In this insightful discussion, Bruce Caldwell, a leading expert on Friedrich Hayek, Ben Jackson, a modern history professor, and Melissa Lane, a political philosophy specialist, unpack Hayek's influential work, The Road to Serfdom. They delve into Hayek's warnings against centralized economic planning and the potential shift towards tyranny. The trio debate the significance of dispersed knowledge in market systems, contrasting it with the inefficiencies of state control. Their exploration highlights the enduring relevance of Hayek's ideas in today's political discourse.

In this discussion, Anil Gomes, Sophie Grace Chappell, and Rachael Wiseman delve into the life and impact of Philippa Foot, a pivotal 20th-century philosopher. They explore Foot's challenge to the subjective moral landscape of her time, advocating for objective moral truths rooted in virtue ethics. The conversation touches on her influential ideas about the Trolley Problem and ethical distinctions in applied ethics, particularly around euthanasia. Foot's intellectual journey from privilege to profound ethical insight reveals her lasting legacy in moral philosophy.

Dive into panpsychism, exploring consciousness in all matter, challenging traditional beliefs. Discuss the mind-body problem, qualia, and philosophical disputes. Examine consciousness in fundamental entities and the relationship between matter and consciousness. Contemplate the enchantment of the universe and the implications of panpsychism on AI and artificial consciousness.

Learn about the life and ideas of Nicolas de Condorcet, a philosopher during the French Enlightenment who promoted progress, equal rights for women, and abolition of the slave trade. Explore his contributions to the Encyclopedia, his association with the physiocratic movement, and his interests in representative government. Discover his beliefs as a republican and his views on education and societal development. Also, don't miss the importance of democracy and a surprise McDonald's Burgers advertisement.

Matthew Watson, a Political Economy expert, Bill Waller, an economic historian, and Mary Wrenn, a Senior Lecturer in Economics, dive into Thorstein Veblen's influential critique, The Theory of the Leisure Class. They discuss the concept of conspicuous consumption, connecting it to today's consumer society and its wasteful tendencies. The guests explore Veblen's historical context, his impact on social movements, and the implications of wealth on societal values. They reflect on Veblen's lasting legacy in today's economic discussions, emphasizing the need for sustainability and social consciousness.

Explore Aristotle's ideas on happiness and living a good life in his Nicomachean Ethics. Discover his approach to answering these questions and his influence in Athens. Delve into Aristotle's concept of the mean and its relevance for virtue. Understand the application of the theory of the mean in different virtues. Learn about practical wisdom, virtue, and human flourishing. Explore Aristotle's perspective on studying ethics and the role of pleasure. Enjoy banter about tea and coffee preferences and an unexpected supernatural encounter.

In 1956 Oxford University awarded an honorary degree to the former US president Harry S. Truman for his role in ending the Second World War. One philosopher, Elizabeth Anscombe (1919 – 2001), objected strongly. She argued that although dropping nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki may have ended the fighting, it amounted to the murder of tens of thousands of innocent civilians. It was therefore an irredeemably immoral act. And there was something fundamentally wrong with a moral philosophy that didn’t see that. This was the starting point for a body of work that changed the terms in which philosophers discussed moral and ethical questions in the second half of the twentieth century. A leading student of the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, Anscombe combined his insights with rejuvenated interpretations of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas that made these ancient figures speak to modern issues and concerns. Anscombe was also instrumental in making action, and the question of what it means to intend to do something, a leading area of philosophical work. With Rachael Wiseman, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of LiverpoolConstantine Sandis, Visiting Professor of Philosophy at the University of Hertfordshire, and Director of Lex Academic Roger Teichmann, Lecturer in Philosophy at St Hilda’s College, University of OxfordProducer: Luke Mulhall

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Solon, who was elected archon or chief magistrate of Athens in 594 BC: some see him as the father of Athenian democracy. In the first years of the 6th century BC, the city state of Athens was in crisis. The lower orders of society were ravaged by debt, to the point where some were being forced into slavery. An oppressive law code mandated the death penalty for everything from murder to petty theft. There was a real danger that the city could fall into either tyranny or civil war.Solon instituted a programme of reforms that transformed Athens’ political and legal systems, its society and economy, so that later generations referred to him as Solon the Lawgiver. WithMelissa Lane Class of 1943 Professor of Politics at Princeton UniversityHans van Wees Grote Professor of Ancient History at University College Londonand William Allan Professor of Greek and McConnell Laing Tutorial Fellow in Greek and Latin Languages and Literature at University College, University of Oxford Producer Luke Mulhall

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss how, between the 16th and 18th centuries, Europe was dominated by an economic way of thinking called mercantilism. The key idea was that exports should be as high as possible and imports minimised. For more than 300 years, almost every ruler and political thinker was a mercantilist. Eventually, economists including Adam Smith, in his ground-breaking work of 1776 The Wealth of Nations, declared that mercantilism was a flawed concept and it became discredited. However, a mercantilist economic approach can still be found in modern times and today’s politicians sometimes still use rhetoric related to mercantilism. WithD’Maris Coffman Professor in Economics and Finance of the Built Environment at University College London Craig Muldrew Professor of Social and Economic History at the University of Cambridge and a Member of Queens’ Collegeand Helen Paul, Lecturer in Economics and Economic History at the University of Southampton.Producer Luke Mulhall

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the pioneering Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546 – 1601) whose charts offered an unprecedented level of accuracy.In 1572 Brahe's observations of a new star challenged the idea, inherited from Aristotle, that the heavens were unchanging. He went on to create his own observatory complex on the Danish island of Hven, and there, working before the invention of the telescope, he developed innovative instruments and gathered a team of assistants, taking a highly systematic approach to observation. A second, smaller source of renown was his metal prosthetic nose, which he needed after a serious injury sustained in a duel. The image above shows Brahe aged 40, from the Atlas Major by Johann Blaeu. With Ole Grell Emeritus Professor in Early Modern History at the Open University Adam Mosley Associate Professor of History at Swansea University and Emma Perkins Affiliate Scholar in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge.