Rationalists
In philosophy, rationalism is the epistemological view that "regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge" or "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification". More formally, rationalism is defined as a methodology or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive".In an old controversy, rationalism was opposed to empiricism, where the rationalists believed that reality has an intrinsically logical structure.
5 episodes
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PhilosophyOntologistsSocial 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 religionPhilosophers of scienceEnlightenment philosophersEpistemologistsCritics of the Catholic ChurchWriters about religion and scienceAge of EnlightenmentAtheist philosophersGerman male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of educationPhilosophers of lawPhilosophers of social science18th-century philosophers19th-century German male writers19th-century German philosophersForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesJewish philosophersMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesMetaphilosophersPantheistsPhilosophers of economicsPhilosophers of mathematicsAristotelian philosophersBritish male essayistsFrench atheistsGerman LutheransGerman male essayistsGerman philosophers of historyGerman political philosophersHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesLogiciansNatural law ethicistsNatural philosophersPhilosophers of logicPhilosophers of lovePhilosophers of sexualityUniversity of Paris alumniGerman philosophers of artGerman philosophers of cultureMembers of the French Academy of SciencesPolitical philosophers19th-century German essayistsCritics of religionsGerman philosophers of education, German ethicistsJewish agnosticsMembers of the Académie FrançaisePhilosophers of technologyTheoretical historians17th-century writers in Latin18th-century German male writersAncient Greek philosophers of mindBritish philosophers of educationFrench philosophers of educationFrench philosophers of historyFrench philosophers of scienceGerman philosophers of scienceMembers of the Prussian Academy of SciencesMetaphysics writersPhilosophers of deathPhilosophers of warRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)Writers about globalization18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayists19th-century German non-fiction writers20th-century British philosophersAncient Greek political philosophersBritish ethicistsBritish political philosophersClassical theismCritics of JudaismFellows of the British AcademyFrench feministsFrench male non-fiction writersFrench philosophers of culture, French sociologistsGerman philosophers of mind, German philosophers of religionScholars of feminist philosophy18th-century French male writers18th-century French mathematicians18th-century French writers18th-century German writers20th-century British essayistsAncient Athenian philosophersAncient Greek ethicists, Ancient Greek epistemologistsAncient Greek metaphysiciansAncient Greek physicistsAttic Greek writersBritish consciousness researchers and theoristsBritish historians of philosophyBurials at the Panthéon, ParisCambridge University Moral Sciences ClubDeterministsGerman agnosticsGerman epistemologistsGerman idealistsGerman nationalistsHumor researchersIdealistsKnights BachelorLecturersPeople of the Age of EnlightenmentPresidents of the Aristotelian Society19th-century Prussian peopleAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of scienceAncient Greek logiciansAncient Greek slaves and freedmenBaruch SpinozaBritish male non-fiction writersBritish social liberalsCritics of MarxismDeputies to the French National ConventionEpigrammatists of the Greek AnthologyFrench abolitionistsFrench ethicists, French biographersFrench political scientistsGerman logicians, Kantian philosophersJewish ethicistsJewish translators of the BibleKantianismMembers of the Order of the Companions of HonourMoral realistsNaturalised citizens of the United Kingdom, Austrian agnostics, British people of Austrian-Jewish descent, Austrian essayists, Writers from Vienna, British logicians, 20th-century Austrian philosophers, Austrian logicians, British agnosticsPeople killed in the French RevolutionPlatonismProto-feministsPupils of SocratesRecipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and ArtVoting theorists
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
PhilosophyFellows of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesPhilosophers of religionEnlightenment philosophersAtheist philosophersAge of EnlightenmentMembers of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences18th-century philosophersFrench atheistsUniversity of Paris alumniHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesMembers of the French Academy of SciencesMembers of the Académie FrançaiseTheoretical historiansFrench philosophers of educationFrench philosophers of historyFrench philosophers of scienceRationalistsScholars of feminist philosophyFrench feministsFrench male non-fiction writers18th-century French mathematicians18th-century French writers18th-century French male writersBurials at the Panthéon, ParisDeputies to the French National ConventionFrench abolitionistsFrench political scientistsProto-feministsPeople killed in the French RevolutionVoting theoristsFrench philosophers of culture, French sociologistsFrench ethicists, French biographersKant'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
PhilosophyOntologistsPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of literatureTheorists on Western civilizationWriters about activism and social changeEnlightenment philosophersWriters about religion and scienceAge of EnlightenmentGerman male non-fiction writersPhilosophers of lawPhilosophers of social science18th-century philosophers19th-century German male writers19th-century German philosophersMetaphilosophersGerman LutheransGerman male essayistsGerman political philosophersGerman philosophers of historyLogiciansNatural law ethicistsNatural philosophersPhilosophers of logicPhilosophers of sexualityGerman philosophers of artGerman philosophers of cultureTheoretical historians19th-century German essayistsRationalistsMembers of the Prussian Academy of Sciences18th-century German male writersGerman philosophers of sciencePhilosophers of war19th-century German non-fiction writersGerman agnostics18th-century German writersGerman idealistsIdealistsGerman epistemologistsGerman nationalistsHumor researchersLecturersPeople of the Age of Enlightenment19th-century Prussian peopleKantianismGerman philosophers of education, German ethicists18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayistsGerman philosophers of mind, German philosophers of religionGerman logicians, Kantian philosophersPlato'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
PhilosophyOntologistsTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of educationPhilosophers of loveLogiciansNatural law ethicistsNatural philosophersRationalistsAncient Greek philosophers of mindPhilosophers of deathAncient Greek political philosophersClassical theismAncient Athenian philosophersAncient Greek metaphysiciansAncient Greek physicistsAttic Greek writersIdealistsMoral realistsPlatonismAncient Greek logiciansAncient Greek slaves and freedmenEpigrammatists of the Greek AnthologyPupils of SocratesAncient Greek ethicists, Ancient Greek epistemologistsPopper
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
PhilosophySocial philosophersOntologistsTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of mindWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of historyPhilosophers of religionMetaphysiciansPhilosophers of cultureEpistemologistsWriters about religion and sciencePhilosophers of mathematicsForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesJewish philosophersPhilosophers of economicsAristotelian philosophersLogiciansBritish male essayistsPhilosophers of logicPolitical philosophersJewish agnosticsPhilosophers of technologyCritics of religionsRationalistsRecipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)Metaphysics writersWriters about globalizationBritish philosophers of educationFellows of the British Academy20th-century British philosophersBritish ethicistsBritish political philosophersCambridge University Moral Sciences ClubPresidents of the Aristotelian SocietyBritish historians of philosophyKnights BachelorBritish consciousness researchers and theorists20th-century British essayistsRecipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and ArtCritics of MarxismBritish male non-fiction writersJewish ethicistsBritish social liberalsMembers of the Order of the Companions of HonourAcademics of the London School of Economics, British philosophers of scienceNaturalised citizens of the United Kingdom, Austrian agnostics, British people of Austrian-Jewish descent, Austrian essayists, Writers from Vienna, British logicians, 20th-century Austrian philosophers, Austrian logicians, British agnosticsSpinoza
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