The Reith Lectures Podcast
Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series
Episodes to download
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5/5. Shifting the Foundations—2019: Jonathan Sumption
Last Tuesday
Jonathan Sumption argues against Britain adopting a written constitution
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4/5. Rights and the Ideal Constitution—2019: Jonathan Sumption
Tue 11 Jun 2019
Jonathan Sumption assess the pros and cons of written and unwritten constitutions
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3/5. Human Rights and Wrongs—2019: Jonathan Sumption
Tue 4 Jun 2019
Jonathan Sumption argues that courts have usurped power via human rights law
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2/5. In Praise of Politics—2019: Jonathan Sumption
Tue 28 May 2019
Jonathan Sumption explains how democracy can accommodate opposing opinions and interests
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1/5. Law's Expanding Empire—2019: Jonathan Sumption
Tue 21 May 2019
Jonathan Sumption argues that the law is taking over the space once occupied by politics
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War's Fatal Attraction—Margaret MacMillan
Tue 24 Jul 2018
Margaret MacMillan examines how we remember and represent war in art.
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Managing the Unmanageable—Margaret MacMillan
Tue 17 Jul 2018
Margaret MacMillan assesses attempts to constrain and justify conflict.
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Civilians and War—Margaret MacMillan
Tue 10 Jul 2018
Margaret MacMillan examines the role of civilians as supporters and victims of conflict.
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Fearing and Loving: Making Sense of the Warrior—Margaret MacMillan
Tue 3 Jul 2018
Margaret MacMillan explores our complex relationship with the people who go to war.
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War and Humanity—Margaret MacMillan
Tue 26 Jun 2018
Margaret MacMillan asks if war is an essential part of being human.
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Angela Stent on George Kennan
Fri 29 Sep 2017
Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series
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Grayson Perry on Nikolaus Pevsner
Thu 28 Sep 2017
Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series
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Brian Cox on Robert Oppenheimer
Wed 27 Sep 2017
Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series
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Anand Menon on Robert Birley
Wed 27 Sep 2017
Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series
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Michael Sandel on Bertrand Russell
Wed 27 Sep 2017
Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series
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Adaptation—Hilary Mantel
Tue 11 Jul 2017
Hilary Mantel on how fiction changes when adapted for stage or screen.
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Can These Bones Live?—Hilary Mantel
Tue 4 Jul 2017
Hilary Mantel on how historical fiction can make the past come to life.
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Silence Grips the Town—Hilary Mantel
Tue 27 Jun 2017
The story of how historical obsession killed a Polish writer, told by Hilary Mantel.
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The Iron Maiden—Hilary Mantel
Tue 20 Jun 2017
How do we construct our pictures of the past asks Hilary Mantel.
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The Day Is for the Living—Hilary Mantel
Tue 13 Jun 2017
Art can bring the dead back to life argues novelist Hilary Mantel.
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Culture—Kwame Anthony Appiah: Mistaken Identities
Tue 8 Nov 2016
Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah asks us to give up the idea of western civilisation.
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Colour—Kwame Anthony Appiah: Mistaken Identities
Tue 1 Nov 2016
Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah argues for a world free of racial fixations.
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Country—Kwame Anthony Appiah: Mistaken Identities
Tue 25 Oct 2016
Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah argues against a mythical and romantic view of nationhood
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Creed—Kwame Anthony Appiah: Mistaken Identities
Tue 18 Oct 2016
1/4 Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah says we overestimate scripture in our view of faith.
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Black holes ain't as black as they are painted—Professor Stephen Hawking: Black Holes
Tue 1 Dec 2015
Professor Stephen Hawking delivers the second of his BBC Reith Lectures on black holes.
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Do black holes have no hair?—Professor Stephen Hawking: Black Holes
Tue 24 Nov 2015
Professor Stephen Hawking delivers the first of his BBC Reith Lectures on black holes.
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The Idea of Wellbeing—Dr Atul Gawande: The Future of Medicine
Tue 16 Dec 2014
4/4 Atul Gawande calls for a new focus on systems to ensure doctors work more effectively.
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The Problem of Hubris—Dr Atul Gawande: The Future of Medicine
Tue 9 Dec 2014
3/4 Atul Gawande calls for a new approach to the 'great unfixables' - ageing and death.
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The Century of the System—Dr Atul Gawande: The Future of Medicine
Tue 2 Dec 2014
2/4 Atul Gawande calls for a radical rethink of medical systems to transform healthcare.
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Why Do Doctors Fail?—Dr Atul Gawande: The Future of Medicine
Tue 4 Nov 2014
1/4 Surgeon and writer Dr Atul Gawande explores the nature of fallibility in medicine.
New to the Reith Lectures? Here’s where to start
Four lectures recommended by the series producer.
