
Theorists on Western civilization
18 episodes
Episodes in this category also belong to the following categories:
Benjamin Franklin
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the life and work of the scientist, writer, printer, diplomat and American founding father Benjamin Franklin.
1 March 2012
Featuring: Simon Middleton, Simon Newman, Patricia Fara
CultureMasonic grand mastersFellows of the Royal SocietyHonorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of SciencesIndependent scholarsAmerican male non-fiction writersTheorists on Western civilizationPhilosophers of literatureAmerican deistsAge of EnlightenmentSocial philosophersPhilosophy writersPhilosophers of technologyAmerican political philosophersActivists for African-American civil rightsWriters about religion and sciencePolitical activists from PennsylvaniaAphoristsRecipients of the Copley MedalRhetoric theoristsFellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences18th-century pseudonymous writersAmerican people of English descentAmerican philosophers of cultureHumor researchersAmerican male journalistsRecreational cryptographers, Writers from Boston, Writers from PhiladelphiaHall of Fame for Great Americans inducteesAmerican philosophers of religion18th-century American politicians, American Freemasons, Signers of the United States ConstitutionPhilosophers from MassachusettsMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyPeople associated with electricityCreators of writing systemsWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of scienceAmerican slave ownersPhilosophers of historyAmerican autobiographers18th-century American writers, Founding Fathers of the United States, People of the American EnlightenmentSimple living advocatesIndependent scientistsAmerican philosophers of educationBertrand 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 writersDavid Hume
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the work of David Hume, the philosopher and leading figure of the Scottish Enlightenment.
6 October 2011
Featuring: Peter Millican, Helen Beebee, James Harris
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 essayistsEdward Gibbon
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and ideas of the writer of The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, one of the most celebrated works of its kind.
17 June 2021
Featuring: David Womersley, Charlotte Roberts, Karen O'Brien
CultureEnglish rhetoriciansFellows of the Royal SocietyEnglish essayistsAlumni of Magdalen College, OxfordBritish MPs 1774–1780British critics of religionsEnglish ProtestantsEnglish male non-fiction writers18th-century English historiansPeople educated at Westminster School, LondonBritish MPs 1780–1784, Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituenciesFreemasons of the Premier Grand Lodge of England18th-century English non-fiction writersTheorists on Western civilization18th-century English male writersIrony theoristsRhetoric theoristsBritish male essayistsGoethe
Melvyn Bragg discusses the great German polymath Johann Wolfgang Goethe - novelist, dramatist, poet, humanist, scientist and philosopher.
6 April 2006
Featuring: Tim Blanning, Sarah Colvin, W. Daniel Wilson
Philosophers of linguisticsGerman philosophers of artRomantic poetsGerman philosophers of scienceGerman political philosophersJohann Wolfgang von Goethe, Sturm und Drang18th-century German civil servants, 18th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 18th-century German historians, 18th-century German novelists, 18th-century German poets, 18th-century travel writers, 19th-century German civil servants, 19th-century German diplomats, 19th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 19th-century German poets, German bibliophiles, German diplomats, German male novelists, People from Weimar, Scientists from Weimar, Writers from Frankfurt, Writers from WeimarLiteracy and society theoristsPhilosophers of social science19th-century German philosophersTheorists on Western civilizationGerman travel writersPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of sexualityEpic poets19th-century German novelistsPhilosophy writersLeipzig University alumni18th-century German male writersEpigrammatists18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayists19th-century travel writers19th-century German male writersUniversity of Strasbourg alumniGerman philosophers of languageMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesLiterary theoristsMembers of the Bavarian Academy of SciencesFabulistsGerman untitled nobilityGerman philosophers of culture19th-century German essayistsGerman male essayists18th-century German educators, 18th-century historians, 19th-century German educators, 19th-century historiansGerman autobiographersGerman ethicists, German philosophers of educationNatural philosophersGerman male dramatists and playwrights, German male poetsPantheistsFreethought writersEnlightenment philosophersGerman librariansWriters about activism and social changeColor scientistsGerman Freemasons19th-century German historians19th-century German non-fiction writersGerman philosophers of historyGerman male non-fiction writersGoethe and the Science of the Enlightenment
Melvyn Bragg assesses the scientific legacy of the 18th century German poet and thinker Goethe, who gave us the term morphology and is sometimes even credited with inventing biology itself.
