BBC Radio Podcasts from In Our Time: Philosophy
Panpsychism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the idea that fundamental particles have consciousness.
Condorcet
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the last great figures of the Enlightenment.
The Theory of the Leisure Class
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Veblen on conspicuous consumption and conspicuous leisure.
Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Aristotle's ideas on how to live a good life.
Elizabeth Anscombe
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the influential 20th-century moral philosopher.
Solon the Lawgiver
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the statesman who transformed Athens in the 6th century BC
Mercantilism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the idea which dominated European economies for 300 years.
Tycho Brahe
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 16th-century astronomer, renowned for his accuracy.
Rawls' Theory of Justice
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss John Rawls' influential ideas on liberty and equality.
Plato's Atlantis
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Plato's story of the great, lost island of Atlantis.
Hegel's Philosophy of History
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Hegel's ideas on the consciousness of freedom.
Comenius
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 17th-century Czech educator committed to toleration.
Charisma
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Max Weber's idea of charismatic authority in leadership
The Arthashastra
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ancient Indian Sanskrit text the Arthashastra.
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Walter Benjamin
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the most influential thinkers of the last century.
Plato's Gorgias
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Plato's exploration of the nature of power and freedom.
Iris Murdoch
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the philosophy of the celebrated author of The Bell.
Kant's Copernican Revolution
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Kant's insight into how we relate to the world around us.
Marcus Aurelius
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and meditations of 'the last good Roman emperor'.
Mary Astell
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the philosopher Mary Astell (1666 – 1731).
Deism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the most disruptive ideas of the Enlightenment.
Rousseau on Education
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Jean-Jacques Rousseau's ideas on the education of children
Bergson and Time
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Henri Bergson's ideas about our experience of time passing
Authenticity
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss what it means to be oneself
Aristotle's Biology
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the scientific study of life, originated by Aristotle.
Hope
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the philosophy of hope - a weakness or a strength?
The Fable of the Bees
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Mandeville's work on the public benefit of private vices.
Montesquieu
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss republicanism, despotism and the separation of powers.
Tocqueville: Democracy in America
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Alexis de Tocqueville's analysis of American democracy.
Augustine's Confessions
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss St Augustine's account of his conversion to Christianity.
Sun Tzu and The Art of War
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the influential ancient Chinese work on military strategy.
Cicero
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the political philosophy of Marcus Tullius Cicero.
Kant's Categorical Imperative
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the difference between right and wrong, according to Kant.
Plato's Republic
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the great works of political and ethical theory.
Roger Bacon
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the medieval scholar Roger Bacon.
Seneca the Younger
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the works, life and times of Seneca the Younger.
Hannah Arendt
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas and life of Hannah Arendt, political philosopher
Nietzsche's Genealogy of Morality
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Nietzsche's On The Genealogy of Morality.
Zeno's Paradoxes
Does an arrow in flight move and could Achilles overtake a tortoise? Not according to Zeno
Sovereignty
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the history of the idea of sovereignty.
The Muses
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Muses in Greek mythology and after.
Simone de Beauvoir
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas, work and life of Simone de Beauvoir.
Utilitarianism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Utilitarianism.
Al-Ghazali
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the medieval Islamic thinker Al-Ghazali.
The Wealth of Nations
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Adam Smith's economic treatise The Wealth of Nations.
Phenomenology
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the philosophical movement phenomenology.
Truth
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss philosophical approaches to truth.
Zen
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Zen, a distinctively East Asian form of Buddhism.
The Philosophy of Solitude
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the philosophy of solitude.
Weber's The Protestant Ethic
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism.
Bishop Berkeley
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the 18th-century philosopher George Berkeley.
Plato's Symposium
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Plato's Symposium.
Ordinary Language Philosophy
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Ordinary Language Philosophy.
Pascal
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the life and work of the French thinker Blaise Pascal.
Epicureanism
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the philosophy of Epicureanism.
Bertrand Russell
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss influential British philosopher Bertrand Russell.
Simone Weil
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the French philosopher and social activist Simone Weil.
The Ontological Argument
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Ontological Argument for the existence of God.
Scepticism
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the history of philosophical scepticism.
Al-Kindi
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Arab philosopher Al-Kindi.
Neoplatonism
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the ancient philosophical school of Neoplatonism.
Moses Mendelssohn
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the German-Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn.
Heraclitus
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus.
The Continental-Analytic Split
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Continental and Analytic philosophical traditions.
David Hume
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the work of the Scottish philosopher David Hume.
Malthusianism
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Malthusianism.
Cogito Ergo Sum
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Rene Descartes' famous statement.
Free Will
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss free will.
Maimonides
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the medieval Jewish scholar Maimonides.
Aristotle's Poetics
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Aristotle's Poetics.
Daoism
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Daoism, the ancient Chinese philosophy and religion.
Logic
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the history of logic.
Edmund Burke
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the philosopher, politician and writer Edmund Burke.
William James's 'The Varieties of Religious Experience'
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James.
William Hazlitt
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and works of the essayist William Hazlitt.
Ibn Khaldun
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 14th-century Arab philosopher of history Ibn Khaldun.
The Frankfurt School
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas and influence of the Frankfurt School.
Mary Wollstonecraft
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and ideas of Mary Wollstonecraft.
Pythagoras
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas of Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans.
Schopenhauer
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the pessimistic philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer.
St Thomas Aquinas
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss St Thomas Aquinas.
Logical Positivism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the radical philosophy of the Vienna Circle.
Baconian Science
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Jacobean thinker Francis Bacon and Baconian Science.
