Philosophy
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171 episodes
Maurice Merleau-Ponty
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the insights of this French philosopher into the relationship between mind and body, the role of language in thought and the value of habits
27 March 2025
Featuring: Komarine Romdenh-Romluc, Thomas Baldwin, Timothy Mooney
PhilosophyAction theoristsFrench philosophers of artExistentialistsFrench philosophers of scienceÉcole Normale Supérieure alumniMarxist theoristsPhenomenologistsBurials at Père Lachaise CemeteryFrench magazine foundersFormer Roman CatholicsFrench humanistsFrench epistemologistsFrench philosophers of educationFrench political philosophersLycée Louis-le-Grand alumniAcademic staff of the University of ParisPhilosophers of psychologyAcademic staff of the Collège de FranceFrench male non-fiction writersEnactive cognitionFrench philosophers of cultureOntologists20th-century French philosophersUniversity of Paris alumniFrench socialistsSocrates in Prison
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Plato's accounts of the last days of Socrates in which he kept doing philosophy right up to the point of his execution by hemlock.
23 January 2025
Featuring: Angie Hobbs, Fiona Leigh, James Warren
Hayek's The Road to Serfdom
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Hayek's 1944 book warning that the centralised planning of the wartime economy, if extended into peacetime, could lead to tyranny.
17 October 2024
Featuring: Bruce Caldwell, Melissa Lane, Ben Jackson
Philippa Foot
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the most notable philosophers of the 20th century, who explored why it mattered to be moral and why humans needed virtues to flourish.
16 May 2024
Featuring: Anil Gomes, Sophie Grace Chappell, Rachael Wiseman
PhilosophyUniversity of California, Los Angeles facultyEnglish atheistsFellows of the British AcademyVirtue ethicists20th-century English philosophersAlumni of Somerville College, OxfordAnalytic philosophersPhilosophy writersAristotelian philosophersFellows of Somerville College, OxfordEnglish women philosophersBritish atheistsAtheist philosophersPhilosophers of loveMoral realistsWittgensteinian philosophersPanpsychism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the idea that there is a third way between those who say we have a material body and a separate soul or psyche and those who say we are matter alone
25 January 2024
Featuring: Tim Crane, Joanna Leidenhag, Philip Goff
Condorcet
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the influential French philosopher and mathematician who tried to apply his Enlightenment ideas on the benefit of education to the French Revolution.
11 January 2024
Featuring: Rachel Hammersley, Richard Whatmore, Tom Hopkins
PhilosophyFrench political scientistsFrench sociologistsDeputies to the French National ConventionFrench biographers, French ethicistsHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesFrench philosophers of scienceFrench feminists18th-century philosophersTheoretical historiansAge of EnlightenmentFrench atheists18th-century French mathematiciansRationalistsBurials at the Panthéon, ParisFrench philosophers of historyFrench philosophers of educationFellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences18th-century French writersMembers of the Académie FrançaiseFrench male non-fiction writersFrench philosophers of cultureMembers of the French Academy of SciencesAtheist philosophersVoting theoristsFrench abolitionistsPhilosophers of religionProto-feministsEnlightenment philosophersUniversity of Paris alumniMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesPeople killed in the French RevolutionScholars of feminist philosophy18th-century French male writersThe Theory of the Leisure Class
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Thorstein Veblen's critique of wasteful capitalism, as he saw it, in America's Gilded Age with conspicuous leisure and conspicuous consumption.
16 November 2023
Featuring: Matthew Watson, Bill Waller, Mary Wrenn
Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Aristotle's influential approach to the questions of how to live a good life and what happiness means, originally aimed at the elite in Athens.
02 November 2023
Featuring: Angie Hobbs, Roger Crisp, Sophia Connell
Elizabeth Anscombe
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the influential thinker who rejuvenated moral philosophy in the postwar period.
22 June 2023
Featuring: Rachael Wiseman, Constantine Sandis, Roger Teichmann
PhilosophyCambridge University Moral Sciences ClubBritish philosophers of languageAction theoristsRoman Catholic writersFellows of Somerville College, OxfordAlumni of Newnham College, CambridgeWittgensteinian philosophersPresidents of the Aristotelian SocietyAnalytic philosophersDeaths from kidney failure in the United KingdomVirtue ethicistsChristian ethicistsFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesCatholic philosophersConverts to Roman CatholicismBritish women philosophersBritish philosophers of mindBertrand Russell Professors of Philosophy20th-century British philosophersFellows of the British AcademySolon the Lawgiver
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the statesman and poet whose political and legal reforms transformed Athens in the 6th century BC.
23 March 2023
Featuring: Melissa Lane, Hans van Wees, William Allan
Tycho Brahe
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the innovative 16th-century Danish astronomer, renowned for the accuracy of his observations, all taken before the invention of the telescope.
2 February 2023
Featuring: Ole Grell, Adam Mosley, Emma Perkins
Rawls' Theory of Justice
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss A Theory of Justice by John Rawls, first published in 1971, a work that's been called the most influential book in 20th-century political philosophy.
19 January 2023
Featuring: Fabienne Peter, Martin O'Neill, Jonathan Wolff
Plato's Atlantis
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the legend of the lost island of Atlantis, first told by Plato and taken literally by Renaissance Europeans as they began to explore the oceans.
22 September 2022
Featuring: Edith Hall, Christopher Gill, Angie Hobbs
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
Featuring: Sally Sedgwick, Robert Stern, Stephen Houlgate
PhilosophyGerman philosophers of artGerman political philosophersUniversity of Tübingen alumniGerman LutheransTheoretical historians19th-century German philosophers19th-century mysticsGerman idealistsPhilosophers of law18th-century German writersDeaths from choleraPhilosophy writers18th-century German male writersGerman philosophers of mind, German philosophers of religionWriters about religion and scienceAcademic staff of the Humboldt University of Berlin18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayists19th-century German male writersGerman philosophers of language19th-century German essayistsBurials at the Dorotheenstadt CemeteryGerman male essayists18th-century German educators, 18th-century historians, 19th-century German educators, 19th-century historiansMetaphysiciansHeidelberg University alumniPantheistsEnlightenment philosophersGerman philosophers of historyGerman male non-fiction writersCharisma
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss how Weber drew on the idea of charisma in religion to explain why people follow some leaders loyally rather than dutifully, for better or worse
17 March 2022
Featuring: Tom F. Wright, Linda Woodhead, David A. Bell
The Arthashastra
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ancient Indian Sanskrit text the Arthashastra.
