Omnibus [A History Of Ideas]

Episodes

EpisodeTitleFirst
Broadcast
Comments
01What Does It Mean To Be Free?20141114A new history of ideas presented by Melvyn Bragg but told in many voices.

Melvyn is joined by four guests with different backgrounds to discuss a really big question. This week he's asking what does it mean to be Free.

Helping him answer it are philosopher Angie Hobbs, criminal barrister Harry Potter, neuropsychologist Paul Broks and theologian Giles Fraser.

For the rest of the week Angie, Giles, Harry and Paul take us further into the history of ideas with programmes of their own. Between them they examine Plato and the philosophy of freedom, JS Mill on the individual and the state, Piere Simon Laplace on freewill and determinism and William of Ockham on Freedom and Constraint.

In this omnibus edition all five programmes from the week are presented together.

Melvin Bragg and guests discuss the work of key philosophers and their theories.

02Why Are Things Beautiful?20141121A new history of ideas presented by Melvyn Bragg but told in many voices.

Each week Melvyn is joined by four guests with different backgrounds to discuss a really big question. This week he's asking 'Why are things beautiful?

Helping him answer it are Mathematician Vicky Neale, historian of science Simon Schaffer and philosophers Barry Smith and Angie Hobbs.

For the rest of the week Vicky, Simon, Barry and Angie will take us further into the history of ideas about beauty with programmes of their own. Between them they will examine the mathematics of beauty, whether beauty has moral force, whether beauty can be explained in evolutionary terms and how David Hume developed a theory of good taste.

In this omnibus edition all five programmes from the week are presented together.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss different ideas of beauty.

03How Do I Tell Right From Wrong?20141128A new history of ideas presented by Melvyn Bragg but told in many voices.

Melvyn is joined by four guests with different backgrounds to discuss a really big question. This week the question is 'How do I tell wrong from right?

Helping him answer it are Neuropsychologist Paul Broks, Philosopher Angie Hobbs, Theologian Giles Fraser and Lawyer Harry Potter.

For the rest of the week Paul, Angie, Giles and Harry will take us further into the history of ideas about morality with programmes of their own.

Between them they will examine the idea of conscience and moral intuitions, the relationship between morality and the law, whether moral systems can work on the battlefield and what the brain seems to do when we are making moral decisions.

In this omnibus edition all five programmes from the week are presented together.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss different ideas of morality.

04How Did Everything Begin?20150116A new history of ideas presented by Melvyn Bragg but told in many voices.

Melvyn is joined by four guests with different backgrounds to discuss a really big question. This week he's asking How did everything begin?

Helping him answer it are Cosmologist Carole Mundell, Historian Justin Champion, theologian Giles Fraser and Creation myth Expert, Jessica Frazier.

For the rest of the week Carole, Giles, Justin and Jessica will take us further into the history of ideas about origins with programmes of their own. Between them they will examine early modern comet theory, Thomas Aquinas, The big Bang and Hindu Creation myths.

In this omnibus edition all five programmes from the week are presented together.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the origins of life, the universe and everything.

05What Makes Us Human?20150123A new history of ideas presented by Melvyn Bragg but told in many voices.

Melvyn is joined by four guests with different backgrounds to discuss a really big question. This week he's asking What makes us human?

Helping him answer it are Philosopher Barry Smith, Classicist Catherine Edwards, historian Simon Schaffer and theologian Giles Fraser.

For the rest of the week Barry, Catharine, Simon and Giles will take us further into the history of ideas about what makes us human. With programmes of their own they will examine the evolution of language, the Stoic philosopher Seneca, the classification of all living species and the film Bladerunner.

This omnibus edition has all five programmes together.

Melvyn Bragg and guests explore the philosophical question of what makes us human.

06How Has Technology Changed Us?20150130Five programmes examining how technology has changed us, from flint axe to satnav.
07How Do I Live A Good Life?20150403A new history of ideas presented by Melvyn Bragg but told in many voices.

Each week Melvyn is joined by four guests with different backgrounds to discuss a really big question. This week he's asking 'How do I live a good life'?

Helping him answer it are historian Justin Champion, neuropsychologist Paul Broks , theologian Naomi Appleton and philosopher Jules Evans.

For the rest of the week Jules, Paul, Justin and Naomi will take us further into the history of ideas about the good life with programmes of their own. Between them they will examine Aristotle's idea of flourishing, selfishness, the Protestant work ethic and Buddhism's Four Noble Truths.

This Omnibus edition has all five programmes together.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss how to live a good life.

08What Is Justice?20150410A new history of ideas presented by Melvyn Bragg but told in many voices.

Each week Melvyn is joined by four guests with different backgrounds to discuss a really big question. This week they're tackling the question 'What is Justice?'.

Helping him answer it are lawyer Harry Potter, philosopher Angie Hobbs, criminologist David Wilson, and the historian Alice Taylor. Between them they will dismantle the idea of deterrence, investigate civil disobedience, tackle how to build a just society, and look at how this has been done throughout history. Then each of them attempt to take us further into the history of ideas about justice, with programmes of their own. This Omnibus edition has all five programmes together.

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss ideas about justice.

09What Does It Mean To Be Me?20150417A new history of ideas presented by Melvyn Bragg, but told in many voices.

Each week Melvyn is joined by four guests with different backgrounds to discuss a really big question. This week they're tackling the question 'What does it mean to be me?'.

Helping him answer it are the writer A. L. Kennedy, the neuropsychologist Paul Broks, the philosopher Jules Evans, and the ontologist Barry Smith. Between them they will investigate consciousness, delve into memory, examine ideas about the 'self' and veer into existentialism. Then each of them attempt to take us further into the subject, with programmes of their own. This Omnibus edition has all five programmes together.

Melvyn Braggs asks 'What does it mean to be me?', with the help of four guests.

10How Should We Live Together?20150724A new history of ideas presented by Melvyn Bragg but told in many voices. An opportunity to hear all this week's programmes in this Omnibus edition.

Melvyn is joined by four guests with different backgrounds to discuss a really big question. This week he's asking 'How should we live together?

Helping him answer it are the historian Justin Champion, economist Kate Barker, and the philosophers Angie Hobbs and Timothy Secret.

Across the week Justin, Kate, Angie and Timothy took us further into the question, with programmes of their own. They examined ideas about tolerating others, respecting our ancestors, the morality of the Free Market, and Plato's ideas about the importance of philosopher rulers.

This omnibus edition has all five programmes together.

Melvyn Braggs asks 'How should we live together?', with the help of four guests.

11What Is Love?20150731A new history of ideas presented by Melvyn Bragg but told in many voices. An opportunity to hear all this week's programmes in this Omnibus edition.

Melvyn is joined by four guests with different backgrounds to discuss a really big question. This week he's asking 'What is Love?

Helping him answer it are the theologian Giles Fraser, writer Lisa Appignanesi, classicist Edith Hall and psychotherapist Mark Vernon.

Across the week Giles, Lisa, Edith and Mark took us further into the history of ideas about love, with programmes of their own. Between them they examined Freud's ideas on erotic love, Jesus and altruism, the first guidance on how to be a loving parent, by Rousseau and Aristophanes' speech which explains how love was born.

This omnibus edition has all five programmes together.

Melvyn Braggs and guests discuss the history of ideas around love.

12How Can I Know Anything At All?20150807Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss how we can know anything at all.