A Reith Lecture That Is A Wake Up Call For Us All

6th December 2025

The Reith Lecture on the BBC used to be on television but are now moved to Radio 4.

The first of this years lectures is challenging.

A Time of Monsters

The Reith Lectures
Rutger Bregman - Moral Revolution Episode 1 of 4
You need to download it but it is easy to do.

In the first of four 2025 BBC Reith Lectures, recorded in London, the Dutch historian Rutger Bregman asks what can be done to counter the moral decay of today's un-serious elites.

Th lecture is less than half an hour followed by questions and discussion and well worth listening to.

Richard Murphy has used Chatgpt to construct a short description of the lecture if you do not want to spend time listening to it although it would be time well spent.

Richard Murphys blog

Rutger Bregman begins by insisting that honest analysis requires starting with the misery. Ours is an age of moral collapse amongst elites — one where power is accumulated not through competence, courage, or service, but through shamelessness.

First, he argues that modern elites increasingly resemble those of past declining empires. Like Rome, we see politicians who perform instead of govern. Like late-stage Venice, Europe risks complacent stagnation — rich, beautiful, but irrelevant. Wealth is inherited. Innovation stalls. Regulation replaces ambition. Young talent is wasted on consultancies and finance.

Note
One of the commentators in Richard's blog points out -
Historian criticises BBC for removing Trump line from Radio 4 lecture

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpvdzdnnp8xo

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/nov/27/bbc-donald-trump-corruption-line-removed-from-rutger-bregman-reith-lecture

BBC tells staff they cannot quote Trump line removed from Reith lecture
Journalists not allowed to repeat Rutger Bregman's corruption claims against US president in coverage of edit

Rutger Bregman has shared his concern on Linkedin that the BBC has censored a line from the lecture he gave.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rutgerbregman_i-wish-i-didnt-have-to-share-this-but-the-activity-7399012394989154304-Msa1/