrench philosophers of educationFrench philosophers of historyFrench philosophers of scienceGerman philosophers of languageGerman philosophers of scienceHumboldt University of Berlin alumniIrony theoristsJewish socialistsLegion of Honour refusalsLeipzig University alumniMale essayistsMembers of the Bavarian Academy of SciencesMembers of the Order of MeritMembers of the Prussian Academy of SciencesMetaphysics writersPeople associated with electricityPhilosophers of deathPhilosophers of warRationalistsRhetoric theoristsRomantic poetsScholastic philosophersTrope theoristsUniversity of Göttingen alumniWriters about globalization18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayists18th-century classical composers19th-century French philosophers19th-century German male musicians19th-century German non-fiction writers19th-century German writers20th-century British philosophers20th-century English novelists20th-century English philosophersAlumni of Newnham College, CambridgeAmerican political philosophersBritish ethicistsBritish philosophers of mindBritish political philosophersBurials at Père Lachaise CemeteryCritical theoristsCritics of JudaismCritics of atheismDeist philosophersEnglish people of Welsh descentEnglish philosophersEnglish political philosophersEnglish short story writersEuropean democratic socialistsFabulistsFreethought writersFrench LGBTQ novelistsFrench Nobel laureatesFrench literary criticsFrench male non-fiction writersFrench philosophers of culture, French sociologistsFrench socialistsGerman Marxist writersGerman critics of ChristianityGerman philosophers of mind, German philosophers of religionIndependent scientistsLGBTQ Roman CatholicsLibertarian socialistsMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesMetaphor theoristsPhenomenologistsPhilosophers of pessimismUtilitariansÉcole Normale Supérieure alumni13th-century philosophers13th-century writers in Latin18th-century American writers, Founding Fathers of the United States, People of the American Enlightenment18th-century German writers18th-century pseudonymous writers19th-century English essayists19th-century English philosophers19th-century German historians19th-century German novelists19th-century deaths from tuberculosis19th-century essayists19th-century historians, 18th-century historians, 19th-century German educators, 18th-century German educators19th-century mystics19th-century non-fiction writers from the Russian Empire19th-century travel writers20th-century British essayists20th-century English mathematicians20th-century mystics20th-century translatorsAcademic staff of the Humboldt University of BerlinActivists for African-American civil rightsAlumni of Somerville College, OxfordAlumni of Trinity College, CambridgeAmerican autobiographersAmerican deistsAmerican male journalistsAmerican philosophers of cultureAmerican philosophers of educationAmerican philosophers of religionAmerican slave ownersAnarchist writersAnthologistsAutobiographersBlind writersBritish consciousness researchers and theoristsBritish free speech activistsBritish historians of philosophyBritish philosophers of languageBritish socialistsBurials at Montparnasse CemeteryBurials at the Panthéon, ParisColor scientistsConsequentialistsContributors to the Encyclopédie (1751–1772)Corresponding members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesCritics of ChristianityCritics of deismDeterministsEnglish emigrants to the United StatesEnglish logiciansEnglish political writersEpigrammatistsExilliteratur writersFellows of Trinity College, CambridgeFrench Resistance membersFrench Roman Catholic writersFrench anarchists, French anti-fascists, French anti-capitalistsFrench communistsFrench epistemologistsFrench philosophers of artGeorgistsGerman FreemasonsGerman agnosticsGerman autobiographersGerman epistemologistsGerman idealistsGerman librariansGerman male poets, German male dramatists and playwrightsGerman nationalistsGerman travel writersGerman untitled nobilityHumor researchersIdealistsJames Tait Black Memorial Prize recipientsJerusalem Prize recipientsLecturersLinguistic turnLycée Condorcet alumniLycée Henri-IV alumniMembers of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and ArtsNew Age predecessorsPeople associated with the University of BaselPeople from the Province of SaxonyPeople of the Age of EnlightenmentPeople with hypochondriasisPhilosophers of linguisticsPhilosophers of timePresidents of the Aristotelian SocietyStateless peopleSturm und Drang, Johann Wolfgang von GoetheSurrealist writersUniversity of Strasbourg alumni12th-century Muslim theologians18th-century American politicians, Signers of the United States Constitution, American Freemasons18th-century male musicians19th-century English mathematicians19th-century German journalists19th-century Prussian people19th-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 Empire20th-century British non-fiction writers20th-century French LGBTQ people, 19th-century French LGBTQ people20th-century French essayists, 20th-century French short story writers20th-century German male writers20th-century letter writersAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of scienceAlumni of Balliol College, OxfordAnti-natalistsArabic-language commentators on AristotleBlind poetsBritish atheism activistsBritish atheistsBritish critics of ChristianityBritish parodistsBritish people of Irish descentBritish philosophers of logicBritish philosophers of religionBritish women philosophersCatholic clergy scientistsChristian vegetariansClassical-period composersCommanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of GermanyContinental philosophersCreators of writing systemsDeaths from pneumonia in GermanyDuke University facultyEnglish alchemistsEnglish anti-fascistsEnglish humanistsEnglish pacifists, British philosophers of cultureEnglish prisoners and detaineesEnglish scepticsEnglish science fiction writersExistentialist theologiansFree love advocatesFrench Marxists, French anti-war activistsFrench essayistsFrench ethicists, French biographersFrench humanists, 20th-century French dramatists and playwrightsFrench scientists with disabilitiesFrench short story writersGerman 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 eugenicistsGerman literary criticsGerman logicians, Kantian philosophersGerman monarchistsGerman music criticsGerman philologistsGerman philosophers of technologyGerman writers on atheismGrammarians of LatinHaiku poetsIndependent scholarsKantianismLost Generation writersMagic realism writersMasonic grand mastersMedieval orientalists, English translatorsNonviolence advocates, Christian anarchistsPeople educated at Eton CollegePeople from Córdoba, SpainPeople from MonmouthshirePhilosophers from MassachusettsPhilosophers from al-AndalusPhilosophers of identityPhilosophers of nihilismPlatonistsPolitical activists from PennsylvaniaPrix Goncourt winners, Deaths from pneumonia in FranceProto-evolutionary biologistsRomantic philosophers, Converts to Roman Catholicism from CalvinismRussian anarchistsRussian male journalistsScholars of antisemitismSecular humanistsSet theoristsSpanish-language poetsUniversal basic income writersUniversity of Bonn alumniUniversity of California, Los Angeles facultyUniversity of Chicago faculty, Intellectual historiansUniversity of Copenhagen alumniWriters about communismWriters from BerlinWriters from Philadelphia, Recreational cryptographers, Writers from Boston
  1. 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

