Series of annual radio lectures on significant contemporary issues, delivered by leading figures from the relevant fields
Episodes available:
Indefinitely 
Tue, 20 Sep 11
Duration:
54 mins
Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller, the former director-general of MI5, the British security service, gives her third and final BBC Reith Lecture, entitled Freedom. She discusses policy priorities since 9/11 and reflects on the Arab Spring, and argues that the West's support of authoritarian regimes did, to some extent, fuel the growth of al-Qaeda. The lecture also considers when we should talk to "terrorists".
Tue, 13 Sep 11
Duration:
43 mins
Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller, the former director-general of MI5, the British security service, gives the second of her BBC Reith Lectures, entitled Security. She argues that the security and intelligence services have a good record of protecting and preserving freedom, but concedes that the use of water-boarding by the United States has not made the world a safer place. "Torture is illegal" and "never justified," she says.
Tue, 6 Sep 11
Duration:
43 mins
Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller, the former director-general of MI5, the British security service, gives the first of her BBC Reith Lectures, entitled Terror. On the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States she reflects on the lasting significance of that day. Was it a terrorist crime? An act of war? Or something different?
Tue, 5 Jul 11
Duration:
43 mins
Aung San Suu Kyi examines what drives people to become dissidents in the second of her 2011 Reith Lectures, entitled Dissent. The Burmese pro-democracy Leader reflects on the history of her own party, the National League for Democracy and explores the meaning of opposition and dissidence. She also explains her reasons for following the path of non-violence.
Tue, 28 Jun 11
Duration:
54 mins
Aung San Suu Kyi discusses what freedom means in the first of her 2011 Reith Lectures, entitled Liberty. The Burmese pro-democracy leader reflects on her own experience under house arrest in Burma, exploring the universal human aspiration to be free and the spirit which drives people to dissent. She also comments on the Arab Spring, comparing the event that triggered last December's revolution in Tunisia with the death of a student during a protest in Burma in 1988.
Tue, 22 Jun 10
Duration:
42 mins
Astronomer Royal Professor Martin Rees explores how fast the world is moving in the 21st Century, in the final Reith Lecture from his series 'Scientific Horizons'. Speaking at the Open University in Milton Keynes, the home of online learning, he acknowledges how the internet and other technologies have transformed our lives.
Tue, 15 Jun 10
Duration:
42 mins
Astronomer Royal Professor Martin Rees says there are things that will always lie beyond our sphere of comprehension and we should accept the limits to our knowledge, in the third lecture of his Reith Lectures series 'Scientific Horizons'.
Tue, 8 Jun 10
Duration:
42 mins
Astronomer Royal Professor Martin Rees explores how Earth is coming under increasing strain from climate change, population explosion and food shortages in the second Reith Lecture from his series 'Scientific Horizons'. He questions how we can use science to help us solve this crisis.
Tue, 1 Jun 10
Duration:
43 mins
Astronomer Royal and President of The Royal Society Professor Martin Rees explores the challenges facing science in the 21st century in the first of his Reith Lecture series 'Scientific Horizons'.
Tue, 30 Jun 09
Duration:
43 mins
Political philosopher Professor Michael Sandel makes the case for a moral and civic renewal in democratic politics in the final Reith Lecture from his series 'A New Citizenship'. He calls for a new politics of the common good and says that we need to think of ourselves as citizens, not just consumers.
Tue, 23 Jun 09
Duration:
43 mins
Political philosopher Professor Michael Sandel considers how we should use our ever-increasing scientific knowledge in the third Reith Lecture from his series 'A New Citizenship'. New genetic technologies hold great promise for treating and curing disease, but how far we should go in using them to manipulate muscles, moods and gender?
Tue, 16 Jun 09
Duration:
43 mins
Political philosopher Professor Michael Sandel considers the role of moral arguments in politics in the second lecture from his series 'A New Citizenship'. He believes that it is often not possible for government to be neutral on moral questions.
Tue, 9 Jun 09
Duration:
43 mins
Political philosopher Professor Michael Sandel delivers the first Reith Lecture from his series 'A New Citizenship'. The Harvard Professor of Government analyses the prospects of a new political age which is designed with the common good at its centre.
Tue, 24 Jun 08
Duration:
53 mins
Professor of Chinese history Jonathan Spence discusses how Chinese ideas of athleticism have slowly evolved over the centuries in the final Reith Lecture from his series 'Chinese Vistas'. He explores how it has changed from languorous courtship and formalised martial arts to the demanding arenas of team sports and ultimately the Olympics.
Tue, 17 Jun 08
Duration:
44 mins
Professor of Chinese history Jonathan Spence examines China’s relations with The United States of America in the third Reith Lecture from his series 'Chinese Vistas'. He considers how the United States gradually moved from its position as a dominant beacon of democracy for China, to becoming a more demanding global rival. Is America right to be wary of the emerging superpower or can the two economic and military giants co-exist happily?
Tue, 10 Jun 08
Duration:
44 mins
Professor of Chinese history Jonathan Spence examines China's relations with the United Kingdom in his second Reith Lecture from the series 'Chinese Vistas'. He considers how three centuries of trade, warfare, unequal treaties and missionary endeavours has shaped our mutual perceptions.
Tue, 3 Jun 08
Duration:
44 mins
Professor of Chinese history Jonathan Spence reflects on China's most enduring thinker Confucius in the first lecture from his Reith Lectures series 'Chinese Vistas'. He considers who Confucius was, what he believed in, and what contemporary relevance his message has nearly 2,500 years after his death.
