Who the hell is? Biography Bites

Who the hell is?
  • 4.7 (6)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

Who the hell is…? brings you our new Biography Bites – compact biographies of the world’s greatest thinkers. Learn who these big names really were by getting to know them as people; finding out where they came from; and discovering how their lives shaped their ideas. We will bring you a new Biography Bite each week, so make sure you subscribe and don't miss out... But in the meantime, welcome to Biography Bites!

Episodes

  1. 09/10/2021

    Ludwig Wittgenstein

    Who the hell is…? brings you our new Biography Bites – compact biographies of the world’s greatest thinkers. This episode tells the life story of Ludwig Wittgenstein. Regarded as the most important philosopher since Kant, Wittgenstein set out to solve all the major problems of philosophy, stating that these arise from misunderstandings of the logic of language. But who was Wittgenstein as a person? Part of a cultured and talented family, Ludwig was however, always uncomfortable in his own skin, contemplating suicide every day of his life. Disliked by some, admired by many, this brilliant man would spend his whole life preoccupied with philosophical problems. We hope you enjoy this episode and don't forget to look out for our other biography bites on the world's greatest thinkers!

    Ludwig Wittgenstein

  2. 08/03/2021

    Melanie Klein

    Who the hell is…? brings you our new Biography Bites – compact biographies of the world’s greatest thinkers. This episode tells the life story of Melanie Klein, one of the most controversial, powerful and influential figures within the heart of psychoanalysis.  A woman, divorcee, single mother and Hungarian-Polish Jew who lived through two World Wars, Klein's life was as dramatic and contentious as her work. We hope you enjoy this episode and don't forget to look out for our other biography bites on the world's greatest thinkers!

    Melanie Klein

  3. 07/06/2021

    Stanley Milgram

    Who the hell is…? brings you our new Biography Bites – compact biographies of the world’s greatest thinkers. This episode tells the life story of Stanley Milgram, one of the most important, and controversial, figures in the field of social psychology. A highly intelligent and somewhat eccentric individual, who was driven by his combined love for the arts and science, Milgram came up with innovative experimental techniques to investigate pressing social and political questions.  In this podcast, we look at his life and influences and find out about he man behind the controversy.

    Stanley Milgram

  4. 06/25/2021

    Jean-Jacques Rousseau

    Who the hell is…? brings you our new Biography Bites – compact biographies of the world’s greatest thinkers. This episode tells the life story of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a political philosopher hailing from Geneva.  Hugely influential in both the progress of the Enlightenment and also the French Revolution, Rousseau's works are considered to be cornerstones in modern political, economic and educational thought. But who was this man who, in his lifetime, was equally revered as despised?  We hope you enjoy this episode and don't forget to look out for our other biography bites on the world's greatest thinkers!

    Jean-Jacques Rousseau

  5. 06/08/2021

    Karl Marx

    Who the hell is…? brings you our new Biography Bites – compact biographies of the world’s greatest thinkers. This episode tells the life story of Karl Marx, philosopher, economist, political theorist and revolutionary. Marx was one of the most legendary, influential thinkers of all time. His work changed the course of history and continues to impact upon people and governments across the globe. But who was this extraordinary man and what made him tick? We hope you enjoy this episode and don't forget to look out for our other biography bites on the world's greatest thinkers!

    Karl Marx

  6. 05/26/2021

    Jane Jacobs

    Who the hell is…? brings you our new Biography Bites – compact biographies of the world’s greatest thinkers. This episode tells the life story of Jane Jacobs, journalist, author, theorist, activist, and one of the most underrated and yet influential thinkers in urbanism.  Jacobs fought tirelessly against urban renewal and slum clearance projects which threatened city neighbourhoods, and fearlessly stood up against  experts in the male-dominated field of urban planning, eventually achieving the recognition and respect that she deserved. Here, we look at the life and influences of Jane Jacobs, and find out who this incredible woman really was. We hope you enjoy this episode and don't forget to look out for our other biography bites on the world's greatest thinkers!

    Jane Jacobs

  7. 05/05/2021

    Michel Foucault

    Who the hell is…? brings you our new Biography Bites – compact biographies of the world’s greatest thinkers. This episode tells the life story of Michel Foucault, philosopher, social theorist, historian, literary critic and one of the most influential scholars of his time. Focusing primarily on the relationship between knowledge and power, Foucault looked at how power is used in society to control and define knowledge. But who was he? This podcast looks at the life of this brilliant and controversial thinker, the events that shaped his thinking, and the journey that he went on to become one of France's greatest philosophers. We hope you enjoy this episode and don't forget to look out for our other biography bites on the world's greatest thinkers!

    Michel Foucault

  8. 05/05/2021

    B.F. Skinner

    Who the hell is…? brings you our new Biography Bites – compact biographies of the world’s greatest thinkers. This episode tells the life story of B.F. Skinner, a highly influential American psychologist, behaviourist, social philosopher and inventor. A pioneer of modern behaviourism, Skinner founded a school of experimental research psychology and his work on behavioural conditioning altered the course of psychology and psychotherapy. Find out who Skinner really was, the circumstances of his early life that propelled him into the world of psychology, and what drove him to ask difficult questions and have the ambition to change the world. We hope you enjoy this episode and don't forget to look out for our other biography bites on the world's greatest thinkers!

    B.F. Skinner

  9. 05/03/2021

    Olympe de Gouges

    Who the hell is…? brings you our new Biography Bites – compact biographies of the world’s greatest thinkers. This episode tells the life story of Olympe de Gouges, an 18th century French feminist who has largely been forgotten by history, despite her important political legacy and execution for her beliefs. Described invariably as an activist, a humanist, a stateswoman, a political analyst, a playwright and a femme philosophe, Olympe de Gouges was all these things but above all, she was a champion of human rights. In her short lifetime, she wrote more than 60 political works and 15 socially conscious plays, demonstrating her strong belief in the power of the word as a weapon against discrimination in all its forms. De Gouges was best known for her Declaration of the Rights of Woman, her fight against the Church and its stance on marriage and divorce, and her fight for the abolition of slavery. Against the political backdrop of the French Revolution, de Gouges was a passionate and fearless writer, actively speaking out to encourage women's voices in the public sphere. She was incredibly forward thinking in the way that she was able to reap the benefit of the theories of the Enlightenment thinkers who's ideas, though progressive, were still rooted in a patriarchal system. De Gouges was able to look beyond the gender strictures and use only the wisdom of their philosophy (and not its content) to create her own convictions. We hope you enjoy this episode and don't forget to look out for our other biography bites on the world's greatest thinkers!

    Olympe de Gouges
  • 9 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Who the hell is…? brings you our new Biography Bites – compact biographies of the world’s greatest thinkers. Learn who these big names really were by getting to know them as people; finding out where they came from; and discovering how their lives shaped their ideas. We will bring you a new Biography Bite each week, so make sure you subscribe and don't miss out... But in the meantime, welcome to Biography Bites!

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