Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the last great figures of the Enlightenment.
Published on Thursday, 8th February 2024.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Aristotle's ideas on how to live a good life.
Published on Thursday, 30th November 2023.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the statesman who transformed Athens in the 6th century BC
Published on Thursday, 20th April 2023.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 16th-century astronomer, renowned for his accuracy.
Published on Thursday, 2nd March 2023.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss John Rawls' influential ideas on liberty and equality.
Published on Thursday, 16th February 2023.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Plato's story of the great, lost island of Atlantis.
Published on Thursday, 20th October 2022.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Hegel's ideas on the consciousness of freedom.
Published on Thursday, 23rd June 2022.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 17th-century Czech educator committed to toleration.
Published on Thursday, 16th June 2022.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Max Weber's idea of charismatic authority in leadership
Published on Thursday, 14th April 2022.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ancient Indian Sanskrit text the Arthashastra.
Published on Thursday, 31st March 2022.
New episodes will now be available first on Sounds for 28 days before other podcast apps.
Published on Friday, 4th March 2022.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the most influential thinkers of the last century.
Published on Thursday, 10th February 2022.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Plato's exploration of the nature of power and freedom.
Published on Thursday, 25th November 2021.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the philosophy of the celebrated author of The Bell.
Published on Thursday, 21st October 2021.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Kant's insight into how we relate to the world around us.
Published on Thursday, 3rd June 2021.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and meditations of 'the last good Roman emperor'.
Published on Thursday, 25th February 2021.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the philosopher Mary Astell (1666 – 1731).
Published on Thursday, 5th November 2020.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the most disruptive ideas of the Enlightenment.
Published on Thursday, 8th October 2020.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Jean-Jacques Rousseau's ideas on the education of children
Published on Thursday, 10th October 2019.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Henri Bergson's ideas about our experience of time passing
Published on Thursday, 9th May 2019.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss what it means to be oneself
Published on Thursday, 14th March 2019.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the scientific study of life, originated by Aristotle.
Published on Thursday, 7th February 2019.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the philosophy of hope - a weakness or a strength?
Published on Thursday, 22nd November 2018.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Mandeville's work on the public benefit of private vices.
Published on Thursday, 25th October 2018.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss republicanism, despotism and the separation of powers.
Published on Thursday, 14th June 2018.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Alexis de Tocqueville's analysis of American democracy.
Published on Thursday, 22nd March 2018.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss St Augustine's account of his conversion to Christianity.
Published on Thursday, 15th March 2018.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the influential ancient Chinese work on military strategy.
Published on Thursday, 1st March 2018.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the political philosophy of Marcus Tullius Cicero.
Published on Thursday, 25th January 2018.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the difference between right and wrong, according to Kant.
Published on Thursday, 21st September 2017.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss one of the great works of political and ethical theory.
Published on Thursday, 29th June 2017.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the medieval scholar Roger Bacon.
Published on Thursday, 20th April 2017.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the works, life and times of Seneca the Younger.
Published on Thursday, 23rd February 2017.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas and life of Hannah Arendt, political philosopher
Published on Thursday, 2nd February 2017.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Nietzsche's On The Genealogy of Morality.
Published on Thursday, 12th January 2017.
Does an arrow in flight move and could Achilles overtake a tortoise? Not according to Zeno
Published on Thursday, 22nd September 2016.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the history of the idea of sovereignty.
Published on Thursday, 30th June 2016.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Muses in Greek mythology and after.
Published on Thursday, 19th May 2016.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas, work and life of Simone de Beauvoir.
Published on Thursday, 22nd October 2015.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Utilitarianism.
Published on Thursday, 11th June 2015.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the medieval Islamic thinker Al-Ghazali.
Published on Thursday, 19th March 2015.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Adam Smith's economic treatise The Wealth of Nations.
Published on Thursday, 19th February 2015.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the philosophical movement phenomenology.
Published on Thursday, 22nd January 2015.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss philosophical approaches to truth.
Published on Thursday, 18th December 2014.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Zen, a distinctively East Asian form of Buddhism.
Published on Thursday, 4th December 2014.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the philosophy of solitude.
Published on Thursday, 19th June 2014.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism.
Published on Thursday, 27th March 2014.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the 18th-century philosopher George Berkeley.
Published on Thursday, 20th March 2014.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Plato's Symposium.
Published on Thursday, 2nd January 2014.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Ordinary Language Philosophy.
Published on Thursday, 7th November 2013.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the life and work of the French thinker Blaise Pascal.
Published on Thursday, 19th September 2013.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the philosophy of Epicureanism.
Published on Thursday, 7th February 2013.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss influential British philosopher Bertrand Russell.
Published on Thursday, 6th December 2012.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the French philosopher and social activist Simone Weil.