Wed, 9 May 07
Duration:
44 mins
Economist Professor Jeffrey Sachs calls for a new Enlightenment to help make globalisation work for all and lays out a blueprint for global co-operation in the final lecture from his Reith Lectures series 'Bursting at the Seams'.
Wed, 2 May 07
Duration:
44 mins
Economist Professor Jeffrey Sachs considers the challenges of extreme poverty and the worry of the developed world, which fears for its own prosperity, in the fourth lecture from his Reith Lectures series 'Bursting at the Seams'.
Wed, 25 Apr 07
Duration:
44 mins
Economist Professor Jeffrey Sachs analyses the need for international co-operation to achieve peace in the third lecture from his Reith Lectures series 'Bursting at the Seams'.
Wed, 18 Apr 07
Duration:
43 mins
Economist Professor Jeffrey Sachs discusses China's emergence as an economic superpower and asks effect this will have on the global climate in the second of his Reith Lectures series 'Bursting at the Seams'.
Wed, 11 Apr 07
Duration:
42 mins
Economist Professor Jeffrey Sachs outlines the challenges facing mankind and argues that we must adapt to the new age in the first lecture from his Reith Lectures series 'Bursting at the Seams'.
Fri, 5 May 06
Duration:
43 mins
Pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim explores the power that music has over us in the final lecture of his Reith Lectures series 'In the Beginning was Sound'. He considers the difference between power and strength in music, and in life.
Fri, 28 Apr 06
Duration:
42 mins
Pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim examines how music has the power to bring people together in the fourth lecture from his Reith Lectures series 'In the Beginning was Sound'.
Fri, 21 Apr 06
Duration:
42 mins
Pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim argues that classical music is not an exclusive language - it can be accessible to all - in the third lecture in his Reith Lectures series 'In the Beginning was Sound'.
Fri, 14 Apr 06
Duration:
43 mins
Pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim examines what he calls ‘the neglected sense’ - the ear - in the second lecture in his Reith Lectures series 'In the Beginning was Sound'. He launches a campaign against ‘muzak’.
Fri, 7 Apr 06
Duration:
43 mins
Pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim examines the physical phenomenon of sound in the first lecture from his Reith Lectures series 'In the Beginning was Sound'.
Wed, 4 May 05
Duration:
43 mins
Nanotechnology pioneer Lord Alec Broers delivers the final Reith Lecture from his series 'The Triumph of Technology'. He explores the responsibilities of the technologist.
Wed, 27 Apr 05
Duration:
43 mins
Nanotechnology pioneer Lord Alec Broers explores the impact of nanotechnology and its origins in electronics in the fourth Reith Lecture from his series 'The Triumph of Technology'.
Wed, 20 Apr 05
Duration:
43 mins
Nanotechnology pioneer Lord Alec Broers delivers the third Reith Lecture from his series 'The Triumph of Technology'. He explores the profound changes that have taken place in the development of ideas and their translation in to the market place.
Wed, 13 Apr 05
Duration:
43 mins
Nanotechnology pioneer Lord Alec Broers explores the origins of modern technologies and explains why he believes that global collaboration is essential for success in the second Reith Lecture from his series 'The Triumph of Technology'.
Wed, 6 Apr 05
Duration:
43 mins
Nanotechnology pioneer Lord Alec Broers delivers his first Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'The Triumph of Technology'. He sets out his belief that technology can and should hold the key to the future.
Wed, 5 May 04
Duration:
43 mins
Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka delivers his final Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'The Climate of Fear'. He examines the causes and impact of fanaticism and explores the role of the 'invisible' religions around the globe. He considers the world views which are tempering the forces that seek to dichotomise the world.
Wed, 28 Apr 04
Duration:
44 mins
Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from his series 'The Climate of Fear'. He explores the notion of dignity within a climate of fear. What exactly is it? Why do nations enshrine it in their constitutions and Bills of Human Rights?
Wed, 21 Apr 04
Duration:
43 mins
Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka examines the power of political and religious rhetoric in the third Reith Lecture from his series 'The Climate of Fear'. He asks what turns a mantra of faith in one religion into summons of death in another?
Wed, 14 Apr 04
Duration:
43 mins
Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka delivers his second Reith Lecture from his series 'The Climate of Fear'. He examines how difficult it can be to tell friend from foe and analyses why Power-mad dictators are a fact of life.
Wed, 7 Apr 04
Duration:
43 mins
Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka delivers the first Reith Lecture from his series 'The Climate of Fear'. He considers the psychological changes that have taken place since the Cold War in regards to fear. He explores the nature of fear and its impact on individuals and society.
Wed, 30 Apr 03
Duration:
43 mins
Neuroscientist Professor Ramachandran delivers the fifth Reith Lecture from his series ‘The Emerging Mind’. He argues that neuroscience, perhaps more than any other discipline, is capable of transforming man's understanding of himself and his place in the cosmos.
Wed, 23 Apr 03
Duration:
44 mins
Neuroscientis Professor Ramachandran delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from his series ‘The Emerging Mind’. He demonstrates experimentally that the phenomenon of synaesthesia is a genuine sensory effect.
Wed, 16 Apr 03
Duration:
43 mins
Neuroscientist Professor Ramachandran delivers the third Reith Lecture from his series ‘The Emerging Mind’. He contemplates one of the most ancient questions in philosophy, psychology and anthropology: what is art?
Wed, 9 Apr 03
Duration:
43 mins
Neuroscientist Professor Ramachandran delivers the second Reith Lecture from his series ‘The Emerging Mind’. He examines the process we call ‘seeing’; how we become consciously aware of things around us.