3 March 2022
Featuring: Jessica Frazier, James Hegarty, Deven Patel
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
Featuring: Esther Leslie, Kevin McLaughlin, Carolin Duttlinger
PhilosophyJewish philosophersGerman philosophers of art20th-century German philosophersHumboldt University of Berlin alumniGerman Marxist writersGerman philosophers of languageGerman philosophers of technologyGerman literary criticsExilliteratur writers20th-century German male writersGerman philosophers of historyWriters from BerlinGerman philosophers of cultureGerman male essayistsGerman male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of literatureJewish socialistsPlato's Gorgias
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss arguably the most personal of Plato's dialogues in which he examines the values that led to the execution of his mentor Socrates by drinking hemlock
25 November 2021
Featuring: Angie Hobbs, Frisbee Sheffield, Fiona Leigh
PhilosophyNatural law ethicistsPlatonismAncient Greek slaves and freedmenPhilosophers of deathTheorists on Western civilizationAncient Greek physicistsMoral realistsLogiciansAncient Greek epistemologists, Ancient Greek ethicistsRationalistsEpigrammatists of the Greek AnthologyPupils of SocratesPhilosophers of educationAncient Greek philosophers of mindOntologistsPhilosophers of loveClassical theismAttic Greek writersAncient Greek logiciansAncient Greek political philosophersIdealistsNatural philosophersAncient Greek metaphysiciansAncient Athenian philosophersIris 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
Culture20th-century atheistsBritish people of Irish descentAlumni of Newnham College, CambridgeBritish socialistsBritish ethicistsPhilosophers of literatureJames Tait Black Memorial Prize recipientsAnalytic philosophersPhilosophy writersPlatonistsVirtue ethicistsFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesBritish parodistsPhilosophers of cultureAlumni of Somerville College, OxfordBritish women philosophersBritish historians of philosophyBritish atheists20th-century British philosophersAtheist philosophersPhilosophers of history20th-century British non-fiction writersKant'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
PhilosophyGerman philosophers of artNatural law ethicistsGerman philosophers of scienceGerman political philosophersMetaphilosophersPhilosophers of social sciencePhilosophers of warGerman Lutherans18th-century philosophersTheoretical historiansGerman nationalists19th-century German philosophersTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of literatureGerman idealistsAge of EnlightenmentPhilosophers of logicLogiciansPhilosophers of lawPhilosophers of sexuality18th-century German writersPhilosophy writersRationalists18th-century German male writersKantianismGerman philosophers of mind, German philosophers of religionWriters about religion and science18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayists19th-century German male writers19th-century Prussian peopleHumor researchersGerman philosophers of culture19th-century German essayistsPeople of the Age of EnlightenmentGerman agnosticsGerman male essayistsOntologistsGerman ethicists, German philosophers of educationLecturersMembers of the Prussian Academy of SciencesIdealistsNatural philosophersEnlightenment philosophersGerman epistemologistsWriters about activism and social change19th-century German non-fiction writersGerman philosophers of historyGerman male non-fiction writersGerman logicians, Kantian philosophersMarcus 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
Featuring: Simon Goldhill, Angie Hobbs, Catharine Edwards
Mary Astell
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the philosopher Mary Astell (1666 – 1731) who has been described as "the first English feminist".
5 November 2020
Featuring: Hannah Dawson, Mark Goldie, Teresa Bejan
Philosophy18th-century English women writersFeminism and history17th-century English philosophers17th-century English women writersEnglish feminist writers, English feminists18th-century English writersPseudonymous women writersEnglish women activistsFeminist studies scholars18th-century pseudonymous writersEnglish rhetoricians18th-century British philosophers18th-century English philosophers17th-century English writers17th-century pseudonymous writers17th-century English educatorsEnglish educational theoristsEnglish women non-fiction writers18th-century English non-fiction writersBritish women's rights activistsRousseau 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
Philosophy18th-century male musicians18th-century philosophersConverts to Roman Catholicism from Calvinism, Romantic philosophersPhilosophers of literatureAge of EnlightenmentProto-evolutionary biologistsSocial philosophersPhilosophers of economicsBurials at the Panthéon, ParisFrench political philosophersCatholic philosophersPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of educationPhilosophers of artPeople with hypochondriasis18th-century classical composersDeist philosophersPhilosophers of mindContributors to the Encyclopédie (1751–1772)Classical-period composersAutobiographersEnlightenment philosophersWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of scienceSimple living advocatesBergson and Time
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas of Henri Bergson on how our experience of time as a duration differs from the scientific measurement of time, and why that matters.
9 May 2019
Featuring: Keith Ansell-Pearson, Emily Thomas, Mark Sinclair
PhilosophyFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesMetaphysiciansJewish philosophers20th-century French philosophersLycée Condorcet alumniPhilosophers of languageNobel laureates in LiteraturePhenomenologists19th-century French writersAcademic staff of the Collège de FranceWriters from Paris19th-century French philosophersFrench Nobel laureatesÉcole Normale Supérieure alumniFrench epistemologistsPhilosophers of mindAuthenticity
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss what being oneself has meant to philosophers from Aristotle to Sartre and since and how compatible authenticity is with morality
14 March 2019
Featuring: Sarah Richmond, Denis McManus, Irene McMullin
Aristotle's biology
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Aristotle's method of biological investigation and the first systematic and thorough study of animals, which was unequalled for almost 2,000 years.
7 February 2019
Featuring: Armand Leroi, Myrto Hatzimichali, Sophia Connell
Hope
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the development of ideas about hope, left in Pandora's box either as a consolation or as another evil, later the companion of faith and love
22 November 2018
Featuring: Beatrice Han-Pile, Robert Stern, Judith Wolfe
The Fable of the Bees
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Bernard Mandeville's scandalous and influential work on private vices and public benefits, published first as The Grumbling Hive, a poem, in 1705.
25 October 2018
Featuring: David Wootton, Helen Paul, John Callanan
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
Featuring: Richard Bourke, Rachel Hammersley, Richard Whatmore
HistoryMembers of the Prussian Academy of SciencesPhilosophers of law18th-century French philosophersFellows of the Royal SocietyFrench Roman CatholicsContributors to the Encyclopédie (1751–1772)Enlightenment philosophersMembers of the Académie FrançaiseFrench political writersFrench philosophers of historyFrench political philosophers18th-century French male writersTocqueville: 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
Featuring: Robert Gildea, Susan-Mary Grant, Jeremy Jennings
HistoryFrench political scientists19th-century French male writersPhilosophers of lawEconomic sociologistsFrench Roman CatholicsNatural law ethicistsFrench sociologistsMembers of the Académie FrançaiseFrench male non-fiction writersUniversity of Paris alumniWriters from ParisHistorians of the French Revolution19th-century French philosophersFrench political writersFrench philosophers of cultureFrench philosophers of historyKnights of the Legion of HonourFrench political philosophersAugustine's Confessions
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss St Augustine's account of his life, sometimes called the first autobiography, written around AD397 after he had been appointed as Bishop of Hippo.
15 March 2018
Featuring: Kate Cooper, Morwenna Ludlow, Martin Palmer
Sun Tzu and The Art of War
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Chinese military adviser Sun Tzu from the 6th century BC and the influential work of military strategy associated with him, The Art of War.
1 March 2018
Featuring: Hilde de Weerdt, Tim Barrett, Imre Galambos
HistoryPhilosophers of cultureMilitary theoristsPhilosophers of educationPolitical realistsJourney to the West characters5th-century BC Chinese writers, 6th-century BC Chinese writers, Chinese political philosophers, Deified Chinese men, Zhou dynasty philosophers, Zhou dynasty writersPhilosophers of social sciencePeople whose existence is disputedPhilosophers of warTheoretical historiansAphoristsCicero
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Cicero's political ideas on laws, duty, tyrants and the republic, which he developed as the Roman Republic was threatened by Caesar and civil wars.
25 January 2018
Featuring: Melissa Lane, Catherine Steel, Valentina Arena
Philosophy1st-century BC Roman augurs, 1st-century BC Roman consulsPhilosophers of Roman ItalyRoman-era students in AthensDeaths by blade weaponsNatural law ethicistsTrope theoristsAncient Roman equites, Ancient Roman exilesAncient Roman jurists, Ancient Roman rhetoriciansExecuted writers1st-century BC writers in LatinExecuted philosophersRoman Republican praetorsLetter writers in LatinGolden Age Latin writersRoman quaestors2nd-century BC RomansPeople of the War of MutinaClassical humanistsKant's Categorical Imperative
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of Kant's best known ideas: 'Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law'.
21 September 2017
Featuring: Alison Hills, David S. Oderberg, John Callanan
Plato's Republic
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Plato's most famous dialogue which asks 'what is justice', and 'how does justice relate to happiness?'.
29 June 2017
Featuring: Angie Hobbs, M.M. McCabe, James Warren
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
Featuring: Jack Cunningham, Amanda Power, Elly Truitt
HistoryMetaphysicians13th-century philosophersCatholic philosophersEnglish philosophersPhilosophers of languageEnglish translators, Medieval orientalistsNatural philosophersEnglish alchemistsGrammarians of LatinCatholic clergy scientists13th-century writers in LatinPhilosophers of scienceEmpiricistsPhilosophers of mindPhilosophers of literatureScholastic philosophersSeneca the Younger
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Seneca: philosopher, playwright, tutor to Nero, one of the first great writers born in the new Roman empire after the fall of the Republic.
23 February 2017
Featuring: Mary Beard, Catharine Edwards, Alessandro Schiesaro
CultureRoman-era Stoic philosophers1st-century executionsAncient Roman encyclopedistsSuicides in Ancient RomeForced suicidesSuffect consuls of Imperial RomeExecuted writersMale essayistsAncient Roman satiristsPeople executed by the Roman EmpirePeople from Córdoba, SpainExecuted philosophersSilver Age Latin writersLetter writers in Latin1st-century Romans1st-century writersHannah 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
PhilosophyPrinceton University facultyGerman political philosophersExistentialists20th-century American women writersIntellectual historians, University of Chicago facultyUniversity of Marburg alumniJewish existentialistsWomen religious writersPhilosophers of lawMembers of the American Academy of Arts and LettersSocial philosophersPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of technologyAmerican political philosophers20th-century German women writersGerman women philosophersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophers of cultureThe New School faculty20th-century American essayistsExilliteratur writersJewish agnosticsGerman agnosticsGerman Ashkenazi JewsAmerican Ashkenazi Jews, American Zionists, American agnostics, German Zionists20th-century German philosophers20th-century American philosophers20th-century German non-fiction writersGerman ethicists, German philosophers of educationHeidelberg University alumniPolitical philosophersJewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United StatesPhilosophers of scienceScholars of antisemitismPhilosophers of historyAmerican philosophers of educationNietzsche'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
PhilosophyGerman philosophers of artDeaths from pneumonia in GermanyPhilosophers of nihilismMetaphilosophersExistentialistsPhilosophers of social science19th-century German philosophersTheorists on Western civilizationStateless peoplePhilosophers of literatureDeterministsPhilosophers of sexualityCritics of work and the work ethic19th-century German novelistsPhilosophy writersCritical theoristsLeipzig University alumniGerman philosophers of mind, German philosophers of religionWriters about religion and science19th-century German male writersAphoristsIrony theorists19th-century Prussian peopleUniversity of Bonn alumni19th-century German journalistsPhilosophers of psychologyGerman critics of ChristianityCritics of the Catholic Church19th-century German male musiciansAnti-consumeristsGerman philosophers of culturePhilosophers of timeCritics of religionsGerman male essayistsPeople associated with the University of BaselOntologistsMetaphysiciansGerman ethicists, German philosophers of educationAnti-nationalistsGerman epistemologistsPeople from the Province of SaxonyWriters about activism and social changeGerman military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War19th-century German non-fiction writersGerman philosophers of historyGerman male non-fiction writersGerman music criticsZeno's paradoxes
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the paradoxes attributed to Zeno of Elea (c490-430BC) which have stimulated mathematicians and philosophers for millennia.
22 September 2016
Featuring: Marcus du Sautoy, Barbara Sattler, James Warren
Sovereignty
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the history of the idea of sovereignty, from ancient Greece and Rome to wars in France in the 1500s, to Thomas Hobbes and the revolutionary era.
30 June 2016
Featuring: Melissa Lane, Richard Bourke, Tim Stanton
Chinese Legalism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the rise of Chinese Legalism under the First Emperor, its relationship with Confucianism and its legacy today.
10 December 2015
Featuring: Frances Wood, Hilde de Weerdt, Roel Sterckx
Simone de Beauvoir
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Simone de Beauvoir - her work on existentialist ethics, philosophy and literature and her influence on feminism.
22 October 2015
Featuring: Christina Howells, Margaret Atack, Ursula Tidd
PhilosophySocialist feministsFrench communistsFrench philosophers of artFeminist theoristsExistentialistsFrench feministsBisexual women writersPhilosophers of sexuality20th-century French memoiristsFrench bisexual women, French bisexual writersFrench atheistsBurials at Montparnasse Cemetery20th-century French novelistsFormer Roman CatholicsFeminist studies scholarsJerusalem Prize recipientsFrench philosophers of educationFrench political philosophersCommunist women writersBisexual memoiristsDeaths from pneumonia in France, Prix Goncourt winnersFrench women philosophersFrench Marxists, French anti-war activistsFrench literary criticsAtheist philosophersBisexual novelistsFrench women novelists20th-century French philosophers20th-century French women writersFrench LGBTQ novelistsWriters from ParisUniversity of Paris alumniScholars of feminist philosophyUtilitarianism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss utilitarianism, a moral theory that assesses acts by their tendency to increase pleasure in the world and decrease the amount of pain.
11 June 2015
Featuring: Melissa Lane, Janet Radcliffe Richards, Brad Hooker
Al-Ghazali
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Islamic scholar Al-Ghazali, one of the most significant and influential philosophers of the Middle Ages.
19 March 2015
Featuring: Peter Adamson, Carole Hillenbrand, Robert Gleave
The Wealth of Nations
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Adam Smith's celebrated economic treatise The Wealth of Nations.
19 February 2015
Featuring: Richard Whatmore, Donald Winch, Helen Paul
Phenomenology
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the philosophical movement phenomenology.
22 January 2015
Featuring: Simon Glendinning, Joanna Hodge, Stephen Mulhall
Truth
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss philosophical approaches to truth.
18 December 2014
Featuring: Simon Blackburn, Jennifer Hornsby, Crispin Wright
Zen
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Zen, a distinctively East Asian form of Buddhism.
4 December 2014
Featuring: Tim Barrett, Lucia Dolce, Eric Greene
The Philosophy of Solitude
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the philosophy of solitude, from religious hermits to those exiled from their homeland.
19 June 2014
Featuring: Melissa Lane, Simon Blackburn, John Haldane
Weber's The Protestant Ethic
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Max Weber's book The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism.
27 March 2014
Featuring: Peter Ghosh, Sam Whimster, Linda Woodhead
HistoryHumboldt University of Berlin alumniDeaths from pneumonia in GermanyGerman philosophers of scienceGerman philosophers of technologyGerman political philosophers19th-century German writersGerman nationalists19th-century German philosophersContinental philosophersCritics of work and the work ethicGerman philosophers of historyPhilosophers of economicsAcademic staff of the Humboldt University of Berlin19th-century German male writersUniversity of Strasbourg alumniUniversity of Göttingen alumniGerman philosophers of cultureEconomic historians, German sociologists20th-century German philosophersMax WeberHeidelberg University alumniEconomic sociologistsPeople from the Province of SaxonyWriters about activism and social changeMembers of the Bavarian Academy of SciencesBishop 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
PhilosophyEpistemologistsIdealistsAnglican philosophersPeople educated at Kilkenny CollegeAcademics of Trinity College Dublin18th-century Irish writersEnlightenment philosophers17th-century Anglo-Irish people17th-century Anglican theologiansScholars of Trinity College DublinAlumni of Trinity College DublinPhilosophers of science18th-century Anglo-Irish people, 18th-century Irish male writers18th-century Irish philosophersEmpiricistsHistory of calculus18th-century Anglican theologiansPlato's Symposium
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Plato's Symposium, one of the Greek philosopher's best-known works and an influential text about the nature of love.
