Philosophers of science
Philosophy of science is a branch of philosophy concerned with the foundations, methods, and implications of science. The central questions of this study concern what qualifies as science, the reliability of scientific theories, and the ultimate purpose of science.
15 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 literaturePhilosophers of mindTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of historyWriters about activism and social changeMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of religionEnlightenment philosophersMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyEpistemologistsAphoristsCritics 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 philosophersJewish philosophersMetaphilosophersPantheistsPhilosophers of economicsPhilosophers of mathematics17th-century English male writersAristotelian philosophersBritish male essayistsEnglish people of Scottish descentExistentialistsGerman political philosophersHall of Fame for Great Americans inducteesHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesLogiciansMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesNatural law ethicistsNatural philosophersPhilosophers of logicPhilosophers of psychologyPhilosophers of sexualityPhilosophy of science19th-century atheistsAmerican male non-fiction writersCatholic philosophersCritics of work and the work ethicEmpiricistsEnglish non-fiction writersFrench political philosophersIslamic philosophersPhilosophers of artPhilosophers of languagePolitical philosophers17th-century English writersAlumni of St John's College, CambridgeAmerican people of English descentAnti-consumeristsCritics of religionsEnglish agnosticsGerman philosophers of education, German ethicistsJewish agnosticsPhilosophers of technologySimple living advocatesVirtue ethicists17th-century writers in Latin19th-century English non-fiction writers19th-century English writers20th-century German philosophersAlumni of Trinity College DublinAnti-nationalistsBritish critics of religionsBritish philosophers of educationEnglish feminists, English feminist writersEnglish socialistsHumboldt University of Berlin alumniJewish socialistsMarxist theoristsMetaphysics writersPeople associated with electricityPolitical realistsRationalistsRhetoric theoristsScholastic philosophersWomen religious writersWriters about globalization17th-century English philosophers18th-century classical composersAlumni of the University of EdinburghAmerican political philosophersBritish ethicistsBritish philosophers of mindBritish political philosophersClassical humanistsCritics of JudaismCritics of atheismDeist philosophersEnglish libertariansEnglish philosophersEnglish physicistsEnglish political philosophersEnglish republicansEuropean democratic socialistsFreethought writersGerman Marxist writersHeidelberg University alumniIndependent scientistsIrish AnglicansMembers of the American Academy of Arts and LettersNaturalized citizens of the United StatesScholars of feminist philosophyUtilitarians13th-century philosophers13th-century writers in Latin17th-century Anglo-Irish people18th-century American writers, Founding Fathers of the United States, People of the American Enlightenment18th-century Anglo-Irish people, 18th-century Irish writers, 18th-century Irish male writers18th-century British essayists18th-century British philosophers18th-century pseudonymous writers19th-century English essayists19th-century English philosophers19th-century German historians20th-century American male writersActivists for African-American civil rightsAlbert EinsteinAlchemists of the medieval Islamic worldAmerican autobiographersAmerican deistsAmerican humanistsAmerican male journalistsAmerican philosophers of cultureAmerican philosophers of educationAmerican philosophers of religionAmerican slave ownersAnglican philosophersAutobiographersBritish consciousness researchers and theoristsBritish free speech activistsBritish philosophers of languageBritish socialistsBurials at Highgate CemeteryBurials at the Panthéon, ParisConsequentialistsConservatismContributors to the Encyclopédie (1751–1772)Court physiciansCriticism of rationalismCritics of ChristianityCritics of deismDeterministsDiscoverers of chemical elementsEnglish logiciansEnglish political writersEnglish suffragistsExilliteratur writersGerman Ashkenazi JewsGerman agnosticsGerman revolutionariesGerman women philosophersHumor researchersIdealistsIntellectual historyJewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United StatesNobel laureates in PhysicsPamphleteersPeople of the Age of EnlightenmentPeople with hypochondriasisRecipients of Franklin MedalScholars of Trinity College DublinSocialist feministsStateless people12th-century Muslim theologians17th-century Anglican theologians18th-century American politicians, Signers of the United States Constitution, American Freemasons18th-century Anglican theologians18th-century Irish philosophers18th-century male musicians20th-century American engineers20th-century American essayists20th-century American