Wed, 2 Apr 03
Duration:
43 mins
Neuroscientist Professor Ramachandran delivers the first Reith Lecture from his series ‘The Emerging Mind’. He argues that by studying neurological syndromes that have been largely ignored, we can sometimes acquire novel insights into the functions of the normal brain.
Wed, 1 May 02
Duration:
43 mins
Philosopher Onora O'Neill delivers the final Reith Lecture from her series ‘A Question of Trust’. She asks how we can decide when to trust those who inform us about the wider world, in particular, media reporters.
Wed, 24 Apr 02
Duration:
43 mins
Philosopher Onora O'Neill delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from her series ‘A Question of Trust’. She discusses the issue of transparency and argues it can also add to the ways in which the public can be deceived.
Wed, 17 Apr 02
Duration:
43 mins
Philosopher Onora O'Neill delivers the third Reith Lecture from her series ‘A Question of Trust’. She explores the quest for greater accountability in government, institutions and professionals.
Wed, 10 Apr 02
Duration:
43 mins
Philosopher Onora O'Neill delivers the second Reith Lecture from her series ‘A Question of Trust’. She examines the search for justice in conditions where the basis for trust is threatened by violence and intimidation.
Wed, 3 Apr 02
Duration:
43 mins
Philosopher Onora O'Neill delivers the first Reith Lecture from her series ‘A Question of Trust’. She examines the nature of trust, its role in society, and asks if there is real evidence of a crisis of trust.
Wed, 2 May 01
Duration:
43 mins
Biologist Professor Tom Kirkwood delivers the final Reith Lecture from his series ‘The End of Age’. He argues that the longevity revolution has reached a turning-point and the decisions we take in the next few years will have far-reaching consequences for the state of future society.
Wed, 25 Apr 01
Duration:
43 mins
Biologist Professor Tom Kirkwood delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from his series ‘The End of Age’. He argues that we need to recognise that in making choices about meeting the challenge of an older population, it is not 'them and us' we are dealing with, but 'us and us'.
Wed, 18 Apr 01
Duration:
44 mins
Biologist Professor Tom Kirkwood delivers the third Reith Lecture from his series ‘The End of Age’. He explores the connections between sex and death. Does sex shorten our lives? And does it make sense to think in terms of a “reproductive duty” to the species?
Wed, 11 Apr 01
Duration:
43 mins
Biologist Professor Tom Kirkwood delivers the second Reith Lecture from his series ‘The End of Age’. He considers a revolution in the life sciences, which he believes will allow us to understand the role of DNA in the ageing process.
Wed, 4 Apr 01
Duration:
43 mins
Biologist Professor Tom Kirkwood explores the revolution in human longevity in the first Reith Lecture from his series ‘The End of Age’.
Wed, 10 May 00
Duration:
43 mins
Director of the New Delhi Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, Dr Vandana Shiva delivers the fifth Reith Lecture of the Millennium series ‘Respect for the Earth’. She examines the impact of globalisation on the lives of ordinary people.
Wed, 3 May 00
Duration:
44 mins
Director General of the World Health Organisation, Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from the Millennium series ‘Respect for the Earth’. She argues that health should be seen as part of our investment in developing countries.
Wed, 26 Apr 00
Duration:
58 mins
CEO of BP Amoco, Sir John Browne delivers the third Reith Lecture from the Millennium series ‘Respect for the Earth’. He argues that technology is the key to tackling the growing threat of climate change without undermining economic growth.
Wed, 19 Apr 00
Duration:
43 mins
Chief Biodiversity Advisor for the World Bank Tom Lovejoy delivers the second Reith Lecture from the Millennium series ‘Respect for the Earth’. He argues that biodiversity is the best single indicator of an area’s long term biological and economic health.
Wed, 12 Apr 00
Duration:
44 mins
European Commissioner Chris Patten delivers the first Reith Lecture, from the Millennium series ‘Respect for the Earth’. He argues that sustainable development is about much more than environment policy; it requires a mosaic of institutions, policies and values.
Wed, 5 May 99
Duration:
58 mins
Sociologist Professor Anthony Giddens examines one of the most powerful, energising ideas of the 20th Century - democracy - in the final lecture in his Reith Lectures series 'Runaway World'. Professor Giddens argues democracy is able to grow on even quite barren ground.
Wed, 28 Apr 99
Duration:
58 mins
Sociologist Professor Anthony Giddens delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Runaway World’. He argues that the persistence of aspects of the traditional family, in many parts of the world, is more worrisome than its decline.
Wed, 21 Apr 99
Duration:
59 mins
Sociologist Professor Anthony Giddens delivers his third Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Runaway World’. He looks at the links between tradition and fundamentalism and argues that all traditions are invented traditions. Traditions are not impervious to change.
Wed, 7 Apr 99
Duration:
44 mins
Sociologist Professor Anthony Giddens presents the first Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Runaway World'. He examines the concept of globalisation and how it has affected our lives.
Wed, 6 May 98
Duration:
43 mins
Military historian and journalist John Keegan delivers his fifth and final Reith lecture from his series entitled ‘War in Our World’. He considers the future of war. How and by whom, are the causes of war to be addressed and conflict resolved?
Wed, 29 Apr 98
Duration:
43 mins
Military historian and journalist John Keegan delivers his fourth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘War in our World’. He considers the impact of battle on those who fight them and examines how modern warfare has changed the role and experiences of the soldier.
