Is war an essential part of being human? Are we destined to fight? That is the central question that historian Professor Margaret Macmillan addresses in five lectures recorded in the UK, Lebanon and in Canada. In her series, called The Mark of Cain, she will explore the tangled history of war and society and our complicated feelings towards it and towards those who fight.She begins by asking when wars first broke out. Did they start with the appearance of homo sapiens, or when human beings first organised themselves into larger groupings such as tribes, clans, or nations? She assesses how wars bring about change in society and, conversely, how social and political change influences how wars start and are fought. And she discusses that dark paradox of war: that it can bring benefits and progress. The programme is recorded before an audience at the BBC Radio Theatre in London and includes a question and answer session chaired by Anita Anand. Margaret MacMillan is emeritus professor of international history at Oxford University and professor of history at the University of Toronto. She says: "We like to think of war as an aberration, as the breakdown of the normal state of peace. This is comforting but wrong. War is deeply woven into the history of human society. Wherever we look in the past, no matter where or how far back we go, groups of people have organised themselves to protect their own territory or ways of life and, often, to attack those of others. Over the centuries we have deplored the results and struggled to tame war, even abolish it, while we have also venerated the warrior and talked of the nobility and grandeur of war. We all, as human beings, have something to say about war."Producer: Jim Frank Editor: Hugh Levinson.

Professor Angela Stent examines the lessons to be learnt from the 1957 Reith Lectures by the legendary American diplomat George Kennan, titled "Russia, the Atom and the West". Kennan, the architect of the American post-war policy of containment of the Soviet Union, was a key player during the Cold War. Stent, the former National Intelligence Officer for Russia and Eurasia at the US National Intelligence Council, evaluates the continuing relevance of the lectures, in conversation with Sarah Montague.The series assesses the contributions of great minds of the past to public debate, in a dialogue across the decades with contemporary thinkers. In 1948, households across Britain gathered before the wireless as the pre-eminent public intellectual of the age, the philosopher Bertrand Russell delivered a set of lectures in honour of the BBC's founder, Lord Reith. Since then, the Reith Lectures on the Home Service and subsequently Radio 4 have become a major national occasion for intellectual debate. In this series Radio 4 revisits five of the speakers from the first ten years of the Reith Lectures.Producer: Neil Koenig Researcher: Josephine Casserley

'The Englishness of English Art' was the theme of the 1955 BBC Reith lectures by art historian Nikolaus Pevsner. Sarah Montague discusses them with Grayson Perry, the artist who himself was a Reith Lecturer in 2013.In Reith Revisited, Radio 4 assesses the contributions of great minds of the past to public debate, in a dialogue across the decades with contemporary thinkers. In 1948, households across Britain gathered before the wireless as the pre-eminent public intellectual of the age, the philosopher Bertrand Russell delivered a set of lectures in honour of the BBC's founder, Lord Reith. Since then, the Reith Lectures on the Home Service and subsequently Radio 4 have become a major national occasion for intellectual debate. In this series Radio 4 revisits five of the speakers from the first ten years of the Reith Lectures.Producer: Neil Koenig Researcher: Josephine Casserley

Robert Oppenheimer, father of the atomic bomb, gave the BBC's Reith lectures in 1953. Sarah Montague and Professor Brian Cox consider the lessons to be learnt from them today.The Reith Lectures began in 1948 on the Home Service, subsequently moving to Radio 4 and becoming a major national occasion for intellectual debate. As part of the celebrations of Radio 4's 50th anniversary, the network looks back at the first 10 years of the Reith Lectures to explore how they reflect the times in which they were delivered and how well they stand up now.Producer: Neil Koenig Researcher: Josephine Casserley

Robert Birley's 1949 Reith Lectures series, "Britain in Europe", remain urgently topical today. Sarah Montague discusses the lectures with Professor Anand Menon.The Reith Lectures began in 1948 on the Home Service, subsequently moving to Radio 4 and becoming a major national occasion for intellectual debate. As part of the celebrations of Radio 4's 50th anniversary, the network looks back at the first 10 years of the Reith Lectures to explore how they reflect the times in which they were delivered and how well they stand up now.Robert Birley was headmaster of Eton who had worked in postwar Germany. In his lectures, he looked forward to what he described as a European Union and discussed how far Britain would become integrated in it. Sarah assesses his lectures with the help of Anand Menon, who heads The UK In A Changing Europe thinktank.Producer: Neil Koenig Researcher: Josephine Casserley

Philosopher Michael Sandel discusses the inaugural Reith Lectures given by Bertrand Russell in 1948 and 1949. They explore controlling savage instincts, forbidden impulses, and the tension between government control and individual freedom. They also discuss the importance of non-conformity, the feasibility of a global government, the role of daydreams and escapism in society, and concerns about anti-science movements.

Bestselling author Hilary Mantel discusses the transformative power of adaptations in storytelling. She articulates how different mediums can breathe new life into historical narratives. Mantel emphasizes that adaptation is not a betrayal of the original work but an act of creative collaboration. With anecdotes about her own experiences, she explores the challenges and nuances of portraying historical figures, especially in theater. Her insights underscore the essential role of art in understanding our past, reminding us that without it, history may become a mere flicker.

Bestselling author Hilary Mantel shares her insights on bringing history alive through fiction, emphasizing the delicate dance between factual accuracy and imaginative storytelling. She reflects on the challenges of 'resurrection' in historical fiction, particularly how to balance narrative instinct with historical truth. Mantel critiques popular narratives while exploring the empathy required to understand historical figures. Her observations on the emotional ties between history and modern identity invite listeners to reconsider the past's relevance to contemporary issues.

Hilary Mantel, a best-selling author renowned for her novels about Thomas Cromwell, delivers a powerful lecture on Polish writer Stanislawa Przybyszewska. She examines Przybyszewska's obsessive relationship with history, which ultimately led to her isolation and early death. Mantel poses challenging questions about the sacrifices artists make for authenticity, the complexities of historical perception, and the importance of skepticism in today's 'post-truth' landscape. Her insights bridge past and present, illuminating the struggles of embodying history in literature.

Hilary Mantel, the acclaimed author known for her captivating novels about the Tudor court, dives deep into how we perceive history. She challenges us to think critically about the romanticized and often brutal representations of the past. Mantel warns against oversimplified comparisons like those between the English Reformation and Brexit and emphasizes the importance of revisiting untold stories, particularly of women. Throughout her lectures, she reflects on the complex interplay between history, memory, and fiction, urging us to respect the past's strangeness.