Significant international thinkers deliver the BBC's flagship annual lecture series
Radio 4,·312 episodes
Rights and the Ideal Constitution
Jonathan Sumption assess the pros and cons of written and unwritten constitutions.
11 Jun 2019,·42 mins
Shifting the Foundations
Jonathan Sumption argues against Britain adopting a written constitution.
18 Jun 2019,·42 mins
War and Humanity
Margaret MacMillan asks if war is an essential part of being human.
26 Jun 2018,·45 mins
Fearing and Loving: Making Sense of the Warrior
Margaret MacMillan explores our complex relationship with the people who go to war.
03 Jul 2018,·44 mins
Civilians and War
Margaret MacMillan examines the role of civilians as supporters and victims of conflict.
10 Jul 2018,·60 mins
Managing the Unmanageable
Margaret MacMillan assesses attempts to constrain and justify conflict.
17 Jul 2018,·60 mins
War's Fatal Attraction
Margaret MacMillan examines how we remember and represent war in art.
24 Jul 2018,·28 mins
The Day Is for the Living
Art can bring the dead back to life, argues the late novelist Hilary Mantel.
13 Jun 2017,·42 mins
The Iron Maiden
How do we construct our pictures of the past asks Hilary Mantel.
20 Jun 2017,·42 mins
Silence Grips the Town
The story of how historical obsession killed a Polish writer, told by Hilary Mantel.
27 Jun 2017,·42 mins
Can These Bones Live?
Hilary Mantel on how historical fiction can make the past come to life.
04 Jul 2017,·42 mins
Adaptation
Hilary Mantel on how fiction changes when adapted for stage or screen.
11 Jul 2017,·42 mins
A re-examination of George Kennan's 1957 Reith Lectures, 'Russia, the Atom and the West'.
29 Sep 2017,·14 mins
Sarah Montague and Grayson Perry discuss Nikolaus Pevsner's lectures on 'English Art'.
28 Sep 2017,·15 mins
Sarah Montague and Brian Cox reconsider Robert Oppenheimer's 1953 Reith lectures.
27 Sep 2017,·28 mins
Sarah Montague and Anand Menon revisit Robert Birley's Reith Lectures, Britain in Europe.
27 Sep 2017,·15 mins
Michael Sandel revisits the inaugural Reith Lectures given by Bertrand Russell.
27 Sep 2017,·21 mins
Creed
Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah says we overestimate scripture in our view of faith.
18 Oct 2016,·60 mins
Country
Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah argues against a mythical and romantic view of nationhood
25 Oct 2016,·60 mins
Colour
Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah argues for a world free of racial fixations.
01 Nov 2016,·43 mins
Culture
Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah asks us to give up the idea of western civilisation.
08 Nov 2016,·58 mins
Do black holes have no hair?
Professor Stephen Hawking delivers the first of his BBC Reith Lectures on black holes.
24 Nov 2015,·28 mins
Black holes ain't as black as they are painted
Professor Stephen Hawking delivers the second of his BBC Reith Lectures on black holes.
01 Dec 2015,·28 mins
Why Do Doctors Fail?
Surgeon and writer Dr Atul Gawande explores the nature of fallibility in medicine.
04 Nov 2014,·42 mins
The Century of the System
Atul Gawande calls for a radical rethink of medical systems to transform healthcare.
02 Dec 2014,·42 mins
The Problem of Hubris
Atul Gawande calls for a new approach to the 'great unfixables' - ageing and death.
09 Dec 2014,·42 mins
The Idea of Wellbeing
Atul Gawande calls for a new focus on systems to ensure doctors work more effectively.
16 Dec 2014,·42 mins
Democracy has Bad Taste
The artist Grayson Perry on how to judge quality in contemporary art
15 Oct 2013,·42 mins
Beating the Bounds
Grayson Perry questions the often-heard assertion that anything can be art.
22 Oct 2013,·42 mins
Nice Rebellion, Welcome In!
The artist Grayson Perry discusses art and revolution.
29 Oct 2013,·42 mins