Wed, 22 Apr 98
Duration:
43 mins
Military historian and journalist John Keegan delivers his third Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘War in our World’. He explores the evolving relationship between war and the nation state, and examines whether states need to cause conflict.
Wed, 15 Apr 98
Duration:
44 mins
Military historian and journalist John Keegan delivers his second Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘War in Our World’. He looks at the origins of warfare and argues that the evolution of conflict is inextricably linked to the evolution of social groupings.
Wed, 8 Apr 98
Duration:
44 mins
Military historian and journalist John Keegan delivers his first Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘War in our World’. He explores the great impact warfare has had on modern times and examines when war first became feared as a widespread killer.
Tue, 25 Mar 97
Duration:
30 mins
Legal scholar Professor Patricia Williams delivers her final Reith Lecture from her series entitled ‘The Genealogy of Race’. She explores solutions to prevent racism and reconcile racial tensions.
Tue, 18 Mar 97
Duration:
30 mins
Legal scholar Professor Patricia Williams delivers her fourth Reith Lecture from her series entitled ‘The Genealogy of Race’. She examines the impact of racialised science on attitudes to race. She argues that scientific statements labelling attributes of particular races, nurture racial stereotyping.
Tue, 11 Mar 97
Duration:
30 mins
Legal scholar Professor Patricia Williams delivers her third lecture from her series entitled ‘The Genealogy of Race’. She looks at the juxtaposition of race and class and their interaction in society.
Tue, 4 Mar 97
Duration:
30 mins
Legal scholar Professor Patricia Williams delivers the second Reith Lecture from her series entitled ‘The Genealogy of Race’. She tackles what she terms ‘racial voyeurism’, as well as society’s systemic denial of racial experiences, both of which she argues, stem from racial and cultural domination.
Tue, 25 Feb 97
Duration:
31 mins
Legal scholar Professor Patricia Williams delivers the first Reith Lecture from her series entitled ‘The Genealogy of Race’. She examines how the issue of colour remains so powerfully determinative of everything in a world that is, by and large, officially `colour blind'
Tue, 5 Mar 96
Duration:
29 mins
Professor of language Jean Aitchison delivers the fifth and final Reith Lecture from her series entitled ‘The Language Web’. She looks at the possibilities and the pitfalls of the way we use language, and how it can shape as well as distort our view of the world.
Tue, 27 Feb 96
Duration:
30 mins
Professor of language Jean Aitchison delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from her series entitled ‘The Language Web’. She examines the word-learning ability inbuilt in humans, and explains how we manage to recall words at speed when we need them.
Tue, 20 Feb 96
Duration:
30 mins
Professor of language Jean Aitchison delivers the third Reith Lecture from her series entitled ‘The Language Web’. She examines the predictable way in which the language web develops in children and how adults can help, and sometimes slow down, a child’s progress.
Tue, 13 Feb 96
Duration:
28 mins
Professor of language Jean Aitchison delivers the second Reith Lecture from her series entitled ‘The Language Web’. She examines the origin of language in the human species and explains how a fresh look at the role of language has led to new ideas about how it started.
Tue, 6 Feb 96
Duration:
30 mins
Professor of language Jean Aitchison delivers her first Reith Lecture from her series entitled ‘The Language Web’. She explores whether our language really is in decay and argues that we need to understand language, not try to control it.
Sun, 12 Mar 95
Duration:
30 mins
Architect Lord Richard Rogers delivers his final Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Sustainable City’. He considers what practical steps governments, citizens, architects and planners could take in order to create more sustainable and equitable cities.
Sun, 5 Mar 95
Duration:
30 mins
Architect Lord Richard Rogers delivers his fourth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Sustainable City’. He examines some of the economic, social and ecological problems that London currently faces and argues that it urgently needs to adopt a new and sustainable approach.
Sun, 26 Feb 95
Duration:
30 mins
Architect Lord Richard Rogers delivers the third Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Sustainable City’. He examines the ways in which buildings can enhance the public sphere and argues that over-zealous preservation of buildings allows our architectural heritage to choke our future.
Sun, 19 Feb 95
Duration:
30 mins
Architect Lord Richard Rogers delivers the second Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Sustainable City’. He explores how cities can be socially divisive and environmentally hazardous. We used to build cities to overcome our environment; in the future we should build cities to nurture it.
Sun, 12 Feb 95
Duration:
28 mins
Architect Lord Richard Rogers delivers the first Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Sustainable City’. He argues that the decaying fabric of urban life can be transformed into a sustainable environment through greater emphasis on citizens' participation in city planning.
Wed, 2 Mar 94
Duration:
29 mins
Historian and Mythographer Marina Warner delivers the final Reith Lecture from her series entitled ‘Managing Monsters’. She explores the myths of national identity and asks: what is home ground?
Wed, 23 Feb 94
Duration:
29 mins
Historian and Mythographer Marina Warner delivers the fifth Reith Lecture from her series entitled ‘Managing Monsters’. She explores myths of cannibalism from The Tempest to Hannibal Lecter, and considers how their message of ‘either we eat them or they eat us’, helped to justify the presence of the invader.
Wed, 16 Feb 94
Duration:
28 mins
Historian and Mythographer Marina Warner delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from her series entitled ‘Managing Monsters’. She examines the changing value of the animal, from King Kong to the teddy bear.
Wed, 9 Feb 94
Duration:
29 mins
Historian and Mythographer Marina Warner delivers the third Reith Lecture from her series entitled ‘Managing Monsters’. She examines the various depictions of children in myths and stories and looks at the burden of dreams that children bear from Peter Pan to Poltergeist.
