Great Thinkers

The British Academy

For over 100 years, the Fellowship of the British Academy has brought together the country’s greatest thinkers from across the humanities and social sciences. In this new podcast, current Fellows of the British Academy shine a light on the Fellows of previous generations whose work still shapes how we see the world today. Listen to leading historians, economists, psychologists and political scientists introducing you to the academics that inspired them, revealing their remarkable lives and the enduring influence of their ideas.

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Top 10 Great Thinkers Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Great Thinkers episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Great Thinkers for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Great Thinkers episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Hew Strachan FBA on Michael Howard FBA

Great Thinkers

05/20/19 • 24 min

‘Captain Professor’ Michael Howard FBA is a British Army veteran who was awarded the Military Cross for his service in WWII before he turned to academia, becoming one of the country’s most celebrated military historians. In this episode, Hew Strachan FBA and Sir Lawrence Freedman FBA trace Howard’s unusual journey from active participant in conflict to the leading expert on its study.

Great Thinkers: John Kay FBA on G.L.S. Shackle FBA

Great Thinkers

06/10/19 • 27 min

G.L.S. Shackle FBA spent his career advocating the importance of understanding uncertainty in economics, but his ideas fell out of fashion towards the end of the 20th century. In this episode, economist John Kay FBA and the former head of the Bank of England, Mervyn King FBA, explain why they’ve come around to Shackle’s way of thinking.

Great Thinkers: Jose Harris FBA on Beatrice Webb FBA

Great Thinkers

06/17/19 • 30 min

In 1931, the British Academy elected its first female fellow, Beatrice Webb. A sociologist, economist and social reformer, she was one of the four founders of the London School of Economics. In this episode, Professor Jose Harris FBA and Dr Ben Jackson take a closer look at Webb’s extraordinary life and legacy.

Jane Heal FBA on Elizabeth Anscombe FBA

Great Thinkers

04/26/19 • 31 min

Elizabeth Anscombe FBA was one of the most important moral philosophers of the 20th century. In this episode, Jane Heal FBA and Dr Rachael Wiseman discuss highlights of her exceptional life, including working with Wittgenstein, pioneering ‘action theory’, and taking a stand against a US President.

Uta Frith FBA on M.R. James FBA

Great Thinkers

04/26/19 • 20 min

Famous for writing some of Edwardian Britain’s most terrifying ghost stories, M.R. James FBA was also a respected paleographer and medievalist scholar. Psychologist Uta Frith FBA recounts fond memories of growing up with his tales and talks to Dr Christopher de Hamel about why we love to be scared.

Great Thinkers: Richard Fardon FBA on Mary Douglas FBA

Great Thinkers

07/01/19 • 28 min

'Purity and Danger', a book exploring the concepts of pollution and taboo in societies around the world, made its author Mary Douglas one of Britain’s most celebrated anthropologists. In this episode, Fellows of the British Academy Richard Fardon and Henrietta Moore discuss the book’s lasting impact and Douglas’s equally fascinating later work.

Vernon Bogdanor FBA on A.V. Dicey FBA

Great Thinkers

05/27/19 • 21 min

What would A.V. Dicey FBA, the leading advocate of the ‘rule of law’ who died in 1922, think about Britain’s current constitutional tangles? In this episode, Vernon Bogdanor FBA and Conor Gearty FBA try to answer that question, with a look back at the jurist’s life and work.

Great Thinkers: Dawn Adès FBA on John Golding FBA

Great Thinkers

06/03/19 • 26 min

John Golding FBA’s extensive career included writing the definitive book on Cubism and staging landmark exhibitions of Matisse and Picasso, as well as several solo shows of his own work. In this episode, Professor Dawn Adès FBA meets with two of Golding’s former pupils and colleagues, Professor Christopher Green FBA and Professor Elizabeth Cowling. They discuss his paintings, some of which now hang in the British Academy, look back over his life and assess his enduring impact on modern art.

Great Thinkers: John Curtice FBA on David Butler FBA

Great Thinkers

06/24/19 • 18 min

For three decades, David Butler FBA was the BBC’s go-to psephologist, covering every election from 1950 to 1979. Today, that role is filled by his former pupil, John Curtice FBA. In this episode, the two colleagues discuss how Butler came to make his career studying and analysing elections.

Rana Mitter FBA on Arnold J. Toynbee FBA

Great Thinkers

04/26/19 • 21 min

The publication of his 12-volume 'A Study of History' made Arnold Toynbee one of the most celebrated scholars of the 20th century – he was even featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1947. In this episode, his granddaughter Polly Toynbee joins historian Rana Mitter FBA for an exploration of the man, the books and their enduring legacy.

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FAQ

How many episodes does Great Thinkers have?

Great Thinkers currently has 10 episodes available.

What topics does Great Thinkers cover?

The podcast is about Sociology, Humanities, Society & Culture, History, Psychology, Law, Podcasts, Economics, Social Sciences, Philosophy, Arts and Politics.

What is the most popular episode on Great Thinkers?

The episode title 'Great Thinkers: Richard Fardon FBA on Mary Douglas FBA' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Great Thinkers?

The average episode length on Great Thinkers is 25 minutes.

How often are episodes of Great Thinkers released?

Episodes of Great Thinkers are typically released every 6 days, 23 hours.

When was the first episode of Great Thinkers?

The first episode of Great Thinkers was released on Apr 26, 2019.

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Great Thinkers

The British Academy

Top 10 Great Thinkers Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does Great Thinkers have?

What topics does Great Thinkers cover?

What is the most popular episode on Great Thinkers?

What is the average episode length on Great Thinkers?

How often are episodes of Great Thinkers released?

When was the first episode of Great Thinkers?

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