3 January 2014
Featuring: Angie Hobbs, Richard L. Hunter, Frisbee Sheffield
Ordinary language philosophy
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Ordinary Language Philosophy, one of the most important British contributions to 20th-century thought.
7 November 2013
Featuring: Stephen Mulhall, Ray Monk, Julia Tanney
Pascal
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the life and work of the French polymath Blaise Pascal.
19 September 2013
Featuring: David Wootton, Michael Moriarty, Michela Massimi
CultureFrench Roman Catholic writersCartesianismChristian humanistsCritics of atheismFrench physicistsCatholic philosophersConverts to Roman CatholicismFrench fluid dynamicists, French mathematicians, French probability theoristsPeople with hypochondriasisRoman Catholic mysticsChristian apologists17th-century Christian mysticsAphoristsEpicureanism
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Epicureanism, the system of philosophy based on the teachings of Epicurus and founded in the 4th century BC.
7 February 2013
Featuring: Angie Hobbs, David Sedley, James Warren
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
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 writersSimone Weil
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the French philosopher and social activist Simone Weil. Admired by Albert Camus and Iris Murdoch, she achieved a great deal in her short life.
15 November 2012
Featuring: Beatrice Han-Pile, Stephen Plant, David Levy
PhilosophyLycée Henri-IV alumniChristian humanistsFrench communistsFrench philosophers of scienceÉcole Normale Supérieure alumniFrench feminists20th-century deaths from tuberculosisAnti-Stalinist leftConverts to Christianity from JudaismMarxist theoristsCritics of work and the work ethicFrench anarchists, French anti-capitalists, French anti-fascistsPlatonistsFrench political philosophersFrench women philosophersFrench Resistance membersChristian radicalsDominican mysticsJewish philosophers20th-century French philosophersPhilosophers of religion20th-century French women writersTuberculosis deaths in EnglandWriters from ParisWomen mysticsFrench socialistsCritics of MarxismChristian anarchists, Nonviolence advocatesThe Ontological Argument
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Ontological Argument, the philosophical attempt to prove the existence of God through reason alone.
27 September 2012
Featuring: John Haldane, Peter Millican, Clare Carlisle
Scepticism
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the history of philosophical scepticism.
5 July 2012
Featuring: Peter Millican, Melissa Lane, Jill Kraye
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
PhilosophyEpistemologistsPhilosophers of logicAristotelian philosophersArabic-language commentators on AristotleAlchemists of the medieval Islamic worldIslamic philosophersPhilosophers of educationPhilosophers of psychologyPhilosophers of art9th-century philosophersPhilosophers of mathematicsIntellectual historyOntologistsMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of religionAstronomers of the medieval Islamic worldPhilosophers of scienceMusic theorists of the medieval Islamic worldMetaphysics writersClausewitz and On War
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss On War, the 19th-century treatise on the theory of warfare by the Prussian soldier Carl von Clausewitz.
17 May 2012
Featuring: Saul David, Hew Strachan, Beatrice Heuser
Neoplatonism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Neoplatonism, a mystical school of thought founded by the third century philosopher Plotinus.
19 April 2012
Featuring: Angie Hobbs, Peter Adamson, Anne Sheppard
Moses Mendelssohn
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the work of Moses Mendelssohn, one of the greatest thinkers of the German Enlightenment.
22 March 2012
Featuring: Christopher Clark, Abigail Green, Adam Sutcliffe
Heraclitus
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the ancient Greek thinker Heraclitus, immortalised by later scholars as the Weeping Philosopher.
8 December 2011
Featuring: Angie Hobbs, Peter Adamson, James Warren
PhilosophyAncient Greek political philosophersAncient Greeks from the Achaemenid EmpireNatural philosophersPhilosophers of religionAncient Greek epistemologists, Ancient Greek ethicistsAncient Greek metaphysiciansPhilosophers of timeAncient Greek philosophers of mind6th-century BC Greek philosophersOntologistsAncient Greek physicists5th-century BC Greek philosophersPtolemy and Ancient Astronomy
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the last of the great Greek astronomers of antiquity, Ptolemy, and his influence on ancient and medieval astronomy.
17 November 2011
Featuring: Liba Taub, Jim Bennett, Charles Burnett
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
Featuring: Peter Millican, Helen Beebee, James Harris
PhilosophyCriticism of rationalismEpistemologistsAction theorists18th-century British essayistsMetaphilosophersSkeptic philosophersPhilosophers of social scienceTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of logicSecular humanistsSocial philosophersPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of economicsWriters about religion and sciencePhilosophers of identityBritish philosophers of educationVirtue ethicistsBritish male non-fiction writers18th-century British philosophersPhilosophers of psychologyPhilosophers of artCritics of the Catholic ChurchBritish critics of religionsPhilosophers of mathematicsAlumni of the University of EdinburghConservatismEmpiricistsOntologistsPhilosophers of mindDeist philosophersPeople of the Scottish EnlightenmentPhilosophers of religionFreethought writersBritish consciousness researchers and theoristsEnlightenment philosophersWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of sciencePhilosophers of historyBritish male essayistsMalthusianism
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Malthusianism, the influential theory of population growth first articulated by the Reverend Thomas Malthus in 1798.
23 June 2011
Featuring: Karen O'Brien, Mark Philp, Emma Griffin
Cogito Ergo Sum
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss one of the most famous statements in philosophy, 'Cogito ergo sum', Rene Descartes' attempt to establish what we can truly know.
28 April 2011
Featuring: Susan James, John Cottingham, Stephen Mulhall
Free Will(500th programme)
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the problem of free will - the extent to which we are able to choose our actions.
10 March 2011
Featuring: Simon Blackburn, Helen Beebee, Galen Strawson
Maimonides
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the work and influence of Maimonides. Widely regarded as the greatest Jewish philosopher of the medieval period.
17 February 2011
Featuring: John Joseph Haldane, Sarah Stroumsa, Peter Adamson
Aristotle's Poetics
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Aristotle's Poetics, the first and arguably most influential work of literary theory in history.
27 January 2011
Featuring: Angie Hobbs, Nick Lowe, Stephen Halliwell
Daoism
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Daoism, a Chinese belief system encompassing both religion and philosophy.
16 December 2010
Featuring: Tim Barrett, Martin Palmer, Hilde de Weerdt
Logic
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the history of logic, the study of reasoning and argument.
21 October 2010
Featuring: A. C. Grayling, Peter Millican, Rosanna Keefe
Edmund Burke
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the work of the philosopher, politician and writer Edmund Burke, whose views on revolution in America and France were hugely influential.