Wed, 2 Feb 94
Duration:
29 mins
Historian and Mythographer Marina Warner delivers the second Reith Lecture from her series entitled ‘Managing Monsters’. She examines the threads linking ancient myths and modern machismo and argues that ideas about masculinity are not naturally inculcated.
Wed, 26 Jan 94
Duration:
28 mins
Historian and Mythographer Marina Warner delivers the first Reith Lecture from her series entitled ‘Managing Monsters’. She examines the role of the ‘she-monster’ in myth; from Medea to Jurassic Park.
Wed, 28 Jul 93
Duration:
30 mins
Palestinian-American literary theorist Edward Said delivers the final Reith Lecture from his series ‘Representations of the Intellectual’. He considers how far an intellectual should participate in the public sphere and examines the dilemma of loyalty to a cause.
Wed, 21 Jul 93
Duration:
30 mins
Palestinian-American literary theorist Edward Said delivers the fifth Reith Lecture from his series ‘Representations of the Intellectual’. He examines the role of the intellectual questioning authority, and asks what constitutes truth.
Wed, 14 Jul 93
Duration:
30 mins
Palestinian-American literary theorist Edward Said delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from his series ‘Representations of the Intellectual’. He examines amateur intellectuals and their influence on society.
Wed, 7 Jul 93
Duration:
30 mins
Palestinian-American literary theorist Edward Said delivers the third Reith Lecture from his series ‘Representations of the Intellectual’. He looks at intellectuals both as expatriates and as people on the margins of their own society, and examines how exile inspires their thinking.
Wed, 30 Jun 93
Duration:
30 mins
Palestinian-American literary theorist Edward Said delivers the second Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Representations of the Intellectual’. He explores the role of intellectuals from different cultures and backgrounds, and the choices they face when deciding to side with the powerful or with the underdog.
Wed, 23 Jun 93
Duration:
30 mins
Palestinian-American literary theorist Edward Said delivers his first Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Representations of the Intellectual’. He examines how intellectuals have been defined and what their role should be in the modern world.
Wed, 18 Dec 91
Duration:
30 mins
Geneticist Dr Steve Jones delivers the final Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The Language of the Genes’. He examines the long history of genetic engineering and argues that humans may be at the end of their evolutionary road; as near to our biological utopia as we’re ever likely to get.
Wed, 11 Dec 91
Duration:
30 mins
Geneticist Dr Steve Jones delivers the fifth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The Language of the Genes’. He examines the limitations of biology in understanding human affairs and argues that the history of race illustrates more than anything else the way science can be used to support prejudice.
Wed, 4 Dec 91
Duration:
30 mins
Geneticist Dr Steve Jones delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The Language of the Genes’. He examines the correlation between genetic change and economic development and argues that social and economic changes produce many of the genetic patterns seen in the world today.
Wed, 27 Nov 91
Duration:
30 mins
Geneticist Dr Steve Jones delivers the third Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The Language of the Genes’. He explores the power and consequences of natural selection.
Wed, 20 Nov 91
Duration:
30 mins
Geneticist Dr Steve Jones delivers the second Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The Language of the Genes’. He explores the importance of mutation in the development of individuals and species and explains how mutation leads to diversity and change, some good, some bad.
Wed, 13 Nov 91
Duration:
30 mins
Geneticist Dr Steve Jones delivers his first Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The Language of the Genes’. He argues that while fossils and ancient myths preserve some limited truths about our origins, our genes hold a far more complete picture.
Wed, 19 Dec 90
Duration:
30 mins
Chief Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks delivers his sixth and final Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'The Persistence of Faith'. He explains why faith will always survive.
Wed, 12 Dec 90
Duration:
30 mins
Chief Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks delivers the fifth Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'The Persistence of Faith'. He assesses the explosive mix of religious revival and nationalism.
Wed, 5 Dec 90
Duration:
30 mins
Chief Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'The Persistence of Faith'. He explores the language of religion and community.
Wed, 28 Nov 90
Duration:
28 mins
Chief Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks delivers the third Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'The Persistence of Faith'. He explores the religious institution of marriage in society and its effect on the modern family.
Wed, 21 Nov 90
Duration:
30 mins
Chief Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks delivers the second Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'The Persistence of Faith'. He explores how objective standards influence our ethics.
Wed, 14 Nov 90
Duration:
29 mins
Chief Rabbi Dr Jonathan Sacks delivers the first Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'The Persistence of Faith'. He argues that religion is the best moral framework for society.
Wed, 20 Dec 89
Duration:
30 mins
French poet Jacques Darras delivers the fifth and final Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Beyond the Tunnel of History’. He explores how Medieval Irish monks hold the key to a United Europe.
Wed, 13 Dec 89
Duration:
29 mins
French poet Jacques Darras delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Beyond the Tunnel of History’. He explores the memories of the Somme and the lessons learnt from World War I.
Wed, 6 Dec 89
Duration:
29 mins
French poet Jacques Darras delivers the third Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Beyond the Tunnel of History’. He suggests a new age of mobility and a revival of the ‘Grand Tour’ of Europe.
Wed, 29 Nov 89
Duration:
28 mins
French poet Jacques Darras delivers the second Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Beyond the Tunnel of History’. He explains how multiculturalism is not a modern concept in his second Reith lecture.
Wed, 22 Nov 89
Duration:
30 mins
French poet Jacques Darras delivers the first Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Beyond the Tunnel of History’. He explores the embodiment of democracy within the civic squares of Europe.