The School of Athens
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Raphael's depiction of Plato and Aristotle.
Thoreau and the American Idyll
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the philosopher and naturalist Henry David Thoreau.
The Consolations of Philosophy
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the consolation of Philosophy.
Aristotle's Politics
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Aristotle’s ‘Politics’.
Godel's Incompleteness Theorems
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the mathematician Kurt Godel and his work.
The Translation Movement
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss classical Greek ideas in the Arabic and the Islamic world.
Miracles
Melvyn Bragg and guests explore the history of miracles.
Materialism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Materialism in Philosophy.
Kierkegaard
Melvyn Bragg examines the rich and radical ideas of the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard.
The Social Contract
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Social Contract; a key idea in political philosophy.
Camus
The life ad work of the Algerian-French writer and philosopher, Albert Camus.
Avicenna
Melvyn Bragg discusses the Persian Islamic philosopher Avicenna.
Guilt
Melvyn Bragg and guests take a long hard look at the idea of guilt.
Socrates
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the iconic Greek philosopher, Socrates.
Common Sense Philosophy
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss common sense philosophy.
Ockham's Razor
Melvyn Bragg discusses the ideas of William Ockham including Ockham's Razor.
Spinoza
Melvyn Bragg discusses the Dutch, Jewish and Christian Philosopher, Baruch Spinoza.
Popper
Melvyn Bragg discusses the Anglo-Austrian philosopher Karl Popper.
Anarchism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the political creed of Anarchism.
Altruism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss philosophical and evolutionary arguments over altruism.
Averroes
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 12th century Islamic philosopher, Averroes.
Mill
The life and ideas of the 19th century political philosopher John Stuart Mill.
Friendship
Melvyn Bragg explores the concept of friendship; ‘a single soul dwelling in two bodies’.
Relativism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss relativism; a philosophy with no absolute truths.
The Oath
Melvyn Bragg and guests explore the importance of the oath in the Classical World.
Hobbes
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the great 17th century philosopher Thomas Hobbes.
Pragmatism
Melvyn Bragg and guests examine the American philosophy of pragmatism.
Cynicism
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Cynics, the performance artists of philosophy.
Marx
The life and ideas of Karl Marx who changed the world with his Communist Manifesto.
Beauty
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the qualities of beauty and the history of aesthetics.
Abelard and Heloise
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the medieval tale of Abelard and Heloise.
Stoicism
Melvyn Bragg explore Stoicism, the most influential philosophy in the Ancient World.
The Mind/Body Problem
Melvyn Bragg examines the history of thought about the mind/body problem in philosophy.
Machiavelli and the Italian City States
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the political philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli.
Jung
The extraordinary mind and theories of the psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung.
Rhetoric
Melvyn Bragg and guests discusses rhetoric; supported by Aristotle but reviled by Plato.
The Han Synthesis
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Han Synthesis philosophies of China.
Sartre
The life and work of French novelist, playwright and philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre.
Politeness
Melvyn Bragg examines the cultural effect of the eighteenth century idea of Politeness.
Empiricism
Melvyn Bragg examines the 17th century idea that all knowledge arises from experience.
Heroism
Melvyn Bragg explores what defines a hero, and their place in classical society.
Wittgenstein
The life, work and legacy of the 20th century philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein.
Duty
Melvyn Bragg examines duty, a concept that has excited philosophers through history.
Bohemianism
Melvyn Bragg examines the 19th century Parisian philosophy of life lived for art.
The Art of War
The history and philosophy of warfare throughout the ages.
Originality
Melvyn Bragg and guests explore the creative force of originality.
Redemption
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss redemption, crucial for Judeo-Christian thought.
The Enlightenment in Scotland
Melvyn Bragg examines the emergence and impact of the Scottish Enlightenment.
Freedom
Melvyn Bragg considers what it is to be free and how freedom became such a powerful value.
The Soul
The history of thought on immortality, the self and the afterlife.
The Examined Life
Melvyn Bragg investigates how our preoccupations about how to live have altered over time.
Virtue
Melvyn Bragg explores the meaning and purpose of the philosophical concept of virtue.
Happiness
Melvyn Bragg considers whether 'happiness' means living a life of pleasure or of virtue.
Confucius
Melvyn Bragg and guests examine the chinese philosophy of Confucianism.
Democracy
Melvyn Bragg examines the origins of the most cherished form of government in the world.
Existentialism
Melvyn Bragg and guests examine the 20th century philosophy of existentialism
Evil
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the notion of evil in western philosophy.
The Philosophy of Love
Melvyn Bragg examines the western understanding of the Philosophy of Love since Plato.
Humanism
The history and legacy of classical Humanism, invented by Cicero.
Nihilism
The history of the philosophy that claims that truths are illusory.
Laws of Nature
Melvyn Bragg considers whether what is true in physics is true in all areas of existence.
Economic Rights
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the relationship between democracy and capitalism.
Consciousness
Melvyn Bragg examines why ideas about consciousness preoccupy philosophers and scientists.
Progress
Melvyn Bragg examines whether mankind has made as much moral as material progress.
The Individual
Melvyn Bragg explores the concept of the individual from the Renaissance to today.
Utopia
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss why we are as enthralled as ever by the idea of a Utopia.
Just War
Melvyn Bragg examines where the idea of a just war originated and if it can still exist.
Good and Evil
Melvyn Bragg examines how we judge good and evil in modern western civilisation.
Feminism
Melvyn Bragg examines the development of the empowerment of women in the 20th century.
Cultural Rights in the 20th Century
Melvyn Bragg examines what impact globalisation has had on human rights.