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Authority

Martin Gurri, Thomas Simpson and Peter Hyman are among the guests exploring the place of authority in society and culture today.

Is authority a justly unfashionable quality that we should consign to the past? Or does it still have a place in political and business leadership, schools, medical settings and in the home? What is the difference between authority and power, how have historical shifts such as the advent of the internet affected public perceptions of authority, and how much should authority feature in the raising of children?

In Radio 4's roundtable discussion programme, Anne McElvoy and guests explore these questions and more.

Producer: Eliane Glaser

Release date:

57 minutes

On radio

Fri 27 Feb 2026 21:00

Broadcast

  • Fri 27 Feb 2026 21:00

The Arts & Ideas Podcast

The Arts & Ideas Podcast

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