Published on Thursday, 15th November 2012.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Ontological Argument for the existence of God.
Published on Thursday, 27th September 2012.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the history of philosophical scepticism.
Published on Thursday, 5th July 2012.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Arab philosopher Al-Kindi.
Published on Thursday, 28th June 2012.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the ancient philosophical school of Neoplatonism.
Published on Thursday, 19th April 2012.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the German-Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn.
Published on Thursday, 22nd March 2012.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus.
Published on Thursday, 8th December 2011.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Continental and Analytic philosophical traditions.
Published on Thursday, 10th November 2011.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the work of the Scottish philosopher David Hume.
Published on Thursday, 6th October 2011.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Malthusianism.
Published on Wednesday, 22nd June 2011.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Rene Descartes' famous statement.
Published on Thursday, 28th April 2011.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss free will.
Published on Thursday, 10th March 2011.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the medieval Jewish scholar Maimonides.
Published on Tuesday, 15th February 2011.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Aristotle's Poetics.
Published on Thursday, 27th January 2011.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss Daoism, the ancient Chinese philosophy and religion.
Published on Wednesday, 15th December 2010.
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the history of logic.
Published on Thursday, 21st October 2010.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the philosopher, politician and writer Edmund Burke.
Published on Thursday, 3rd June 2010.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James.
Published on Thursday, 13th May 2010.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and works of the essayist William Hazlitt.
Published on Thursday, 8th April 2010.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 14th-century Arab philosopher of history Ibn Khaldun.
Published on Thursday, 4th February 2010.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas and influence of the Frankfurt School.
Published on Thursday, 14th January 2010.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life and ideas of Mary Wollstonecraft.
Published on Thursday, 31st December 2009.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the ideas of Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans.
Published on Thursday, 10th December 2009.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the pessimistic philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer.
Published on Thursday, 29th October 2009.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss St Thomas Aquinas.
Published on Thursday, 17th September 2009.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the radical philosophy of the Vienna Circle.
Published on Thursday, 2nd July 2009.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Jacobean thinker Francis Bacon and Baconian Science.
Published on Thursday, 2nd April 2009.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Raphael's depiction of Plato and Aristotle.
Published on Thursday, 26th March 2009.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the philosopher and naturalist Henry David Thoreau.
Published on Thursday, 15th January 2009.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the consolation of Philosophy.
Published on Thursday, 1st January 2009.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Aristotle’s ‘Politics’.
Published on Thursday, 6th November 2008.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the mathematician Kurt Godel and his work.
Published on Thursday, 9th October 2008.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss classical Greek ideas in the Arabic and the Islamic world.
Published on Thursday, 2nd October 2008.
Melvyn Bragg and guests explore the history of miracles.
Published on Thursday, 25th September 2008.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Materialism in Philosophy.
Published on Thursday, 24th April 2008.
Melvyn Bragg examines the rich and radical ideas of the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard.
Published on Thursday, 20th March 2008.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Social Contract; a key idea in political philosophy.
Published on Thursday, 7th February 2008.
The life ad work of the Algerian-French writer and philosopher, Albert Camus.
Published on Thursday, 3rd January 2008.
Melvyn Bragg discusses the Persian Islamic philosopher Avicenna.
Published on Thursday, 8th November 2007.
Melvyn Bragg and guests take a long hard look at the idea of guilt.
Published on Thursday, 1st November 2007.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the iconic Greek philosopher, Socrates.
Published on Thursday, 27th September 2007.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss common sense philosophy.
Published on Thursday, 21st June 2007.
Melvyn Bragg discusses the ideas of William Ockham including Ockham's Razor.
Published on Thursday, 31st May 2007.
Melvyn Bragg discusses the Dutch, Jewish and Christian Philosopher, Baruch Spinoza.
Published on Thursday, 3rd May 2007.
Melvyn Bragg discusses the Anglo-Austrian philosopher Karl Popper.
Published on Thursday, 8th February 2007.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the political creed of Anarchism.
Published on Thursday, 7th December 2006.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss philosophical and evolutionary arguments over altruism.
Published on Thursday, 23rd November 2006.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the 12th century Islamic philosopher, Averroes.
Published on Thursday, 5th October 2006.
The life and ideas of the 19th century political philosopher John Stuart Mill.
Published on Thursday, 18th May 2006.
Melvyn Bragg explores the concept of friendship; ‘a single soul dwelling in two bodies’.
Published on Thursday, 2nd March 2006.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss relativism; a philosophy with no absolute truths.
Published on Thursday, 19th January 2006.
Melvyn Bragg and guests explore the importance of the oath in the Classical World.
Published on Thursday, 5th January 2006.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the great 17th century philosopher Thomas Hobbes.
