
Political philosophers
7 episodes
Episodes in this category also belong to the following categories:
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 ChristianityEdmund 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 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 educationLenin
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 coupMarcus 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
Popper
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 essayistsTolstoy
Melvyn Bragg discusses the life and times of the 19th century Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, whose novels such as War and Peace gave expression to the compelling moral and social questions of their day.
25 April 2002
Featuring: A. N. Wilson, Catriona Kelly, Sarah Hudspith
Epistemologists19th-century essayistsHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences19th-century non-fiction writers from the Russian EmpireGeorgistsPhilosophers of literatureChristian vegetariansRussian anarchistsMembers of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and ArtsSocial philosophers19th-century dramatists and playwrights from the Russian Empire, 19th-century short story writers from the Russian Empire, 20th-century Russian dramatists and playwrights, 20th-century Russian short story writers, Novelists from the Russian Empire, Philanthropists from the Russian Empire, Russian male dramatists and playwrights, Russian male novelists, Russian opinion journalists, Russian-language writersCorresponding members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesPhilosophers of culturePhilosophers of education20th-century essayistsOntologistsPhilosophers of mindMetaphysiciansRussian male journalistsPolitical philosophersPhilosophers of religionAnarchist writersWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of historyChristian anarchists, Nonviolence advocates20th-century letter writers