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    Featuring: David Bradshaw, Daniel Pick, Michèle Barrett

     
  2. 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

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    Featuring: Amira Bennison, Peter Adamson, Anthony Kenny

     
  3. Benjamin 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

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    Featuring: Simon Middleton, Simon Newman, Patricia Fara

     
  4. 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
  5. Goethe

    Melvyn Bragg discusses the great German polymath Johann Wolfgang Goethe - novelist, dramatist, poet, humanist, scientist and philosopher.

    6 April 2006

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    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 servants
  6. Goethe 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

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    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 servants
  7. 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

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    Featuring: Anil Gomes, Anne Rowe, Miles Leeson

     
  8. Jorge 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

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    Featuring: Edwin Williamson, Efraín Kristal, Evelyn Fishburn

     
  9. 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

     
  10. Kierkegaard

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the rich and radical ideas of Soren Kierkegaard, often called the father of Existentialism.

    20 March 2008

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    Featuring: Jonathan Rée, Clare Carlisle, John Lippitt

     
  11. Nietzsche's Genealogy of Morality

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Nietzsche's influential ideas about what it means to be moral.

    12 January 2017

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    Featuring: Stephen Mulhall, Fiona Hughes, Keith Ansell-Pearson

     
  12. Proust

    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

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    Featuring: Jacqueline Rose, Malcolm Bowie, Robert Fraser

     
  13. 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

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    Featuring: Jack Cunningham, Amanda Power, Elly Truitt

     
  14. Rousseau 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

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    Featuring: Richard Whatmore, Caroline Warman, Denis McManus

     
  15. Sartre

    Melvyn Bragg discusses the life and works of French novelist, playwright and philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre.

    7 October 2004

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    Featuring: Jonathan Rée, Benedict O'Donohoe, Christina Howells

     
  16. Schopenhauer

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the pessimistic philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer and his extraordinary influence.

    29 October 2009

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    Featuring: A. C. Grayling, Beatrice Han-Pile, Christopher Janaway

     
  17. Tolstoy

    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

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    Featuring: A. N. Wilson, Catriona Kelly, Sarah Hudspith

     
  18. Walter 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

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    Featuring: Esther Leslie, Kevin McLaughlin, Carolin Duttlinger