Four Thought
BBC Radio 4
Series of thought-provoking talks in which the speakers air their thinking on the trends, ideas, interests and passions that affect culture and society
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Top 10 Four Thought Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Four Thought episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Four Thought for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Four Thought episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Claire Cunningham
Four Thought
11/05/14 • 17 min
Acclaimed disabled dancer and choreographer, Claire Cunningham, offers up a starkly honest and intriguing challenge to anyone who's ever just assumed that someone with a disability would want to be 'cured' if they could be. For Claire being disabled makes her unique and gives her a fresh insight into life. In this compelling edition of Four Thought she considers why on earth she'd opt to be just the same as everyone else when she can be different, utterly individual, unlike anyone else.
In Defence of Anger
Four Thought
08/27/14 • 18 min
Philosopher Amia Srinivasan makes the case for anger, arguing that it can be a huge source of strength and power, particularly for the apparently weak and powerless.
Using the personal experiences and political beliefs of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X to advance her case, Amia argues that we should seriously question why people in power criticise or dismiss those who are angry.
Producer: Giles Edwards.
Emile Simpson
Four Thought
01/22/14 • 18 min
Former soldier Emile Simpson draws on his experience in Afghanistan to argue that we need to rethink the way we fight wars now the boundary with politics has been blurred.
Four Thought is a series of thought-provoking talks in which the speakers tell personal stories that give rise to their thinking on the trends, ideas, interests and passions that affect culture and society.
Presenter: David Baddiel Producer: Sheila Cook.
Care to Care
Four Thought
02/08/23 • 20 min
Farrah Jarral explains why she believes we need to put care at the centre of our society.
Sharing a story about how her beloved grandmother's lifetime of caring for others - family members and others - meant many people wanted to care for her when the need arose, Farrah reflects on what care does for us as individuals.
Producer: Giles Edwards
Turning to Art
Four Thought
02/01/23 • 21 min
Ted Harrison argues that only art can truly capture the essence of spirituality.
Ted is a former journalist who, close to turning sixty, decided to turn away from using words and instead chose art. It was, he says, because he realised the limitations imposed by words, and the way in which art can capture the ineffable, the spiritual.
Producer: Giles Edwards
Writing Myself into the Script
Four Thought
08/26/15 • 20 min
The playwright Bola Agbaje on why black women are still under-represented on British TV.
"If people don't see people like me, how will they understand me?" she says. "I quit drama school to pursue writing because I wanted to write myself into a script."
Producer: Sheila Cook.
Paddy Docherty: Poverty and Entrepreneurship
Four Thought
05/30/12 • 19 min
Entrepreneur Paddy Docherty says business is best placed to bring prosperity to impoverished and post conflict nations, arguing that only the commercial sector can supply the scale and dynamism needed to make a lasting impact on development.
Four Thought is a series of talks with a personal viewpoint recorded in front of an audience at the RSA in London.
Producer: Sheila Cook.
Martin Cassini: The Case Against Traffic Lights
Four Thought
05/16/12 • 15 min
Campaigner Martin Cassini argues that our system for managing traffic is overdue for radical reform and should be based on trust in human nature rather than an obsession with controlling it. He says a drastic cut in the number of traffic lights would begin the transformation, saving lives, time and money. Four Thought is a series of talks with a personal viewpoint recorded in front of an audience at the RSA in London. Producer: Sheila Cook.
Matthew Syed: Does Talent Trump Effort?
Four Thought
05/09/12 • 20 min
Writer and former England table tennis champion Matthew Syed says we should not overemphasise the importance of talent over effort.
Four Thought is a series of talks recorded before an audience at the RSA in London.
Producer: Sheila Cook.
Prison Sentence
Four Thought
12/07/21 • 24 min
Philippa Greer discusses the imprisonment of people convicted of genocide.
Philippa is a human rights lawyer who has worked around the world. In this powerful talk she tells the story of a visit to West Africa to prepare for the funeral of a man who had recently died in prison. This man had been convicted of genocide, but Philippa reveals that many such prisoners will eventually be released, and what that suggests to her about the use of prison as a response to the most serious crimes against humanity.
Producer: Patrick Cowling.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Four Thought have?
Four Thought currently has 380 episodes available.
What topics does Four Thought cover?
The podcast is about Society & Culture and Podcasts.
What is the most popular episode on Four Thought?
The episode title 'Depolarizing' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Four Thought?
The average episode length on Four Thought is 19 minutes.
How often are episodes of Four Thought released?
Episodes of Four Thought are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Four Thought?
The first episode of Four Thought was released on Feb 3, 2011.
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