3 June 2010
Featuring: Karen O'Brien, Richard Bourke, John Keane
PhilosophyBritish political philosophersEnglish libertariansNatural law ethicistsIrish Freemasons, Irish libertarians, Irish people of English descentBritish MPs 1774–1780Historians of the French RevolutionEnglish people of Irish descent18th-century philosophersClassical liberalismStreathamitesSocial philosophers18th-century English writersPhilosophers of economics18th-century Irish philosophersVirtue ethicistsCritics of deism18th-century English philosophersPhilosophers of cultureIrish AnglicansPhilosophers of education18th-century Irish writersPhilosophers of artBritish MPs 1784–1790, British MPs 1790–1796Writers from Dublin (city)18th-century Anglo-Irish people, 18th-century Irish male writersRectors of the University of GlasgowConservatismPolitical philosophersPhilosophers of religionAnglican philosophersAlumni of Trinity College DublinBritish MPs 1780–1784, Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituenciesPhilosophers of history18th-century English male writersWilliam James's The Varieties of Religious Experience
Melvyn Bragg and guests Jonathan Ree, John Haldane and Gwen Griffith-Dickson discuss The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James.
13 May 2010
Featuring: Jonathan Rée, John Haldane, Gwen Griffith-Dickson
Philosophy19th-century American writersAnalytic philosophersMembers of the American Academy of Arts and Letters19th-century American philosophersCorresponding fellows of the British AcademyAmerican philosophers of religionAmerican philosophers of mind, American philosophers of sciencePsychologists of religionExistentialistsPhilosophers of deathPhilosophers of warPhilosophers of historyWilliam JamesOntologists20th-century American philosophersWilliam Hazlitt
Melvyn Bragg and guests Jonathan Bate, Uttara Natarajan and AC Grayling discuss the life and works of William Hazlitt.
8 April 2010
Featuring: Jonathan Bate, A. C. Grayling, Uttara Natarajan
Ibn Khaldun
Melvyn Bragg and guests Robert Hoyland, Robert Irwin and Hugh Kennedy discuss the life and ideas of the 14th-century Arab philosopher of history Ibn Khaldun.
4 February 2010
Featuring: Robert Hoyland, Robert Graham Irwin, Hugh N. Kennedy
The Frankfurt School
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Frankfurt School, a group of influential German thinkers who argued that culture keeps people passive.
14 January 2010
Featuring: Jonathan Rée, Esther Leslie, Raymond Geuss
Mary Wollstonecraft
Melvyn Bragg and guests John Mullan, Karen O'Brien and Barbara Taylor discuss the life and ideas of the pioneering British Enlightenment thinker Mary Wollstonecraft.
31 December 2009
Featuring: Karen O'Brien, John Mullan, Barbara Taylor
PhilosophyEnglish travel writersFeminist theorists18th-century British essayists18th-century English novelistsHistorians of the French RevolutionEnglish women philosophersFrench–English translatorsWriters of Gothic fictionEnglish feminist writers, English feministsBurials at St Pancras Old ChurchBritish philosophers of educationGodwin familyBritish women essayists18th-century British philosophersEnglish philosophersDeaths in childbirthGerman–English translatorsPeople from Somers Town, LondonEnglish UnitariansFounders of English schools and collegesEnglish essayistsEnlightenment philosophersEnglish educational theorists18th-century English historiansEnglish republicansScholars of feminist philosophyEnglish women novelistsPythagoras
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas and influence of the Greek mathematician Pythagoras and his followers, the Pythagoreans.
10 December 2009
Featuring: Ian Stewart, Serafina Cuomo, John O'Connor
PhilosophyFounders of religionsAncient Greek metaphysiciansAncient Greek political refugeesAncient Greek geometersAncient SamiansAncient Greek music theoristsAncient Greek philosophers of mind5th-century BC religious leaders, 6th-century BC religious leaders6th-century BC Greek philosophersAncient occultists5th-century BC Greek philosophersSchopenhauer
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
PhilosophyGerman philosophers of artGerman philosophers of scienceGerman political philosophers19th-century German writersMetaphilosophersGerman eugenicists19th-century German philosophersTheorists on Western civilizationSimple living advocatesPhilosophers of literatureGerman idealistsPhilosophers of logicLogiciansPhenomenologistsPhilosophy writersCritical theoristsGerman philosophers of mind, German philosophers of religionAcademic staff of the Humboldt University of Berlin19th-century German male writersAphoristsGerman philosophers of languagePhilosophers of psychologyUniversity of Göttingen alumniGerman critics of ChristianityGerman philologistsGerman philosophers of culture19th-century German essayists19th-century atheistsCritics of religionsAtheist philosophersGerman male essayistsCritics of JudaismOntologistsPhilosophers of loveGerman writers on atheismGerman ethicists, German philosophers of educationGerman monarchistsPhilosophers of pessimismGerman epistemologistsAnti-natalistsGerman philosophers of historyGerman male non-fiction writersGerman logicians, Kantian philosophersSt Thomas Aquinas
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss St Thomas Aquinas, the Catholic Church's foremost western philosopher and theologian.
17 September 2009
Featuring: Martin Palmer, John Haldane, Annabel Brett
PhilosophyMedieval Latin-language poets13th-century philosophersCritics of atheismNatural law ethicistsMagic (supernatural)Lutheran saintsThomas AquinasPhilosophers of lawDoctors of the Church13th-century writers in LatinAristotelian philosophersWriters about religion and scienceAngelic visionariesVirtue ethicistsChristian ethicistsCatholic philosophersSystematic theologiansChristian apologistsScholastic philosophersClassical theismMetaphysiciansDominican mysticsAnglican saintsUniversity of Paris alumniLogical Positivism
Melvyn Bragg and guests including Barry Smith discuss Logical Positivism, the radical philosophy of the Vienna Circle.
2 July 2009
Featuring: Barry Smith, Nancy Cartwright, Thomas Uebel
Baconian Science
Melvyn Bragg and guests Patricia Fara, Stephen Pumfrey and Rhodri Lewis discuss the Jacobean lawyer, political fixer and alleged founder of modern science Francis Bacon.
2 April 2009
Featuring: Stephen Pumfrey, Patricia Fara, Rhodri Lewis
Thoreau and the American Idyll
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the American 19th century writer and philosopher, Henry David Thoreau
15 January 2009
Featuring: Kathleen Burk, Tim Morris, Stephen Fender
Philosophy19th-century American philosophersAmerican male essayists, American male poetsAmerican philosophers of mind, American philosophers of scienceAmerican spiritual writers19th-century American essayistsAmerican male non-fiction writersUnderground Railroad peopleCritics of work and the work ethicAmerican political philosophersAmerican lecturersAmerican philosophers of cultureHall of Fame for Great Americans inducteesAnti-consumeristsPhilosophers of lovePhilosophers from Massachusetts19th-century deaths from tuberculosis19th-century American poetsPantheists19th-century American non-fiction writersAnarchist writersPhilosophers of historySimple living advocatesThe Consolations of Philosophy
Melvyn Bragg discusses Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy and asks whether philosophy should lead us toward consolation or lead us from it.
1 January 2009
Featuring: A. C. Grayling, Melissa Lane, Roger Scruton
Aristotle's Politics
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the most important works of political philosophy ever written - Aristotle’s ‘Politics.
6 November 2008
Featuring: Angie Hobbs, Paul Cartledge, Annabel Brett
Gödel's Incompleteness Theorems
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the mathematician Kurt Godel and his work at the very limits of maths.
9 October 2008
Featuring: Marcus du Sautoy, John D. Barrow, Philip Welch
The Translation Movement
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the movement of classical Greek ideas out of the Byzantine Empire and into the Islamic world from the 9th century onwards.
2 October 2008
Featuring: Peter Adamson, Amira Bennison, Peter Pormann
Miracles
Melvyn Bragg discusses the history of miracles, the subject of fierce theological debate, intense popular piety and serious medical study.
25 September 2008
Featuring: Martin Palmer, Janet Soskice, Justin Champion
Materialism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Materialism– the philosophical idea that matter constitutes all that exists.