inventors, Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences20th-century American philosophers20th-century American women writers20th-century German non-fiction writers20th-century German women writers9th-century philosophersAcademic staff of ETH ZurichAcademics of Trinity College DublinAction theoristsAnglo-ScotsAnti-imperialistsArabic-language commentators on AristotleAstronomers of the medieval Islamic worldBaruch SpinozaBritish classical liberal economistsBritish critics of ChristianityBritish male non-fiction writersBritish philosophers of logicBritish social liberalsCatholic clergy scientistsClassical-period composersCreators of writing systemsCritics of political economyEconomic historians, German sociologistsEnglish alchemistsEnglish autobiographersEnglish theologiansFellows of the Royal Society of ArtsFluid dynamicistsGerman Zionists, American Ashkenazi Jews, American agnostics, American ZionistsGerman anti-capitalists, Jewish communists, German socialist feministsGerman writers on atheismGrammarians of LatinHistory of calculusHonorary Fellows of the Royal Society of EdinburghIndependent scholarsInfectious disease deaths in FranceIranian logicians, Iranian ethicistsJewish German physicists, Jewish scientistsJewish existentialistsJewish translators of the BibleMasonic grand mastersMaterialistsMedieval Iranian pharmacologists, Transoxanian Islamic scholarsMedieval orientalists, English translatorsMembers of the International Workingmen's AssociationMusic theorists of the medieval Islamic worldNaturalised citizens of AustriaPeople educated at Eton CollegePeople educated at Kilkenny CollegePeople from Córdoba, SpainPeople of the Scottish EnlightenmentPhilosophers from MassachusettsPhilosophers from al-AndalusPhilosophers of identityPhilosophical anthropologyPolitical activists from PennsylvaniaPrinceton University facultyProto-evolutionary biologistsRectors of the University of St AndrewsRomantic philosophers, Converts to Roman Catholicism from CalvinismScholars of antisemitismSecular humanistsSkeptic philosophersThe New School facultyThomas HobbesUK MPs 1865–1868University of Bonn alumniUniversity of Chicago faculty, Intellectual historiansUniversity of Jena alumniUniversity of Marburg alumniVoting theoristsWinners of the Max Planck MedalWriters from Philadelphia, Recreational cryptographers, Writers from Boston
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
Featuring: Hugh Kennedy, James Montgomery, Amira Bennison
PhilosophyOntologistsPhilosophers of religionMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of scienceEpistemologistsPhilosophers of educationPhilosophers of mathematicsAristotelian philosophersPhilosophers of logicPhilosophers of psychologyPhilosophers of artIslamic philosophersMetaphysics writersIntellectual historyAlchemists of the medieval Islamic world9th-century philosophersArabic-language commentators on AristotleAstronomers of the medieval Islamic worldMusic theorists of the medieval Islamic worldAlbert 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
Featuring: Richard Staley, Diana Kormos Buchwald, John Heilbron
SciencePhilosophers of scienceMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyGerman male non-fiction writersPantheistsPhilosophers of mathematicsMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophy of scienceAmerican male non-fiction writersJewish agnosticsAnti-nationalistsJewish socialistsNaturalized citizens of the United StatesEuropean democratic socialistsAlbert EinsteinAmerican humanists20th-century American male writersGerman agnosticsGerman Ashkenazi JewsJewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United StatesNobel laureates in PhysicsRecipients of Franklin MedalStateless peopleNaturalised citizens of Austria20th-century American engineersAcademic staff of ETH ZurichWinners of the Max Planck Medal20th-century American inventors, Members of the United States National Academy of SciencesGerman Zionists, American Ashkenazi Jews, American agnostics, American ZionistsJewish German physicists, Jewish scientistsAverroes
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-AndalusAvicenna
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Avicenna, among the most important philosophers in the history of Islam.
8 November 2007
Featuring: Peter Adamson, Amira Bennison, Nader El-Bizri
PhilosophyOntologistsPhilosophers of mindPhilosophers of religionPhilosophers of scienceEpistemologistsPhilosophers of mathematicsAristotelian philosophersLogiciansPhilosophers of logicPhilosophers of psychologyIslamic philosophersClassical humanistsCritics of atheismCourt physiciansAlchemists of the medieval Islamic worldMusic theorists of the medieval Islamic worldIranian logicians, Iranian ethicistsMedieval Iranian pharmacologists, Transoxanian Islamic scholarsBenjamin 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 FreemasonsBishop Berkeley
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the philosopher George Berkeley, one of the most significant thinkers of the 18th century.
