Professor Katrien Devolder recently appeared on Radio 4's 'Free Thinking' programme, hosted by Matthew Sweet.
Is idleness ever a virtue? In a world that seems to privilege utility and productivity above all else, Matthew Sweet considers whether we can rethink the importance of doing nothing.
Guests included:
Tom Hodgkinson, editor of The Idler and author of books including Idle Thoughts: Letters on Good Living, How to Live Like a Stoic: A Handbook for Happiness
Polly Dickson, a literary scholar at the University of Durham, who’s researching the art of doodling
Katrien Devolder, Professor of Applied Ethics at the University of Oxford
Gavin Francis, doctor and author of many books including The Bridge Between Worlds and coming in Feb 2026 The Unfragile Mind, Making Sense of Mental Health
Steve Connor, cultural historian, Director of Research of the Digital Futures Institute, King’s College, London.
Links
Listen to the programme at BBC Sounds: Is idleness ever a virtue? (available on BBC Sounds until December 2026)
Learn more about Professor Devolder's research project Reframing Laziness: Voices of Lived Experience
Read Prof. Devolder's article in The Conversation 'Why being ‘lazy’ at work might actually be a good thing' (1 April 2025)
