Main content

Free Thinking Episodes

  1. Power: A User's Guide

    From the Hay Festival, Matthew Sweet discusses the many forms of political power.

  2. Wolves

    How wolves shape our world.

  3. Political Visions

    Anne McElvoy sets off in search of the sunlit uplands.

  4. Peace

    In the week of VE Day, Matthew Sweet discusses what peace has meant since 1945.

  5. Community

    Post local elections and pre VE day events, Shahidha Bari explores ideas about community

  6. Decadence and Declinism

    Matthew Sweet assesses the state of contemporary culture.

  7. The Middle Classes

    Muriel Zagha, Prof Sam Friedman, Lord Willetts, Lisa Holdsworth and Prof Melinda Mills.

  8. Isolation

    Matthew Sweet explores ideas about being on your own.

  9. Evidence

    Lord Sumption, Danny Robins, Dr Sarah Dillon Dr Jonathan Egid and Dr Anthony Milligan.

  10. Uncertainty

    Chris Lintott, Margaret Heffernan, Liam Halligan, Tim Garton Ash, Victoria Donovan

  11. A pinch of salt

    A key preservative, the subject of taxes, a danger to plant-life - how much salt is good?

  12. Malcolm X, life changes and flexible thinking

    Timandra Harkness, Ekow Eshun, Sophie Grace Chappell, Richard Bett and Stephen Bush.

  13. All we need is love

    Susie Orbach, Armand D'Angour, Vittoria Fallanca, Mary Harrod and Catherine Wheatley.

  14. Repetition

    Matthew Sweet and guests discuss routine, repetition and our sense of time

  15. Decision making

    From think tanks and tallies to tarot, what tools do we use to help us choose our actions?

  16. Diaries and the day to day

    Michael Crick, Irving Finkel, Sophie Coulombeau and Oliver Burkeman join Matthew Sweet.

  17. Common Sense

    Ann Widdecombe, Rachael Wiseman, Sarah Jilani and Tiffany Watt Smith with Matthew Sweet.

  18. Knowing when to stop

    From art to activism, campaigning to cabaret, Shahidha Bari asks when is enough enough?

  19. Beer, crisps and the British pub

    Tim Martin, Natalie Whittle, Professor Philip Howell, Dr Marianne Hem Eriksen, Ben Wright.

  20. Luck, predictability and superstition

    Dr Christian Busch, Bobby Seagull, Sharron Davies, Dr Kate Tomas and Timandra Harkness.

  21. How we think about evil

    Matthew Sweet and guests pick up from this year's Reith lectures and look at ideas of evil

  22. Gifts and Gratitude

    Following Thanksgiving, and as Christmas approaches, Shahidha Bari on giving and receiving

  23. Diplomacy from Ancient Greece to Trump

    Sir Nigel Sheinwald, Professor Clare Jackson, Bronwen Maddox, Dr Holly Furneaux

  24. Cosy comfort reading or Nietzsche?

    Alexander McCall Smith, Susannah Clapp, Tom Shakespeare, Deborah Sugg Ryan & Hugo Drochon

  25. Milton and our modern world

    It is 350 years since the death of Milton. We discuss ideas of Puritanism and divorce.

  26. Ghosts, death and ecstatic states

    Shahidha Bari with Irving Finkel, Simon Critchley, Chris Harding and Hetta Howes.

  27. Are we all American now?

    Freddy Gray, Dr Katie McGettigan, Amanda Taub, Kit Davis and Rana Mitter join Anne McElvoy

  28. Insiders & Outsiders

    Matthew Sweet and guests explore the secret languages of the internet and beyond.

  29. Childhood and innocence

    Katherine Rundell, Emily Baughan, Grace Lockrobin, Miriam Cates, Andrew Cooper

  30. Why we read

    Shahidha Bari and guests discuss the value of reading fiction and of writing history.

  1. Previous
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. …
  8. 44