Free Thinking – Being Human: Lost and Fo...

From Spinoza's thinking and the approach of different religions to the Dickens' character Uriah Heep and the "humble brag" - in Radio 4's late night ideas discussion programme Matthew Sweet and guests explore humility.Lamorna Ash is a writer and journalist and the author of Don't ... Show More

Oracy - the ability to express oneself fluently - has been included in plans to modernise the national curriculum, with a new focus on equipping young people with the skills they need for life and work. In Radio 4's round-table discussion programme, Anne McElvoy and guests look a ... Show More

'It's all in the best possible taste'. But what does it mean to have good taste? And does pursuing good taste lead to favouring style over substance? Who are the thinkers who have considered a philosophy of aesthetics Matthew Sweet hosts Radio 4's late night ideas discussion prog ... Show More

In the mid-19th century, British-occupied Ireland lost roughly one-third of its population during a years-long catastrophe known as “The Great Hunger” or, “The Irish Potato Famine.” In the years that followed, some have wondered if the tragedy wasn’t the result of a natural disas ... Show More

What are the origins of the Irish War of Independence? What impact did the First World War have on Irish efforts for Home Rule? What was the mood in Ireland following the bloody Easter Rising of 1916? And, who was Éamon de Valera, the man who dominated the story of not only Irish ... Show More

<p>This week the boys have the honor of sitting down with <a href="https://www.patreon.com/Damienechols">Damien Echols</a> and his wife Lorri Davis to discuss Damien's time behind bars as one of "The West Memphis Three", how life has changed since his 2011 release, and how findin ... Show More

Margaret talks with writer and podcast host Sarah Marshall about the prisons for "fallen women" around the UK, US & Ireland, and the many people who fought against them, like Sinéad O'Connor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Guest; Daniel Duke is the great-great-grandchildren of Jesse James. He grew up surrounded by stories of lost outlaw treasures. For more than two decades he has been researching the mysteries involving his connection with family, Freemasonry, the Knights Templar, and the secrets o ... Show More

After the assassination of Sir Henry Wilson and the signing of the polarising Anglo-Irish Treaty, how did the bombastic Battle of the Four Courts break out in Dublin? With British guns opening fire on the building, how long did the men of the IRA hold out? What was the outcome of ... Show More

Send us Fan MailToday we look at the diary, a form of writing that became extraordinarily popular over the course of the 1600s. We'll especially look at famous diarists such as John Evelyn and Samuel Pepys, who not only chronicle details of their personal lives, but also give fir ... Show More

Ted Kaczynski, the man better known to the world as the Unabomber, died in 2023. But his manifesto and the ideas he presented as justifications for his killings have become more mainstream. We sat down with Candice DeLong, one of the FBI agents who helped capture Kaczynski in 199 ... Show More

In this informal catch-up chat, Patrick, Katie and Lis question why historians are so reluctant to accept ghost stories as part of cultural heritage. Patrick tells Lis and Katie the surreal moment when he met one of our listeners in real life - plus Lis shares some good museum ne ... Show More