24 April 2008
Featuring: A. C. Grayling, Caroline Warman, Anthony O'Hear
Kierkegaard
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
PhilosophyEpistemologists19th-century essayistsChristian humanistsUniversity of Copenhagen alumniMetaphilosophersExistentialistsPhilosophers of deathPhilosophers of literatureExistentialist theologians19th-century male writersChristian poetsSocial philosophersPhilosophy writersAphoristsChristian ethicistsIrony theoristsPhilosophers of culturePeople celebrated in the Lutheran liturgical calendarPhilosophers of psychologyPhilosophers of artChristian radicalsOntologistsPhilosophers of lovePhilosophers of mindMetaphysicians19th-century pseudonymous writers19th-century deaths from tuberculosisPhilosophers of religionThe Social Contract
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Social Contract. A key idea in political philosophy, it states that political authority is held through a contract with those to be ruled.
7 February 2008
Featuring: Melissa Lane, Susan James, Karen O'Brien
Camus
Melvyn Bragg discusses the Nobel Prize winning Algerian-French writer and existentialist philosopher Albert Camus.
3 January 2008
Featuring: Peter Dunwoodie, David Walker, Christina Howells
CultureNobel laureates in Literature20th-century atheistsExistentialistsPhilosophers of deathAbsurdist writersAnti-Stalinist leftFrench atheists20th-century French dramatists and playwrightsFrench Nobel laureates20th-century French novelistsFrench humanistsLegion of Honour refusalsFrench anarchists, French anti-capitalists, French anti-fascists20th-century French male writersLibertarian socialistsAtheist philosophersFrench male essayists20th-century French philosophersFrench socialistsModernist writersPhilosophers of pessimism20th-century French essayists, 20th-century French short story writersAvicenna
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
PhilosophyPhilosophers of logicEpistemologistsLogiciansCourt physiciansCritics of atheismIslamic philosophersPhilosophers of religionPhilosophers of psychologyIranian ethicists, Iranian logiciansPhilosophers of mathematicsPhilosophers of scienceAristotelian philosophersMusic theorists of the medieval Islamic worldAlchemists of the medieval Islamic worldMedieval Iranian pharmacologists, Transoxanian Islamic scholarsOntologistsPhilosophers of mindClassical humanistsGuilt
Melvyn Bragg discusses the moral conscience and take a long hard look at the idea of guilt.
1 November 2007
Featuring: Stephen Mulhall, Miranda Fricker, Oliver Davies
Socrates
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the iconic Greek philosopher Socrates. He is the founder of Western philosophy, he was funny, irritating and rude but left not a single word in his own hand.
27 September 2007
Featuring: Angie Hobbs, David Sedley, Paul Millett
PhilosophyAncient Greek political philosophersPhilosophers of educationAncient Greek epistemologists, Ancient Greek ethicistsForced suicidesIrony theorists470s BC birthsExecuted philosophersAncient Greek philosophers of mindCritics of religions5th-century BC AtheniansAncient Athenian philosophersSocratesPhilosophers of love5th-century BC Greek philosophersClassical theismCommon Sense Philosophy
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss 18th century common sense philosophy which involves the most profound questions about human knowledge we are capable of asking.
21 June 2007
Featuring: A. C. Grayling, Melissa Lane, Alexander Broadie
Ockham's Razor
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the philosophical idea of Ockham’s Razor and the medieval philosopher who gave his name to it, William of Ockham.
31 May 2007
Featuring: Anthony Kenny, Marilyn Adams, Richard Alan Cross
Spinoza
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
PhilosophyEpistemologistsMetaphilosophersDeterministsAge of EnlightenmentSocial philosophersPhilosophy writersRationalistsPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of education17th-century writers in LatinCritics of the Catholic ChurchPeople of the Age of EnlightenmentCritics of JudaismOntologistsPhilosophers of mindMetaphysiciansJewish philosophersJewish translators of the BiblePhilosophers of religionPantheistsEnlightenment philosophersBaruch SpinozaPhilosophers of sciencePhilosophers of historyPopper
Melvyn Bragg discusses the philosopher Karl Popper, author of The Open Society and a seminal thinker about science.
8 February 2007
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 essayistsAnarchism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Anarchism and why its political ideas became synonymous with chaos and disorder.
7 December 2006
Featuring: John Keane, Ruth Kinna, Peter Marshall
Altruism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss altruism, described as “an unselfish attention to the needs of others” but how does this square with Darwin’s theory of Evolution?
23 November 2006
Featuring: Miranda Fricker, Richard Dawkins, John Dupré
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
Featuring: Amira Bennison, Peter Adamson, Anthony Kenny
PhilosophyEpistemologistsCritics of atheismPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of logicLogiciansSocial philosophersAristotelian philosophersArabic-language commentators on AristotleCritics of deismPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of languageIslamic philosophersPhilosophers of psychologyPhilosophers from al-AndalusOntologistsPhilosophers of mindPolitical philosophersPhilosophers of religionPeople from Córdoba, Spain12th-century Muslim theologiansPhilosophers of sciencePhilosophers of historyCritics of ChristianityMill
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
PhilosophyBritish political philosophersHonorary Fellows of the Royal Society of EdinburghEnglish libertariansBritish philosophers of languageConsequentialistsInfectious disease deaths in FranceEnglish socialistsUtilitariansEnglish suffragistsTheorists on Western civilizationBritish ethicistsBritish socialistsEnglish political writersLogiciansEnglish feminist writers, English feministsBritish free speech activistsPhilosophers of sexualityPhilosophy writersBritish classical liberal economistsPhilosophers of economicsBritish social liberals19th-century English non-fiction writersFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophers of cultureRectors of the University of St AndrewsPhilosophers of psychologyBritish philosophers of mindEnglish logicians19th-century English philosophersBritish philosophers of logicEnglish autobiographersAnglo-ScotsUK MPs 1865–1868Empiricists19th-century English writersVoting theoristsEuropean democratic socialistsEnglish essayistsEnglish political philosophers19th-century English essayistsEnglish male non-fiction writersEnglish non-fiction writersPhilosophers of scienceEnglish people of Scottish descentPhilosophers of historyEnglish republicansScholars of feminist philosophyEnglish agnosticsBritish male essayistsFriendship
Melvyn Bragg discusses the concept of friendship, considered in antiquity as being an essential constituent of both a good society and a good life.
2 March 2006
Featuring: Angie Hobbs, Mark Vernon, John Mullan
Relativism
Melvyn Bragg discusses Relativism, a school of philosophical thought which holds to the idea that there are no absolute truths.
19 January 2006
Featuring: Barry Smith, Jonathan Rée, Kathleen Lennon
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
Featuring: Quentin Skinner, David Wootton, Annabel Brett
PhilosophyEpistemologistsMaterialistsNatural law ethicistsAlumni of St John's College, Cambridge17th-century English philosophersTheorists on Western civilizationEnglish physicistsPhilosophers of lawSocial philosophersBritish philosophers of educationRhetoric theoristsBritish critics of ChristianityPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of language17th-century writers in LatinBritish critics of religionsCritics of the Catholic Church17th-century English writersPolitical realistsPhilosophers of mathematicsEnglish theologiansEmpiricistsOntologistsPhilosophers of mindMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of religionThomas HobbesEnglish political philosophersPhilosophers of sciencePhilosophers of history17th-century English male writersPragmatism
Melvyn Bragg discusses the American philosophy of pragmatism which purported that knowledge is only meaningful when coupled with action.