Tue, 13 Dec 88
Duration:
30 mins
Historian Geoffrey Hosking delivers the final Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'The Rediscovery of Politics'. He debates whether democracy can evolve after a totalitarian regime.
Tue, 6 Dec 88
Duration:
30 mins
Historian Geoffrey Hosking delivers the fifth Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'The Rediscovery of Politics'. He analyses the recent détente between the Soviet state and the Churches.
Tue, 29 Nov 88
Duration:
30 mins
Historian Geoffrey Hosking delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'The Rediscovery of Politics'. He discusses the national aspirations of the various Soviet peoples.
Tue, 22 Nov 88
Duration:
30 mins
Historian Geoffrey Hosking delivers the third Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'The Rediscovery of Politics'. He investigates the embryonic state of a civil Soviet society.
Tue, 15 Nov 88
Duration:
30 mins
Historian Geoffrey Hosking delivers the second Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'The Rediscovery of Politics'. He investigates the communal amnesia found in the Soviet society.
Tue, 8 Nov 88
Duration:
30 mins
Historian Geoffrey Hosking delivers the first Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'The Rediscovery of Politics'. He discusses the relationship between the Soviet economy and glasnost.
Sun, 27 Dec 87
Duration:
28 mins
Composer Alexander Goehr delivers the final Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The Survival of the Symphony’. He stresses why society must fight to save the symphony.
Wed, 16 Dec 87
Duration:
27 mins
Composer Alexander Goehr delivers the fifth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The Survival of the Symphony’. He explores the creation of ‘community’ music by modern composers.
Wed, 9 Dec 87
Duration:
30 mins
Composer Alexander Goehr delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The Survival of the Symphony’. He explores how avant-garde music has lost its edge.
Wed, 2 Dec 87
Duration:
29 mins
Composer Alexander Goehr delivers the third Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The Survival of the Symphony’. He diagnoses the pressures of contemporary music-making.
Wed, 25 Nov 87
Duration:
29 mins
Composer Alexander Goehr delivers the second Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The Survival of the Symphony’. He examines the effect of recorded sound on our perception of music.
Wed, 18 Nov 87
Duration:
29 mins
Composer Alexander Goehr delivers the first Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The Survival of the Symphony’. He discusses the rise and fall of the Symphony.
Wed, 10 Dec 86
Duration:
30 mins
Judge Lord John McCluskey delivers the sixth and final Reith lecture from his series entitled ‘Law, Justice and Democracy’. He concludes his lectures on the state of the British legal system.
Wed, 3 Dec 86
Duration:
30 mins
Judge Lord John McCluskey delivers the fifth Reith lecture from his series entitled ‘Law, Justice and Democracy’. He argues against the enactment of a Bill of Rights in the United Kingdom.
Wed, 26 Nov 86
Duration:
30 mins
Judge Lord John McCluskey delivers the fourth Reith lecture from his series entitled ‘Law, Justice and Democracy’. He argues for the greater desirability of law that is certain in application and predictable in outcome.
Wed, 19 Nov 86
Duration:
30 mins
Judge Lord John McCluskey delivers the third Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Law, Justice and Democracy’. He argues that Parliament, not the judiciary, must have ultimate responsibility for legislation.
Wed, 12 Nov 86
Duration:
30 mins
Judge Lord John McCluskey delivers the second Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Law, Justice and Democracy’. He asks how judges, with the same starting materials in terms of fact and legal tradition, can come to such diametrically opposite conclusions.
Wed, 5 Nov 86
Duration:
30 mins
Judge Lord McCluskey delivers the first Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Law, Justice and Democracy’. He discusses whether it is right that judges should have sole responsibility for sentencing criminals.
Wed, 11 Dec 85
Duration:
30 mins
Economist David Henderson delivers the final Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Innocence and Design’. He considers the wider context of market states and economics.
Wed, 4 Dec 85
Duration:
30 mins
Economist David Henderson delivers the fifth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Innocence and Design’. He examines how influential economists really are.
Wed, 27 Nov 85
Duration:
30 mins
Economist David Henderson delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Innocence and Design’. He explores the role of international trade on economics.
Wed, 20 Nov 85
Duration:
30 mins
Economist David Henderson delivers the third Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Innocence and Design’. He examines the leading elements of do-it-yourself economics.
Fri, 15 Nov 85
Duration:
30 mins
Economist David Henderson delivers the second Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Innocence and Design’. He examines the leading elements of do-it-yourself economics.
Wed, 6 Nov 85
Duration:
29 mins
Economist David Henderson delivers the first Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Innocence and Design’. He examines the influence that economics has on policy.
Wed, 12 Dec 84
Duration:
30 mins
Philosopher Professor John Searle delivers the final Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Minds, Brains and Science’. He examines the evidence for and against the existence of free will.
Wed, 5 Dec 84
Duration:
30 mins
Philosopher Professor John Searle delivers the fifth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Minds, Brains and Science’. He explores the limitations of human behavioural science.
Wed, 28 Nov 84
Duration:
30 mins
Philosopher Professor John Searle delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Minds, Brains and Science’. He analyses how our mental activities can produce our behaviour.
Wed, 21 Nov 84
Duration:
30 mins
Philosopher Professor John Searle delivers the third Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Minds, Brains and Science’. He examines the discipline of cognitive science.
Wed, 14 Nov 84
Duration:
30 mins
Philosopher Professor John Searle delivers the second Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Minds, Brains and Science’. He considers whether a digital computer can be taught to think.
