Portrait of Lord Melvyn Bragg, host of In Our Time

Philosophers of mathematics

The philosophy of mathematics is the branch of philosophy that studies the assumptions, foundations, and implications of mathematics. It aims to understand the nature and methods of mathematics, and find out the place of mathematics in people's lives.

9 episodes

Episodes in this category also belong to the following categories:

PhilosophyScienceFellows of the Royal SocietyOntologistsSocial philosophersPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of mindTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of historyWriters about activism and social changeMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of religionPhilosophers of scienceEnlightenment philosophersMembers of the American Philosophical SocietySonneteersEpistemologistsAphoristsCritics of the Catholic ChurchEnglish essayistsEnglish male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of educationWriters about religion and scienceAtheist philosophersGerman male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of law17th-century English male writers20th-century atheistsNobel laureates in LiteraturePhilosophers of social scienceForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesJewish philosophersMetaphilosophersPantheistsPhilosophers of economicsPhilosophers of psychologyAristotelian philosophersBritish male essayistsEnglish people of Scottish descentLogiciansMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesNatural law ethicistsPhilosophers of logicPhilosophers of lovePhilosophers of sexualityPhilosophy of science19th-century atheistsAmerican male non-fiction writersCritics of work and the work ethicEmpiricistsIslamic philosophersLiteracy and society theoristsPhilosophers of artPhilosophers of languagePolitical philosophers17th-century English writers17th-century writers in Latin20th-century essayistsAlumni of St John's College, CambridgeAnalytic philosophersCritics of religionsEnglish agnosticsJewish agnosticsLiterary theoristsPhilosophers of technologyRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)Virtue ethicistsAlumni of the University of EdinburghAnti-nationalistsBritish critics of religionsBritish philosophers of educationEnglish Nobel laureatesEnglish socialistsJewish socialistsKnights BachelorMembers of the Order of MeritMetaphysics writersPolitical realistsRationalistsRhetoric theoristsTrope theoristsWriters about globalization17th-century English philosophers20th-century British philosophers20th-century English philosophers20th-century translatorsAlumni of Trinity College, CambridgeBisexual male writersBritish ethicistsBritish philosophers of mindBritish political philosophersClassical humanistsCritics of atheismDeist philosophersEnglish people of Welsh descentEnglish physicistsEnglish political philosophersEuropean democratic socialistsFellows of the British AcademyFreethought writersMetaphor theoristsNaturalized citizens of the United StatesPeople with post-traumatic stress disorderPhilosophers of pessimismUtilitarians18th-century British essayists18th-century British philosophers19th-century English essayists19th-century English philosophers20th-century American male writers20th-century British essayists20th-century English mathematicians20th-century mysticsAction theoristsAlbert EinsteinAlchemists of the medieval Islamic worldAmerican humanistsAnthologistsBlind writersBritish consciousness researchers and theoristsBritish free speech activistsBritish historians of philosophyBritish philosophers of languageCambridge University Moral Sciences ClubConsequentialistsConservatismCourt physiciansCriticism of rationalismEnglish logiciansEnglish political writersFellows of Trinity College, CambridgeGeorgistsGerman Ashkenazi JewsGerman agnosticsHaiku poetsIntellectual historyJerusalem Prize recipientsJewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United StatesLecturersLinguistic turnMagic realism writersNobel laureates in PhysicsPhilosophers of timePresidents of the Aristotelian SocietyRecipients of Franklin MedalRecipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and ArtStateless peopleSurrealist writersWinners of the Max Planck MedalWittgensteinian philosophers19th-century English mathematicians20th-century American engineers20th-century American inventors, Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences20th-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 Vienna20th-century British non-fiction writers9th-century philosophersAcademic staff of ETH ZurichAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of scienceAmerican Ashkenazi Jews, American Zionists, American agnostics, German ZionistsArabic-language commentators on AristotleAstronomers of the medieval Islamic worldAustrian people of Jewish descent, Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War IBertrand Russell Professors of PhilosophyBisexual military personnelBlind poetsBritish atheism activistsBritish critics of ChristianityBritish male non-fiction writersBritish philosophers of culture, English pacifistsBritish philosophers of logicBritish philosophers of religionBritish social liberalsCommanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of GermanyCritics of MarxismEnglish anti-fascistsEnglish humanistsEnglish prisoners and detaineesEnglish scepticsEnglish theologiansFree love advocatesIntellectual historians, University of Chicago facultyIranian ethicists, Iranian logiciansJewish German physicists, Jewish scientistsJewish ethicistsLGBTQ mathematicians, LGBTQ philosophersMaterialistsMedieval Iranian pharmacologists, Transoxanian Islamic scholarsMembers of the Order of the Companions of HonourMusic theorists of the medieval Islamic worldNaturalised citizens of AustriaOrdinary language philosophyPeople from MonmouthshirePeople of the Scottish EnlightenmentPhilosophers of identityPostmodern writers, Recipients of the Legion of HonourSecular humanistsSet theoristsSkeptic philosophersSpanish-language poetsThomas HobbesUniversal basic income writersUniversity of California, Los Angeles facultyWriters about communism
  1. Al-Kindi

    Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the life and work of Al-Kindi, often described as the first philosopher in the Arabic tradition.

    28 June 2012

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    Featuring: Hugh Kennedy, James Montgomery, Amira Bennison

     
  2. Albert Einstein

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Einstein's impact on the world of physics after his 'miraculous year' in 1905 and why he went on to become so very famous after World War One.

    14 September 2023

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    Featuring: Richard Staley, Diana Kormos Buchwald, John Heilbron

     
  3. Avicenna

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Avicenna, among the most important philosophers in the history of Islam.

    8 November 2007

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    Featuring: Peter Adamson, Amira Bennison, Nader El-Bizri

     
  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

     
    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 writers
  5. David Hume

    Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the work of David Hume, the philosopher and leading figure of the Scottish Enlightenment.

    6 October 2011

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    Featuring: Peter Millican, Helen Beebee, James Harris

     
  6. 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

     
  7. 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

     
  8. Popper

    Melvyn Bragg discusses the philosopher Karl Popper, author of The Open Society and a seminal thinker about science.

    8 February 2007

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    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 essayists
  9. Wittgenstein

    Melvyn Bragg discusses how Ludwig Wittgenstein, one of the greatest philosophers of the modern age has influenced contemporary culture with his ideas on language.

    4 December 2003

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    Featuring: Ray Monk, Barry Smith, Marie McGinn