Free Thinking

Original version

BBC Radio 4 LW

Discussion & Talk

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

The ideas shaping our lives today - with artists and thinkers in debates and interviews.

The ideas shaping our lives today - with leading artists and thinkers in extended interview and debate.

BBC Radio 4 FM

Free Thinking: Kant today, Spice Girls Reunited, Impersonating an Animal

Kant today, Spice Girls Reunited, Impersonating an Animal

BBC Radio 4 - Free Thinking, Kant today, Spice Girls Reunited, Impersonating an Animal

Girl power past and present, the wisdom of goats and seagulls and Kant's ideas on reason.

Tim Stanley, Alexandra Reza, Angela Breitenbach and John Callanan join Shahidha Bari to look back at the week and ask how philosophy can help us decode current events.

Marshmallows and Kant, ideas about girl power from Mary Wollstonecraft (born April 27th 1759) to the Spice Girls; and galloping horses, sea-gull sounds and life as a goat.  On today's Free Thinking Shahidha Bari is joined by literary historian Alexandra Reza, philosophers Angela Breitenbach, John Callanan and journalist Tim Stanley to look back at the week and discuss ideas about our relationship with birds and beasts; and how the philosophy of Immanuel Kant (born 22nd April 1724) outlined ideas about peace, reason and finding ways to have rational discussion. Plus we hear from Thomas Thwaites, author of Goatman: How I Took a Holiday from Being Human.

Tim Stanley is a journalist. You can hear him discussing rationality and tradition with Steven Pinker, the argument against democracy, and the ideas of John Henry Newman on Free Thinking episodes available on the programme website and BBC Sounds. 
Alexandra Reza teaches comparative literature at the University of Bristol. You can hear her in Free Thinking episodes discussing the ideas of Aimee Cesaire, Frantz Fanon and the film-making of Susan Maldoror
Dr John Callanan teaches philosophy at King's College London 
Angela Breitenbach is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge

Producer: Luke Mulhall

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Free Thinking

Kant today, Spice Girls Reunited, Impersonating an Animal

Genres

Brand

BBC Radio 4 LW

About BBC Radio 4