Society

Arts & Ideas

by BBC Radio 4

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.

100 episodes

EN language

All Episodes

1

Taste

56:48 Mar 16, 2026

2

Women, language & experience

56:59 Mar 6, 2026

3

Authority

57:15 Feb 27, 2026

4

Crime and punishment medieval to modern

56:31 Feb 20, 2026

5

Working Class Creativity

56:50 Feb 13, 2026

6

Is Might Right?

56:49 Feb 6, 2026

7

Labour, work and productivity

57:08 Jan 30, 2026

8

Double Lives

56:33 Jan 23, 2026

9

Victorian Values

56:34 Jan 16, 2026

10

Innovation

56:38 Jan 9, 2026

11

Travel

56:54 Jan 2, 2026

12

Idleness

56:38 Dec 12, 2025

13

Influencing History

56:44 Dec 5, 2025

14

Marriage

56:48 Nov 28, 2025

15

Rocks

56:52 Nov 21, 2025

16

Revenge and reconciliation

56:56 Nov 14, 2025

17

The end of civilisations and societies

56:49 Nov 7, 2025

18

Rational and Irrational decision making

57:02 Oct 24, 2025

19

Traditions, roots and local pride

56:31 Oct 17, 2025

20

The status of Science

58:00 Oct 10, 2025

21

The Good Life

56:58 Oct 3, 2025

22

Finding my tribe

56:44 Sep 26, 2025

23

Friendship

56:58 Jul 11, 2025

24

Censorship, editing and self-censorship

57:07 Jul 4, 2025

25

Christian faith, politics and culture

56:21 Jun 27, 2025

26

Language

56:44 Jun 20, 2025

27

Failure

56:56 Jun 13, 2025

28

Podcasting difficult histories

56:59 Jun 6, 2025

29

Common Sense

56:51 Jun 4, 2025

30

Power: A User's Guide

57:00 Jun 4, 2025

31

WOLVES

56:41 May 23, 2025

32

Political Visions

56:51 May 16, 2025

33

Peace

56:45 May 9, 2025

34

Community

56:20 May 2, 2025

35

Decadence

56:51 Apr 25, 2025

36

The Middle Classes

56:27 Mar 28, 2025

37

Isolation

56:52 Mar 21, 2025

38

Evidence

57:10 Mar 14, 2025

39

Uncertainty

56:58 Mar 7, 2025

40

A pinch of salt

56:45 Feb 28, 2025

41

Malcolm X, life changes and flexible thinking

35:18 Feb 21, 2025

42

All we need is love

56:47 Feb 14, 2025

43

Repetition

56:47 Feb 7, 2025

44

Decision Making

50:25 Jan 31, 2025

45

Diaries

56:39 Jan 24, 2025

46

Knowing When To Stop

57:07 Jan 10, 2025

47

Beer, Crisps and the British pub

56:10 Dec 20, 2024

48

Luck, predictability and superstition

57:04 Dec 13, 2024

49

How we think about evil

56:56 Dec 6, 2024

50

Gifts and Gratitude

56:51 Nov 29, 2024

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