20 March 2014
Featuring: Peter Millican, Tom Stoneham, Michela Massimi
PhilosophyPhilosophers of scienceEnlightenment philosophersEpistemologistsEmpiricistsAlumni of Trinity College DublinIdealistsScholars of Trinity College Dublin17th-century Anglo-Irish peopleAnglican philosophers17th-century Anglican theologians18th-century Anglican theologiansAcademics of Trinity College Dublin18th-century Irish philosophersHistory of calculusPeople educated at Kilkenny College18th-century Anglo-Irish people, 18th-century Irish writers, 18th-century Irish male 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
PhilosophySocial philosophersOntologistsPhilosophy writersTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of mindWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of historyPhilosophers of religionPhilosophers of scienceEnlightenment philosophersEpistemologistsCritics of the Catholic ChurchWriters about religion and sciencePhilosophers of social sciencePhilosophers of mathematicsMetaphilosophersPhilosophers of economicsBritish male essayistsPhilosophers of logicPhilosophers of psychologyPhilosophers of artEmpiricistsVirtue ethicistsBritish critics of religionsBritish philosophers of educationDeist philosophersAlumni of the University of EdinburghFreethought writers18th-century British philosophersConservatismBritish consciousness researchers and theorists18th-century British essayistsCriticism of rationalismAction theoristsPeople of the Scottish EnlightenmentSkeptic philosophersSecular humanistsBritish male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of identityHannah 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
PhilosophySocial philosophersPhilosophy writersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophers of historyPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of sciencePhilosophers of lawGerman political philosophersExistentialistsPolitical philosophersJewish agnosticsPhilosophers of technologyWomen religious writers20th-century German philosophersHeidelberg University alumniMembers of the American Academy of Arts and LettersAmerican political philosophersExilliteratur writersGerman agnosticsGerman Ashkenazi JewsJewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United StatesGerman women philosophersAmerican philosophers of educationPrinceton University faculty20th-century American essayists20th-century American women writers20th-century German women writers20th-century American philosophers20th-century German non-fiction writersJewish existentialistsThe New School facultyScholars of antisemitismUniversity of Marburg alumniGerman philosophers of education, German ethicistsGerman Zionists, American Ashkenazi Jews, American agnostics, American ZionistsUniversity of Chicago faculty, Intellectual historiansHobbes
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
PhilosophySocial philosophersOntologistsTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of mindPhilosophers of historyPhilosophers of religionMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of scienceEpistemologistsCritics of the Catholic ChurchPhilosophers of lawPhilosophers of mathematics17th-century English male writersNatural law ethicistsPhilosophers of languageEmpiricistsAlumni of St John's College, Cambridge17th-century English writers17th-century writers in LatinBritish critics of religionsRhetoric theoristsPolitical realistsBritish philosophers of education17th-century English philosophersEnglish physicistsEnglish political philosophersBritish critics of ChristianityThomas HobbesEnglish theologiansMaterialistsMarx
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
PhilosophySocial philosophersOntologistsTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of mindWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of historyPhilosophers of religionMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of scienceEpistemologistsWriters about religion and scienceAtheist philosophersGerman male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of lawPhilosophers of education19th-century German philosophersPhilosophers of economicsGerman political philosophers19th-century atheistsCritics of work and the work ethicAnti-consumeristsPhilosophers of technologyCritics of religionsMarxist theoristsAnti-nationalistsJewish socialistsHumboldt University of Berlin alumniWriters about globalizationGerman Marxist writersCritics of JudaismStateless peoplePamphleteersGerman revolutionariesBurials at Highgate CemeterySocialist feminists19th-century German historiansMembers of the International Workingmen's AssociationUniversity of Bonn alumniGerman writers on atheismFellows of the Royal Society of ArtsUniversity of Jena alumniMaterialistsAnti-imperialistsCritics of political economyPhilosophical anthropologyGerman anti-capitalists, Jewish communists, German socialist feministsEconomic historians, German sociologistsMill
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
PhilosophyPhilosophy writersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of historyPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of scienceEnglish essayistsEnglish male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of economicsLogiciansBritish male essayistsPhilosophers of sexualityEnglish people of Scottish descentPhilosophers of psychologyEnglish non-fiction writersEmpiricistsEnglish agnostics19th-century English non-fiction writers19th-century English writersEnglish socialistsScholars of feminist philosophyEuropean democratic socialistsBritish philosophers of mindBritish ethicistsUtilitariansEnglish libertariansEnglish republicansEnglish political philosophersBritish political philosophersBritish philosophers of languageBritish socialistsEnglish logicians19th-century English philosophersEnglish suffragists19th-century English essayistsConsequentialistsEnglish political writersBritish free speech activistsUK MPs 1865–1868Voting theoristsBritish classical liberal economistsEnglish autobiographersRectors of the University of St AndrewsBritish philosophers of logicBritish social liberalsAnglo-ScotsHonorary Fellows of the Royal Society of EdinburghInfectious disease deaths in FranceEnglish feminists, English feminist writersRobert Boyle
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the life and work of Robert Boyle, a pioneering scientist and one of the first Fellows of the Royal Society.
12 June 2014
Featuring: Simon Schaffer, Michael Hunter, Anna Marie Roos
SciencePhilosophers of scienceWriters about religion and science17th-century English male writers17th-century English writers17th-century English philosophersEnglish physicistsIrish AnglicansIndependent scientistsDiscoverers of chemical elements17th-century Anglo-Irish peopleEnglish alchemistsPeople educated at Eton CollegeFluid dynamicistsRoger 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 CalvinismSpinoza
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
PhilosophySocial philosophersOntologistsPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of mindPhilosophers of historyPhilosophers of religionMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of scienceEnlightenment philosophersEpistemologistsCritics of the Catholic ChurchAge of EnlightenmentPhilosophers of educationPantheistsJewish philosophersMetaphilosophersRationalists17th-century writers in LatinCritics of JudaismPeople of the Age of EnlightenmentDeterministsJewish translators of the BibleBaruch Spinoza