10 February 2000
Featuring: Nicholas Boyle, Simon Schaffer
SciencePhilosophers of linguisticsGerman philosophers of artRomantic poetsGerman philosophers of scienceGerman political philosophersJohann Wolfgang von Goethe, Sturm und Drang18th-century German civil servants, 18th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 18th-century German historians, 18th-century German novelists, 18th-century German poets, 18th-century travel writers, 19th-century German civil servants, 19th-century German diplomats, 19th-century German dramatists and playwrights, 19th-century German poets, German bibliophiles, German diplomats, German male novelists, People from Weimar, Scientists from Weimar, Writers from Frankfurt, Writers from WeimarLiteracy and society theoristsPhilosophers of social science19th-century German philosophersTheorists on Western civilizationGerman travel writersPhilosophers of literaturePhilosophers of sexualityEpic poets19th-century German novelistsPhilosophy writersLeipzig University alumni18th-century German male writersEpigrammatists18th-century German philosophers, 18th-century essayists19th-century travel writers19th-century German male writersUniversity of Strasbourg alumniGerman philosophers of languageMembers of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and HumanitiesLiterary theoristsMembers of the Bavarian Academy of SciencesFabulistsGerman untitled nobilityGerman philosophers of culture19th-century German essayistsGerman male essayists18th-century German educators, 18th-century historians, 19th-century German educators, 19th-century historiansGerman autobiographersGerman ethicists, German philosophers of educationNatural philosophersGerman male dramatists and playwrights, German male poetsPantheistsFreethought writersEnlightenment philosophersGerman librariansWriters about activism and social changeColor scientistsGerman Freemasons19th-century German historians19th-century German non-fiction writersGerman philosophers of historyGerman male non-fiction writersHobbes
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 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 philosophersLévi-Strauss
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the work of French anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss.
23 May 2013
Featuring: Adam Kuper, Christina Howells, Vincent Debaene
CulturePhilosophers of linguistics20th-century atheistsFrench sociologistsMembers of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesLinguists from FranceCorresponding fellows of the British AcademyMetaphilosophersJewish historiansLiteracy and society theoristsPhilosophers of social scienceForeign associates of the National Academy of SciencesFrench philosophers of scienceTheorists on Western civilizationPhenomenologists20th-century French memoiristsFrench atheistsCritical theoristsWriters about religion and scienceWriters about globalizationFrench philosophers of historyFrench epistemologistsFrench philosophers of educationGrand Cross of the Legion of HonourPhilosophers of languageThe New School faculty20th-century French male writersMembers of the Académie Française20th-century essayistsFrench male non-fiction writersAcademic staff of the Collège de FranceFrench essayistsFrench philosophers of cultureIntellectual historyAtheist philosophersJewish atheistsOntologistsPhilosophers of mindMetaphysiciansJewish philosophers20th-century French philosophersLycée Condorcet alumniPhilosophers of religionMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyWriters about communismWriters about activism and social changeUniversity of Paris alumniWriters from ParisMetaphysics writersMarx
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-imperialistsMill
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 essayistsNietzsche'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 criticsPlato'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 philosophersPopper
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 essayistsSartre
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 antisemitismSchopenhauer
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 philosophersThomas Paine's Common Sense
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense, which was published in 1776 and bolstered support for American independence.
21 January 2016
Featuring: Kathleen Burk, Nicholas Guyatt, Peter Thompson
History19th-century American writersEnglish libertarians19th-century American philosophersBritish deistsDeputies to the French National Convention18th-century philosophersAmerican male non-fiction writersClassical liberalismTheorists on Western civilizationAmerican deists19th-century male writersRadicalsSocial philosophers18th-century English writersAmerican political philosophers18th-century English peoplePolitical activists from PennsylvaniaNaturalized citizens of France18th-century American male writers, American foreign policy writersAmerican philosophers of cultureUniversal basic income writersHall of Fame for Great Americans inducteesAmerican philosophers of religionCritics of Judaism19th-century English writersDeist philosophersAmerican nationalists, American religious skepticsMembers of the American Philosophical SocietyEnlightenment philosophersEnglish inventorsWriters about activism and social changePhilosophers of historyEnglish republicans18th-century American writers, Founding Fathers of the United States, People of the American EnlightenmentAnti-monarchists18th-century English male writersAmerican philosophers of educationWittgenstein
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 essayists