17 November 2005
Featuring: A. C. Grayling, Julian Baggini, Miranda Fricker
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
Featuring: A. C. Grayling, Francis Wheen, Gareth Stedman Jones
PhilosophyEpistemologistsCritics of political economySocialist feministsHumboldt University of Berlin alumniMaterialistsUniversity of Jena alumniGerman political philosophersGerman anti-capitalists, German socialist feminists, Jewish communistsFellows of the Royal Society of Arts19th-century German philosophersTheorists on Western civilizationStateless peoplePamphleteersMarxist theoristsPhilosophers of lawCritics of work and the work ethicSocial philosophersPhilosophers of technologyMembers of the International Workingmen's AssociationPhilosophers of economicsWriters about religion and scienceWriters about globalizationUniversity of Bonn alumniPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of educationPhilosophical anthropologyGerman revolutionariesAnti-consumerists19th-century atheistsCritics of religionsAtheist philosophersCritics of JudaismEconomic historians, German sociologistsOntologistsPhilosophers of mindJewish socialistsMetaphysiciansGerman writers on atheismAnti-nationalistsGerman Marxist writersPhilosophers of religionBurials at Highgate CemeteryWriters about activism and social change19th-century German historiansPhilosophers of sciencePhilosophers of historyGerman male non-fiction writersAnti-imperialistsBeauty
Melvyn Bragg discusses the qualities of beauty and the history of aesthetics. Is beauty inherent in things, or in the mind of the observer?
19 May 2005
Featuring: Angie Hobbs, Susan James, Julian Baggini
Abelard and Heloise
Melvyn Bragg discusses the story of Abelard and Heloise, a medieval tale of literature and philosophy, love and scandal in the high Middle Ages.
5 May 2005
Featuring: A. C. Grayling, Henrietta Leyser, Michael Clanchy
Archaeology and Imperialism
Melvyn Bragg discusses the link between archaeology and imperialism, and why there was such a fascination with Egypt, Greece and Mesopotamia in the 18th and 19th centuries.
14 April 2005
Featuring: Tim Champion, Richard Parkinson, Eleanor Robson
Stoicism
Melvyn Bragg discusses Stoicism, the third great philosophy of the Ancient World, which had a great influence on the Roman Empire.
3 March 2005
Featuring: Angie Hobbs, Jonathan Rée, David Sedley
The Mind/Body Problem
Melvyn Bragg discusses the history of thought about the mind/body problem in philosophy. Does the mind rule the body or the body rule the mind? And where does the mind reside?
13 January 2005
Featuring: A. C. Grayling, Julian Baggini, Sue James
Machiavelli and the Italian City States
Melvyn Bragg discusses the political philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli. Inspired by the model of Cesare Borgia, he wrote a notorious manual of power still read today.
9 December 2004
Featuring: Quentin Skinner, Evelyn Welch, Lisa Jardine
Jung
Melvyn Bragg discusses the mind and theories of the psychiatrist Carl Jung who wrote about the concepts of 'introverted' and 'extroverted', and the significance of the collective history of Mankind.
2 December 2004
Featuring: Brett Kahr, Ronald Hayman, Andrew Samuels
Rhetoric
Melvyn Bragg discusses Rhetoric, the art of speaking which is an expression of inner virtue and also fundamental to ideas about democracy.
28 October 2004
Featuring: Angie Hobbs, Thomas Healy, Ceri Sullivan
The Han Synthesis
Melvyn Bragg discusses the Han Synthesis, an overarching system of thought which still defines Chinese culture today.
14 October 2004
Featuring: Christopher Cullen, Carol Michaelson, Roel Sterckx
Sartre
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
PhilosophyLycée Henri-IV alumni20th-century atheistsNobel laureates in LiteratureFrench sociologistsBlind writersFrench communistsFrench philosophers of artPhilosophers of nihilismFrench biographers, French ethicistsExistentialistsPhilosophers of social scienceFrench philosophers of sciencePhilosophers of deathÉcole Normale Supérieure alumniTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of literatureContinental philosophersPhilosophers of sexualityPhenomenologistsFree love advocatesFrench atheistsPhilosophy writersCritical theoristsBurials at Montparnasse CemeteryFrench Nobel laureates20th-century French novelistsFrench humanistsLegion of Honour refusals20th-century French dramatists and playwrightsFrench magazine foundersFrench anarchists, French anti-capitalists, French anti-fascistsFrench philosophers of historyAphoristsFrench philosophers of educationFrench political philosophersFrench epistemologistsFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesLycée Louis-le-Grand alumniFrench Marxists, French anti-war activistsFrench literary criticsLibertarian socialistsFrench philosophers of cultureFrench Resistance membersAtheist philosophersFrench scientists with disabilitiesOntologistsPhilosophers of mindMetaphysicians20th-century French philosophersWriters from ParisFrench socialistsScholars of antisemitismPoliteness
Melvyn Bragg discusses politeness, the revolution in manners that transformed the social scene in eighteenth century Britain.
30 September 2004
Featuring: Amanda Vickery, David Wootton, John Mullan
Empiricism
Melvyn Bragg discusses the development of the idea formulated by John Locke that all knowledge arises from experience, and looks at its effect on the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution.
10 June 2004
Featuring: Judith Hawley, Murray Pittock, Jonathan Rée
Heroism
Melvyn Bragg discusses what defines a hero, and their place in classical society. Nietzsche, the Romantics, Renaissance idealism and classical tragedy are brought to bear on the age old heroic ideal.
6 May 2004
Featuring: Angie Hobbs, A. C. Grayling, Paul Cartledge
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
Featuring: Ray Monk, Barry Smith, Marie McGinn
PhilosophyEpistemologistsCambridge University Moral Sciences ClubMetaphilosophersPhilosophers of social scienceTheorists on Western civilizationWittgensteinian philosophersPhilosophers of logicAnalytic philosophersPeople with post-traumatic stress disorderBisexual male writersSocial philosophersPhilosophy writersOrdinary language philosophyFellows of Trinity College, CambridgePhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of languageLGBTQ mathematicians, LGBTQ philosophersPhilosophers of artBertrand Russell Professors of PhilosophyPhilosophers of mathematicsJewish agnostics20th-century British philosophersAlumni of Trinity College, CambridgeLinguistic turnOntologistsPhilosophers of mindAustrian people of Jewish descent, Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I20th-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 ViennaMetaphysiciansJewish philosophersBisexual military personnel20th-century British essayists20th-century British non-fiction writersBritish male essayistsDuty
Melvyn Bragg discusses duty; the concept that others have a claim over our actions has been at the heart of the history of civilised society.
13 November 2003
Featuring: Angie Hobbs, Annabel Brett, A. C. Grayling
Bohemianism
Melvyn Bragg discusses how a 19th century Parisian artistic philosophy re-emerged in the 20th century in the drawing rooms of Bloomsbury and Chelsea, as a lifestyle choice for a middle-class clique.
9 October 2003
Featuring: Hermione Lee, Virginia Nicholson, Graham Robb
Originality
Melvyn Bragg discusses the creative force of originality. How far is it to do with origins? And is original important or is tradition more significant?
20 March 2003
Featuring: John Deathridge, Jonathan Rée, Catherine Belsey
Redemption
Melvyn Bragg discusses Redemption, crucial for Judeo-Christian thought but can it retain its value in a world without God?
13 March 2003
Featuring: Richard Harries, Janet Soskice, Stephen Mulhall
The Enlightenment in Scotland
Melvyn Bragg discusses the emergence and impact of the Scottish Enlightenment which was led by the philosopher David Hume and the father of modern economics, Adam Smith.
