Portrait of Lord Melvyn Bragg, host of In Our Time

Political theories

Political philosophy or political theory is the philosophical study of government, addressing questions about the nature, scope, and legitimacy of public agents and institutions and the relationships between them. Its topics include politics, liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of laws by authority: what they are, if they are needed, what makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect, what form it should take, what the law is, and what duties citizens owe to a legitimate government, if any, and when it may be legitimately overthrown, if ever.

3 episodes

Episodes in this category also belong to the following categories:

  1. 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

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    Featuring: Frances Wood, Hilde de Weerdt, Roel Sterckx

     
  2. 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

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    Featuring: Fabienne Peter, Martin O'Neill, Jonathan Wolff

     
  3. Social Darwinism

    Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Social Darwinism, a school of thought which attempted to apply Darwin's ideas about evolution to human society.

    20 February 2014

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    Featuring: Adam Kuper, Gregory Radick, Charlotte Sleigh