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Arts & Ideas

Humility

Arts & Ideas

BBC

Society & Culture

4.2598 Ratings

🗓️ 27 March 2026

⏱️ 57 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

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 Forget We're Here Forever, which explores what it means to be a Christian for young people throughout the UK today and reflected on her own journey into faith.

Sir Robert Buckland is the former Conservative MP for South Swindon, a former Lord Chancellor and Solicitor General. He is a practicing barrister with Foundry Chambers, a visiting law professor at the LSE and the Third Church Estates Commissioner.

Aaron Reeves is Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics and co author of Born to Rule: The Making and Remaking of the British Elite with Sam Friedman.

Ceri Sullivan is a Professor of English Literature at Cardiff University. Her research has encompassed the managerial techniques presented in Shakespeare's history plays, pragmatism in literary texts and devotional poetry.

Dr Dan Taylor is Senior Lecturer in Social and Political Thought at the Open University. He is the author of Spinoza and the Politics of Freedom and is involved in long term projects with long-term projects examining inclusion and housing in Barking and Dagenham; unpaid care in Gateshead; and community in the Fens.

Producer: Ruth Watts

Transcript

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0:00.0

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.

0:07.0

An early start here. It's time to kick off.

0:10.0

Your day. Morning!

0:11.9

What a line-up.

0:13.3

Oh, thanks very much. We do get some great guests on the show.

0:16.1

The crowd is loving this.

0:18.3

Thanks, guys. Thank you. Too kind.

0:20.2

From morning chaos to match day commentary.

0:23.6

And everything in between.

0:25.0

BBC sounds packed with personality.

0:28.9

You're listening to the Arts and Ideas podcast with me, Matthew Sweet.

0:32.7

I was told a story by a venerable old bookseller who once found Frank Pakenham, Lord Longford in his shop,

0:40.0

in a bad temper. Footnote for you, Lord Longford, Anglo-Irish peer, campaigner for sometimes

0:46.0

unpopular causes, never off the telly in the 60s and 70s. Anyway, the man behind the counter

0:52.2

asked him why he was so agitated. Well, he said, I have a new

0:55.8

book out and you don't seem to stock it. And really, it's not good enough. I'm so sorry, Lord

1:01.1

Longford, said the bookseller. What's the title? On humility, he replied. Well, we're on it tonight,

1:07.5

humility and hoping to discover whether it's a vice or a virtue, whether it's

1:12.6

something that you do, or whether it's a state of being that you achieve. Most of us know how to

1:18.0

detect false humility, the humble brag, Uriah Heepishness. But what about genuine humility?

1:25.6

Have you seen a convincing example of that this week?

1:29.0

Have you heard somebody admit an error and apologise for it without qualification?

...

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