5 December 2002
Featuring: Tom Devine, Karen O'Brien, Alexander Broadie
Slavery and Empire
Melvyn Bragg examines the history of British imperialism and its captives, both slaves and Britons, and examines whether slavery is an inevitable part of empire and how Britain finally shook it off.
17 October 2002
Featuring: Linda Colley, Catherine Hall, Felipe Fernández-Armesto
Freedom
Melvyn Bragg discusses what it is to be free, how freedom became such a powerful value and whether there is such a thing as natural freedom or if it is always culturally defined.
4 July 2002
Featuring: John Keane, Bernard Williams, Annabel Brett
The Soul
Melvyn Bragg discusses the spectrum of ideas about the soul, the extent of human individuality, and the history of thought concerning immortality and the afterlife.
6 June 2002
Featuring: Richard Sorabji, Ruth Padel, Martin Palmer
The Examined Life
Melvyn Bragg discusses what self-examination through philosophy can teach us about living our lives, and where it ranks in our quest for self-knowledge alongside science, the arts and religion.
9 May 2002
Featuring: A. C. Grayling, Janet Radcliffe Richards, Julian Baggini
Virtue
Melvyn Bragg discusses a history of the concept of virtue from the ancient Greeks to modern ideas, and examines why we need it and what ideals of behaviour provide a universal framework for it.
28 February 2002
Featuring: Galen Strawson, Miranda Fricker, Roger Crisp
Happiness
Melvyn Bragg discusses whether 'happiness' means living a life of pleasure or of virtue. How much does this ancient philosophical debate still define what it means to be happy today?
24 January 2002
Featuring: Angie Hobbs, Simon Blackburn, A. C. Grayling
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
Featuring: Frances Wood, Tim Barrett, Tao Tao Liu
PhilosophyFounders of religionsPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of law5th-century BC historiansPhilosophers of educationSocial philosophers5th-century BC Chinese writers, 6th-century BC Chinese writers, Chinese political philosophers, Deified Chinese men, Zhou dynasty philosophers, Zhou dynasty writers5th-century BC religious leaders, 6th-century BC religious leadersAphoristsClassical humanistsDemocracy
Melvyn Bragg discusses the origins of democracy, across cultures and centuries of Europe and the Middle East.
18 October 2001
Featuring: Melissa Lane, David Wootton, Tim Winter
Existentialism
Melvyn Bragg discusses existentialism, a twentieth century philosophy of everyday life concerned with the individual, and his or her place within the world.
28 June 2001
Featuring: A. C. Grayling, Christina Howells, Simon Critchley
Evil
Melvyn Bragg discusses the notion of evil in western philosophy.
3 May 2001
Featuring: Jones Erwin, Stephen Mulhall, Margaret Atkins
The Philosophy of Love
Melvyn Bragg discusses the philosophy of love, a search for a completeness in human nature.
29 March 2001
Featuring: Roger Scruton, Angie Hobbs, Thomas Docherty
Nihilism
Melvyn Bragg explores the history of Nihilism, a philosophy associated with Nietzsche that claims truth and morality are illusory. Has anything positive come out of the philosophy of ‘nothing’?
16 November 2000
Featuring: Rob Hopkins, Raymond Tallis, Catherine Belsey
Laws of Nature
Melvyn Bragg discusses the quest to find a single over-arching equation that unites all of physics and examines whether what is true in physics is true in all areas of existence.
19 October 2000
Featuring: Mark Buchanan, Frank Close, Nancy Cartwright
Lenin
Melvyn Bragg investigates what drove the Soviet leader Lenin, and enabled him to develop a model to export communism and build an original political system that remained intact for over seventy years.
16 March 2000
Featuring: Robert Service, Vitali Vitaliev
PhilosophySocialist feminists20th-century atheists20th-century pseudonymous writersNobility from the Russian EmpireRussian atheistsMarxist theoristsEmigrants from the Russian Empire to Germany, Political party founders19th-century atheistsCritics of religionsAtheist philosophersRussian male journalists19th-century pseudonymous writersAnti-nationalistsPolitical philosophersVladimir Lenin19th-century philosophers from the Russian Empire, 20th-century Russian philosophers, Emigrants from the Russian Empire to Switzerland, Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United Kingdom, Russian communists, Russian revolutionariesAnti-monarchistsAnti-imperialistsLeaders who took power by coupRepublicanism
Melvyn Bragg examines how English republicanism has developed from Cromwell to the present day, and examines whether it is embedded as a sentiment deep within the culture of England.
3 February 2000
Featuring: Sarah Barber, Andrew Roberts
Consciousness
Melvyn Bragg examines why the elusiveness and impenetrability of consciousness continues to fascinate both philosophers and scientists. Is the human mind just not built to understand its own basis?
25 November 1999
Featuring: Ted Honderich, Roger Penrose
Progress
Melvyn Bragg examines whether while mankind has grown in years and knowledge, it has also progressed in terms of happiness and a truer understanding of the human condition.
18 November 1999
Featuring: Anthony O'Hear, Adam Phillips
PhilosophyPhilosophical schools and traditionsConcepts in metaphysicsConcepts in epistemologySocial theoriesAnthropologyProgressEpistemology of scienceHuman evolutionTheories of historyOntologyVirtuePhilosophy of historyPhilosophy of lifePolitical scienceConcepts in aestheticsPolitical conceptsEthical principlesSocial conceptsEducation
Melvyn Bragg discusses the history education and examines whether its modern purpose is to teach us the nature of reality, or to give us the tools to deal with it.
4 November 1999
Featuring: Mary Warnock, Ted Wragg
The Individual
Melvyn Bragg discusses the history of the concept of the individual, from its place in Renaissance thought, its redefinition by Marx and Freud and its apparent demise in the 20th century.
21 October 1999
Featuring: Richard Wollheim, Jonathan Dollimore
Utopia
Melvyn Bragg discusses the history of the concept of Utopia, examines real and fictional examples, and explores why we are as enthralled as ever by the idea of it.
7 October 1999
Featuring: A. C. Grayling, John Carey
Just War
Melvyn Bragg examines where the idea of a just war originated and whether after over 100 years of almost unimaginably violent conflict, the term has any meaning at all.
3 June 1999
Featuring: John Keane, Niall Ferguson
Good and Evil
Melvyn Bragg examines what the discoveries of Darwin and our knowledge of the true physiological nature and history of man has done for us in terms understanding our concepts of good and evil.
1 April 1999
Featuring: Leszek Kołakowski, Galen Strawson
Feminism
Melvyn Bragg discusses the rise of Feminism and the subsequent empowerment of women. What have been the most lasting changes for women in the last century and what is there still left to achieve?
7 January 1999
Featuring: Helena Cronin, Germaine Greer
Cultural rights in the 20th Century
Melvyn Bragg examines the impact of globalisation on human rights. How possible is it to place one set of societal traditions within another and what does that do to the identity of both groups?
10 December 1998
Featuring: Homi Bhabha, John N. Gray
Politics in the 20th Century
Melvyn Bragg talks to Gore Vidal and Alan Clark about political morality and the future of the nation state, and examines the impact of the individual on the story of the 20th century.
22 October 1998
Featuring: Gore Vidal, Alan Clark
War in the 20th Century
Melvyn Bragg talks to Michael Ignatieff about the life of the philosopher Isaiah Berlin and the modern universal human rights culture and to Sir Michael Howard about warfare of the 20th century.
15 October 1998
Featuring: Michael Ignatieff, Michael Howard
