Arts & Ideas

BBC Radio 4

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Leading thinkers discuss the ideas shaping our lives – looking back at the news and making links between past and present. Broadcast as Free Thinking, Fridays at 9pm on BBC Radio 4. Presented by Matthew Sweet, Shahidha Bari and Anne McElvoy.

1 NGÀY TRƯỚC

Decadence

Some people think we live in an age of decline. Matthew Sweet investigates, with guests including political journalist Tim Stanley, art critic Louisa Buck, Professor Jane Desmarais who is head of the decadence research centre at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Neville Morley, Professor of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Exeter. Plus, Matthew will talk to satirical artist Cold War Steve about his depictions of decadence in contemporary Britain. Producer: Luke Mulhall

57 phút
28 THG 3

The Middle Classes

Matthew Sweet and guests discuss the impact of the shifting geo political and economic trends on the British class system with specialist guests. Muriel Zagha is a writer and critic and Author of Finding Monsieur Right and co-host of the podcast Garlic and Pearls. Lisa Holdsworth is a Leeds based TV script writer who has worked on amongst others Emmerdale, Midsomer Murders, Robin Hood, New Tricks and Waterloo Road. Her latest series Dreamers premiers on Channel 4 this weekend. Professor Sam Friedman is a sociologist of class and inequality. His latest book with Aaron Reeves is Born To Rule exploring how the British elite has changed over the last 120 years. Lord Willetts is the President of the Resolution Foundation’s Advisory Council and of the Intergenerational Commission and Chair of the UK Space Agency. He is a visiting Professor at King’s College London and Chair of the Foundation for Science and Technology. Earlier this month he was appointed as Chair of the Regulatory Innovation Office. Professor Melinda Mills is a demographer based at Nuffield College, University of Oxford, who will talk about new research which suggests that socio-economic status ia social construct with heritable component and genetic consequences. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson

56 phút
21 THG 3

Isolation

As Radio 4 marks the 5th anniversary of the first COVID lockdown, Free Thinking investigates one of the defining experiences of that period for many people: isolation. It's a word that entered the English language in the 18th century, and arguably its emergence as a concept marked a change in the way people saw their relationships with other people and the wider community, towards a more individualistic society. And yet there's a long history of religious mystics seeking solitude. From Robinson Crusoe to the crew of the International Space Station, via monasticism and Romanticism, Matthew Sweet investigates the histories of isolation and solitude. With: Mark Vernon, psychotherapist with a deep interest in the role of solitude in the Western spiritual tradition. His book Awake! William Blake and the Power of the Imagination will be published in June. Lucy Powell, Lecturer in English Literature at the University of Oxford Kathleen Burk, Professor Emerita of Modern and Contemporary History at University College London, who will talk about isolationism as an aspect of the American political psyche Jim Hoare, diplomat who opened the first British embassy in North Korea in the 1990s. Catherine Coldstream, writer and former Carmelite nun, her memoir is Cloistered: My Years As A Nun Producer: Luke Mulhall

57 phút
14 THG 3

Evidence

Matthew Sweet and his guests discuss our shifting relationship with evidence from the law, to science, academic study and the paranormal. He's joined by Uncanny TV presenter Danny Robins, the former Supreme Court judge Lord Sumption and author of The Challenges of Democracy and the Rule of Law, Dr Sarah Dillon from the faculty of English at the University of Cambridge. Dr Jonathan Egid philosopher at SOAS in London and Dr Anthony Milligan a philosopher at Kings College London. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson

57 phút
7 THG 3

Uncertainty

Anne McElvoy and guests discuss the issue of uncertainty from scientific discovery and the space race to the shifting geopolitical landscape and how it can act as a catalyst for creativity. She's joined by the entrepreneur and author of Embracing Uncertainty, Margaret Heffernan, journalist and economist Liam Halligan, Astrophysicist Chris Lintott who also presents The Sky at Night, historian Timothy Garton Ash and Professor Victoria Donovan and author of Life in Spite of Everything: Tales from the Ukrainian East. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson

