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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 Fin…
Published on 7 months, 2 weeks ago
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 En…
Published on 7 months, 3 weeks ago
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 …
Published on 8 months ago
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 joi…
Published on 8 months, 1 week ago
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 pr…
Published on 8 months, 2 weeks ago
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, au…
Published on 8 months, 3 weeks ago
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…
Published on 9 months ago
Repetition
Matthew Sweet with art critic TJ Clark, who has written about the importance of repeated viewing for appreciating a work of art; philosopher and film historian Lucy Bolton, who's seen a re-issue of C…
Published on 9 months, 1 week ago
Decision Making
Matthew Sweet and guests talk about about the tools and processes of decision making today and through history. Justine Greening is a former Secretary of State for Education who is now working on soc…
Published on 9 months, 2 weeks ago
Diaries
“A diary is not only a text: it is a behaviour, a way of life, of which the text is a by-product", says the French theorist Philipe Lejeune. From ancient Babylon to journalling today, politicians' jo…
Published on 9 months, 3 weeks ago