Wed, 7 Nov 84
Duration:
30 mins
Philosopher Professor John Searle delivers the first Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Minds, Brains and Science’. He examines the nature of the connections between the mind and the brain.
Wed, 14 Dec 83
Duration:
30 mins
Former Permanent Secretary to HM Treasury Sir Douglas Wass delivers the final Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Government and the Governed’. He concludes his discussion about responsive and effective government, and suggests a more autonomous Royal Commission.
Wed, 7 Dec 83
Duration:
30 mins
Former Permanent Secretary to HM Treasury Sir Douglas Wass delivers the fifth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Government and the Governed’. He discusses the need for, and the problems contingent on, greater public access to information affecting government decisions.
Wed, 30 Nov 83
Duration:
30 mins
Former Permanent Secretary to HM Treasury Sir Douglas Wass delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Government and the Governed’. He asks if Parliament is able to supervise and control executive power in the way it once did.
Wed, 23 Nov 83
Duration:
30 mins
Former Permanent Secretary to HM Treasury Sir Douglas Wass delivers the third Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Government and the Governed’. He examines the relationship between ministers and civil servants asks which Civil Service reforms would strengthen it and which weaken it.
Wed, 16 Nov 83
Duration:
30 mins
Former Permanent Secretary to HM Treasury Sir Douglas Wass delivers the second Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Government and the Governed’. He dissects the composition of the British Parliamentary Cabinet and considers how effective it is.
Wed, 9 Nov 83
Duration:
30 mins
Former Permanent Secretary to HM Treasury Sir Douglas Wass delivers the first Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Government and the Governed’. He discusses what we mean by ‘government’ and asks whether we are right to equate good government with prosperity and bad government with poverty.
Wed, 15 Dec 82
Duration:
30 mins
Irish literary critic Denis Donoghue delivers the final Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The Arts Without Mystery’. He explores how to increase subjectivity into art without destroying the mystery it needs to be a work of art.
Wed, 8 Dec 82
Duration:
30 mins
Irish literary critic Denis Donoghue delivers the fifth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The Arts without Mystery’. He evaluates raw art and the pretentiousness that criticism and analysis can add.
Wed, 1 Dec 82
Duration:
30 mins
Irish literary critic Denis Donoghue delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The Arts without Mystery’. He explores how critics have influenced the perception of art and blames them for the death of the all important ‘mystery’ of art.
Wed, 24 Nov 82
Duration:
29 mins
Irish literary critic Denis Donoghue delivers the third Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The Arts without Mystery’. He examines the confusion of discourse surrounding art from a critic’s perspective. He questions the lack of antagonism in modern art.
Wed, 17 Nov 82
Duration:
30 mins
Irish literary critic Denis Donoghue delivers the second Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The Arts without Mystery’. He assesses how casual materials are transformed into pieces of art and how society evaluates the finished pieces.
Wed, 10 Nov 82
Duration:
30 mins
Irish literary critic Denis Donoghue delivers the first Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The Arts without Mystery’. He explores societies’ understanding of art and investigates the arts in relation to the mystery that surrounds them.
Wed, 16 Dec 81
Duration:
30 mins
Professor of War Studies Laurence Martin delivers the final Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'The Two-Edged Sword'. He explores the future development of strategic defence policies.
Wed, 9 Dec 81
Duration:
30 mins
Professor of War Studies Laurence Martin delivers the fifth Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'The Two-Edged Sword'. He debates the pros and cons of nuclear disarmament and arms control for a country.
Wed, 2 Dec 81
Duration:
30 mins
Professor of War Studies Laurence Martin delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'The Two-Edged Sword'. He explores the conflicts of strategic policy over the Third World.
Wed, 25 Nov 81
Duration:
30 mins
Professor of War Studies Laurence Martin delivers the third Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'The Two-Edged Sword'. He evaluates how countries use the strategic balance of nuclear deterrence.
Wed, 18 Nov 81
Duration:
30 mins
Professor of War Studies Laurence Martin delivers the second Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'The Two-Edged Sword'. He explores the strategic limitations of nuclear weapons.
Wed, 11 Nov 81
Duration:
30 mins
Professor of War Studies Laurence Martin delivers the first Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'The Two-Edged Sword'. He questions how nations govern and protect national security.
Wed, 10 Dec 80
Duration:
30 mins
Professor of Health Law and Ethics Sir Ian Kennedy delivers the final Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'Unmasking Medicine'. He explains how consumerism sets standards, measures performances and provides sanctions for the medical profession.
Wed, 3 Dec 80
Duration:
30 mins
Professor of Health Law and Ethics Sir Ian Kennedy delivers the fifth Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'Unmasking Medicine'. He explores the concepts of mental illness and demonstrates the shaky ground that it rests on.
Wed, 26 Nov 80
Duration:
30 mins
Professor of Health Law and Ethics Sir Ian Kennedy delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'Unmasking Medicine'. He debates whether doctors are trained enough to make the right judgements on moral and ethical decisions.
Wed, 19 Nov 80
Duration:
30 mins
Professor of Health Law and Ethics Sir Ian Kennedy delivers the third Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'Unmasking Medicine'. He explores how to make the National Health Service more efficient and gives his own conceptual blueprint of how he believes it should work.
Wed, 12 Nov 80
Duration:
29 mins
Professor of Health Law and Ethics Sir Ian Kennedy delivers the second Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'Unmasking Medicine'. He compiles a list of the inappropriate directions that modern medicine has taken and explains why he believes modern medicine has taken the wrong path.
