The Reith Lectures 2. How to start a moral revolution
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Dec 2, 2025 
Rutger Bregman, a Dutch historian known for his work on optimism and moral ambition, discusses how small groups can instigate monumental changes in society. He highlights historical figures like Florence Nightingale and Emmeline Pankhurst as pioneers of compassion and justice. Bregman urges listeners to reject cynicism, arguing that moral progress is possible through committed activism. He emphasizes the importance of grassroots movements alongside privileged supporters while advocating for a resurgence of moral ambition in today’s world.
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Small Groups Can Bend History
- History can be both a graveyard of disasters and a reservoir of hope.
- Small groups of committed people have repeatedly bent history toward justice.
The Twelve Who Started Abolition
- In summer 1787 twelve men met in a small London print shop and launched the British abolitionist movement.
- Their unlikely campaign spread rapidly and eventually helped eradicate most of the global slave trade.
Thomas Clarkson's Lifelong Commitment
- Thomas Clarkson won a Cambridge essay and then devoted 61 years to abolition, travelling 35,000 miles to organize local committees.
- He risked his life in places like Liverpool and became the movement's relentless organizer.