Published on Thursday, 1st December 2005.
Melvyn Bragg and guests examine the American philosophy of pragmatism.
Published on Thursday, 17th November 2005.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Cynics, the performance artists of philosophy.
Published on Thursday, 20th October 2005.
The life and ideas of Karl Marx who changed the world with his Communist Manifesto.
Published on Thursday, 14th July 2005.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the qualities of beauty and the history of aesthetics.
Published on Thursday, 19th May 2005.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the medieval tale of Abelard and Heloise.
Published on Thursday, 5th May 2005.
Melvyn Bragg explore Stoicism, the most influential philosophy in the Ancient World.
Published on Friday, 4th March 2005.
Melvyn Bragg examines the history of thought about the mind/body problem in philosophy.
Published on Thursday, 13th January 2005.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the political philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli.
Published on Thursday, 9th December 2004.
The extraordinary mind and theories of the psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung.
Published on Thursday, 2nd December 2004.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discusses rhetoric; supported by Aristotle but reviled by Plato.
Published on Thursday, 14th October 2004.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Han Synthesis philosophies of China.
The life and work of French novelist, playwright and philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre.
Published on Thursday, 7th October 2004.
Melvyn Bragg examines the cultural effect of the eighteenth century idea of Politeness.
Published on Thursday, 30th September 2004.
Melvyn Bragg examines the 17th century idea that all knowledge arises from experience.
Published on Thursday, 10th June 2004.
Melvyn Bragg explores what defines a hero, and their place in classical society.
Published on Thursday, 6th May 2004.
The life, work and legacy of the 20th century philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein.
Published on Thursday, 4th December 2003.
Melvyn Bragg examines duty, a concept that has excited philosophers through history.
Published on Thursday, 13th November 2003.
Melvyn Bragg examines the 19th century Parisian philosophy of life lived for art.
Published on Thursday, 9th October 2003.
The history and philosophy of warfare throughout the ages.
Published on Thursday, 12th June 2003.
Melvyn Bragg and guests explore the creative force of originality.
Published on Thursday, 20th March 2003.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss redemption, crucial for Judeo-Christian thought.
Published on Thursday, 13th March 2003.
Melvyn Bragg examines the emergence and impact of the Scottish Enlightenment.
Published on Thursday, 5th December 2002.
Melvyn Bragg considers what it is to be free and how freedom became such a powerful value.
Published on Thursday, 4th July 2002.
The history of thought on immortality, the self and the afterlife.
Published on Thursday, 6th June 2002.
Melvyn Bragg investigates how our preoccupations about how to live have altered over time.
Published on Thursday, 9th May 2002.
Melvyn Bragg explores the meaning and purpose of the philosophical concept of virtue.
Published on Thursday, 28th February 2002.
Melvyn Bragg considers whether 'happiness' means living a life of pleasure or of virtue.
Published on Thursday, 24th January 2002.
Melvyn Bragg and guests examine the chinese philosophy of Confucianism.
Published on Thursday, 1st November 2001.
Melvyn Bragg examines the origins of the most cherished form of government in the world.
Published on Thursday, 18th October 2001.
Melvyn Bragg and guests examine the 20th century philosophy of existentialism
Published on Thursday, 28th June 2001.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the notion of evil in western philosophy.
Published on Thursday, 3rd May 2001.
Melvyn Bragg examines the western understanding of the Philosophy of Love since Plato.
Published on Thursday, 29th March 2001.
The history and legacy of classical Humanism, invented by Cicero.
Published on Thursday, 8th February 2001.
The history of the philosophy that claims that truths are illusory.
Published on Thursday, 16th November 2000.
Melvyn Bragg considers whether what is true in physics is true in all areas of existence.
Published on Thursday, 19th October 2000.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the relationship between democracy and capitalism.
Published on Thursday, 27th January 2000.
Melvyn Bragg examines why ideas about consciousness preoccupy philosophers and scientists.
Published on Thursday, 25th November 1999.
Melvyn Bragg examines whether mankind has made as much moral as material progress.
Published on Thursday, 18th November 1999.
Melvyn Bragg explores the concept of the individual from the Renaissance to today.
Published on Thursday, 21st October 1999.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss why we are as enthralled as ever by the idea of a Utopia.
Published on Thursday, 7th October 1999.
Melvyn Bragg examines where the idea of a just war originated and if it can still exist.
Published on Thursday, 3rd June 1999.
Melvyn Bragg examines how we judge good and evil in modern western civilisation.
Published on Thursday, 1st April 1999.
Melvyn Bragg examines the development of the empowerment of women in the 20th century.
Published on Thursday, 7th January 1999.
Melvyn Bragg examines what impact globalisation has had on human rights.
Published on Thursday, 10th December 1998.