57 phút
28 THG 2

A pinch of salt

Free Thinking looks at today's world with "a pinch of salt" tonight. From stories in the bible to desalination plants, preserving food to salt taxes: how does salt help us think about the past and present? We use phrases like "being worth your salt" or "dropping salt" meaning to spread rumours. With food writer Bee Wilson, materials scientist Mark Miodownik, the novelist and writer on folklore Zoe Gilbert and artist David Soin Tappeser. Plus, especially salty guest Baga Chipz. Matthew Sweet hosts. David Soin Tappeser, along with Himali Singh Soin, is one half of Hylozoic/Desires, whose exhibition Salt Cosmologies is at Somerset House in London until the 27th April. Producer: Luke Mulhall

57 phút
21 THG 2

Malcolm X, life changes and flexible thinking

Matthew Sweet and guests discuss changing course in life, flexible thinking and keeping an open mind with writer and curator Ekow Eshun, philosopher Sophie Grace Chappell, journalist Stephen Bush, author Timandra Harkness & philosopher Richard Bett Producer: Lisa Jenkinson

35 phút
14 THG 2

All we need is love

From classical thinking to the romcom films in cinema today: Why do we yearn to find our "other half" but struggle with the reality of long term relationships? To discuss Rana Mitter is joined by: Dr Susie Orbach: a psychotherapist and author of Fat is a Feminist Issue as well as many other books Classicist Prof Armand D'Angour: he has just published a book about Plato's thinking on love - How to Talk about Love: An Ancient Guide for Modern Lovers Dr Vittoria Fallanca: She has new research on the opposite figure to Eros - Anteros - the god of requited love, and the avenger of unrequited love, and his place in the history of philosophy Catherine Wheatley: She is Professor of Film and Visual Culture at Kings College London Mary Harrod: She is Professor of French and Screen Studies at the University of Warwick. Producer: Lisa Jenkinson

57 phút

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Matthew Sweet

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Oak & Ash

18/09/2023

pataphysician

Of the novels of J. C. Powys I’d read, “Porius” is my favorite… a pure animist marvel. It’s good to see that the man and the work are still being talked about. With due respect, the comment that Powys is not currently in print was mistaken; within the last decade a half dozen titles have become available—largely by The Overlook Press—plus a biography called “Descents of Memory.” Any curious reader would do well to search them out beginning with “A Glastonbury Romance” and saving “Porius” for desert! Thank you for the discussion.
The best podcast there is

02/03/2021

Vanilla tea

I listen to a lot of podcasts, have been listening to this one for a decade, and it is by far my favorite. It has a stable of rotating interviewers, who are just as smart and interesting as the guests they interview--and the guests are usually scholars, which means they're well-informed people with original perspectives. And the guests are not those annoying scholars who won't listen and can't stop babbling or came with an agenda they make sure is accomplished without regard for the discussion happening. They roll with the conversation and go to interesting and unexpected places. The subjects are incredibly varied, from history to literature to the visual arts to philosophy, etc. I should note that it took me a couple years to realize that this was my favorite podcast. I write down interesting quotations from wherever I hear them, and eventually I realized that I was quoting people (guests and hosts alike) far more often from this podcast than from any other source, and since then I've taken an even greater delight in starting a new episode. I will note that one or two of the newer hosts are not as good as the old ones, and also I'm really disappointed that Philip Dodd has not been on a new episode in almost a year. He's my favorite of the many excellent hosts, and I would love to see him return soon.
Woke priesthood

05/07/2023

Dill BeBasio

Sigh.. blah blah blah boring woke trash. Soups wokes.
Pointless Political Podcast

07/10/2021

HarveMu

The participants are uniformly leftist and arrogant about their opinions. Readers should know I consider the right is as irksome as the left. It is the arrogance coupled with ignorance that makes this podcast unlistenable.