Wed, 5 Nov 80
Duration:
29 mins
Professor of Health Law and Ethics Sir Ian Kennedy delivers the first Reith Lecture from his series entitled 'Unmasking Medicine'. He explores the concepts of modern medicine.
Wed, 12 Dec 79
Duration:
30 mins
Professor of African and Islamic studies Ali Mazrui delivers the final Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The African Condition’. He examines Africa's physical location on the globe in relation to its economic, political and military destiny.
Wed, 5 Dec 79
Duration:
30 mins
Professor of African and Islamic studies Ali Mazrui delivers the fifth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The African Condition’. He argues that an understanding of the size and fragmentation of Africa is essential in diagnosing the nature of its aches and pains.
Wed, 28 Nov 79
Duration:
30 mins
Professor of African and Islamic studies Ali Mazrui delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The African Condition’. He examines the burden of Africa's underdevelopment and asks why the resource-rich region accommodates some of the poorest countries in the world.
Wed, 21 Nov 79
Duration:
30 mins
Professor of African and Islamic studies Ali Mazrui delivers the third Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The African Condition’. He explores the clash of Western and African cultures.
Wed, 14 Nov 79
Duration:
30 mins
Professor of African and Islamic studies Ali Mazrui delivers the second Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The African Condition’. He examines the injustices that have been inflicted on the African people.
Wed, 7 Nov 79
Duration:
30 mins
Professor of African and Islamic studies Ali Mazrui delivers the first Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘The African Condition’. He argues for longterm solutions to Africa’s crisis of habitability.
Wed, 6 Dec 78
Duration:
28 mins
Ecclesiastical historian Reverend Dr Edward Norman delivers the final Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Christianity and the World Order’. He considers the importance of spirituality in Christianity.
Wed, 29 Nov 78
Duration:
29 mins
Ecclesiastical historian Reverend Dr Edward Norman delivers the fifth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Christianity and the World Order’. He considers the Christian situation in Africa.
Wed, 22 Nov 78
Duration:
27 mins
Ecclesiastical historian Reverend Dr Edward Norman delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Christianity and the World Order’. He explores the imperialist perspective of Christianity.
Wed, 15 Nov 78
Duration:
27 mins
Ecclesiastical historian Reverend Edward Norman delivers the third Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Christianity and the World Order’. He contemplates if human rights are the newest form of Commandments.
Wed, 8 Nov 78
Duration:
27 mins
Ecclesiastical historian Reverend Dr Edward Norman delivers the second Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Christianity and the World Order’. He explores who the ‘Ministers of Change’ are in society.
Wed, 1 Nov 78
Duration:
28 mins
Ecclesiastical historian Reverend Edward Norman delivers the first Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Christianity and the World Order’. He examines the politicisation of Christianity.
Wed, 15 Feb 78
Duration:
29 mins
Sociologist Professor A H Halsey delivers the final Reith lecture from his series entitled ‘Change in British Society’. He investigates the problem of fraternity in society. He argues that there are native traditions in social and political values which join people together. Yet, can social order in the shape of class, status and party affect these feelings of belonging?
Wed, 8 Feb 78
Duration:
29 mins
Sociologist Professor A H Halsey delivers the fifth Reith lecture from his series entitled ‘Change in British Society’. He investigates the relation between the generations of the nuclear family. He focuses on the primordial link between the parents and the dependent children.
Wed, 1 Feb 78
Duration:
30 mins
Sociologist Professor A H Halsey delivers his fourth Reith lecture from the series entitled ‘Change in British Society’. He follows the growth of organisation in relation to the changing structure of class and status in Britain.
Wed, 25 Jan 78
Duration:
29 mins
Sociologist Professor A H Halsey delivers his third Reith lecture from the series entitled ‘Change in British Society’. He looks at the theory of class and status and argues the importance of position and power.
Wed, 18 Jan 78
Duration:
30 mins
Sociologist Professor A.H Halsey delivers his second Reith lecture from the series entitled ‘Change in British Society’. He explores the structures of class in Britain and asks the question, why is there is still social inequality in this developed and wealthy nation?
Wed, 11 Jan 78
Duration:
30 mins
Sociologist Professor A.H. Halsey delivers his first Reith lecture from the series entitled ‘Change in British Society’. He explores the characteristics of the British Society and explains that in order to know ourselves we must explore how we come to an agreement and deal with conflict.
Wed, 15 Dec 76
Duration:
30 mins
Neurobiologist Professor Colin Blakemore delivers the final Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Mechanics of the Mind’. He explores how society attempts to regulate the behaviour of its members.
Wed, 8 Dec 76
Duration:
30 mins
Neurobiologist Professor Colin Blakemore delivers the fifth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Mechanics of the Mind’. He explores speech as the vehicle of our language.
Wed, 1 Dec 76
Duration:
30 mins
Neurobiologist Professor Colin Blakemore delivers the fourth Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Mechanics of the Mind’. He explains how the brain creates and stores memories.
Wed, 24 Nov 76
Duration:
30 mins
Neurobiologist Professor Colin Blakemore delivers the third Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Mechanics of the Mind’. He explains how the mind creates sight and perception.
Wed, 17 Nov 76
Duration:
30 mins
Neurobiologist Professor Colin Blakemore delivers his second Reith Lecture from the series entitled ‘Mechanics of the Mind’. He explores the concept of human consciousness and our nightly need for sleep.
Wed, 10 Nov 76
Duration:
29 mins
Neurobiologist Professor Colin Blakemore delivers the first Reith Lecture from his series entitled ‘Mechanics of the Mind’. He discusses how the theory of the mind mirrors man's social development.
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