Fear Itself

Fear Itself

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

Matthew Sweet

20150223

20160909 (R3)

Fear is one of the six basic universal emotions (the others are anger, disgust, happiness, sadness and surprise) and like all human emotions not easy to understand. Fear can be played upon, enjoyed, conquered. It is an obstacle to progress ('the only thing to fear is fear itself') and, as we stand at the kerb, it saves our lives every day. This series of The Essay brings you five essays on different aspects of fear.

Tonight writer and broadcaster Matthew Sweet uncovers the tragic history of The Little Albert Experiment, conducted by John B Watson, a 1920s psychologist who conditioned a toddler to recoil from a white rat and, eventually, any white fluffy object.

Producer Laura Thomas.

Matthew Sweet reflects on an experiment designed to induce fear in a toddler.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Kier-la Janisse

20150224

Kier-La Janisse is a writer and the Founder of the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies, and reflects on how educational films like Dark and Lonely Water, The Finishing Line and Signal 30 have scared more children more deeply than any horror feature film, and explains how - in mid-twentieth century America - fear was exploited to create an educational film boom.

Producer Laura Thomas.

Kier-La Janisse on how educational films scared more children than any horror movie.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Quentin Skinner

20150225

Professor Quentin Skinner of Queen Mary University of London tells the story of how 17th century British philosopher Thomas Hobbes came to believe that 'fear and I were twin born' and to write fear into the heart of his political philosophy, arguing that it underpins all human motivation and action.

Producer Laura Thomas.

How Thomas Hobbes came to argue that fear underpinned all human motivation and action.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Temple Grandin

20150226

Author and animal scientist Temple Grandin tells the story of how, in 1949, she was diagnosed with autism at aged two. Autism was not always well understood at the time, but Grandin's mother refused to accept the notion that her daughter could never participate in mainstream society. Grandin has since become a leading advocate for autistic people, explaining the role fear and anxiety plays in their condition and how they those feelings can be managed. Her experience of fear has also given her a unique insight into animal welfare, and led her to campaign for improved animal rights and care of livestock.

Producer Laura Thomas.

Temple Grandin considers the role fear and anxiety plays in autistic people's lives.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Raymond Tallis

20150227

At first sight it appears that fear can be understood in a straightforward way as an adaptive response, promoting behaviour to protect us from threats to life and limb. In humans, however, the biological givens are invariably transformed and serve ends not envisaged in biology.

Physician and philosopher Raymond Tallis explores the uniqueness of human fear, how it is rooted in the distinctive nature of human as opposed to animal consciousness, and how it is often led by thought and imagination. He considers why, seemingly perversely, we might enjoy cultivating fear through stories and games.

Producer Laura Thomas.

Raymond Tallis explains how human fear is often led by thought and imagination.

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01	Matthew Sweet	20150223	20160909 (R3)	Fear is one of the six basic universal emotions (the others are anger, disgust, happiness, sadness and surprise) and like all human emotions not easy to understand. Fear can be played upon, enjoyed, conquered. It is an obstacle to progress ('the only thing to fear is fear itself') and, as we stand at the kerb, it saves our lives every day. This series of The Essay brings you five essays on different aspects of fear. Tonight writer and broadcaster Matthew Sweet uncovers the tragic history of The Little Albert Experiment, conducted by John B Watson, a 1920s psychologist who conditioned a toddler to recoil from a white rat and, eventually, any white fluffy object. Producer Laura Thomas. Matthew Sweet reflects on an experiment designed to induce fear in a toddler. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.
02	Kier-la Janisse	20150224		Fear is one of the six basic universal emotions (the others are anger, disgust, happiness, sadness and surprise) and like all human emotions not easy to understand. Fear can be played upon, enjoyed, conquered. It is an obstacle to progress ('the only thing to fear is fear itself') and, as we stand at the kerb, it saves our lives every day. This series of The Essay brings you five essays on different aspects of fear. Kier-La Janisse is a writer and the Founder of the Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies, and reflects on how educational films like Dark and Lonely Water, The Finishing Line and Signal 30 have scared more children more deeply than any horror feature film, and explains how - in mid-twentieth century America - fear was exploited to create an educational film boom. Producer Laura Thomas. Kier-La Janisse on how educational films scared more children than any horror movie. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.
03	Quentin Skinner	20150225		Fear is one of the six basic universal emotions (the others are anger, disgust, happiness, sadness and surprise) and like all human emotions not easy to understand. Fear can be played upon, enjoyed, conquered. It is an obstacle to progress ('the only thing to fear is fear itself') and, as we stand at the kerb, it saves our lives every day. This series of The Essay brings you five essays on different aspects of fear. Professor Quentin Skinner of Queen Mary University of London tells the story of how 17th century British philosopher Thomas Hobbes came to believe that 'fear and I were twin born' and to write fear into the heart of his political philosophy, arguing that it underpins all human motivation and action. Producer Laura Thomas. How Thomas Hobbes came to argue that fear underpinned all human motivation and action. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.
04	Temple Grandin	20150226		Fear is one of the six basic universal emotions (the others are anger, disgust, happiness, sadness and surprise) and like all human emotions not easy to understand. Fear can be played upon, enjoyed, conquered. It is an obstacle to progress ('the only thing to fear is fear itself') and, as we stand at the kerb, it saves our lives every day. This series of The Essay brings you five essays on different aspects of fear. Author and animal scientist Temple Grandin tells the story of how, in 1949, she was diagnosed with autism at aged two. Autism was not always well understood at the time, but Grandin's mother refused to accept the notion that her daughter could never participate in mainstream society. Grandin has since become a leading advocate for autistic people, explaining the role fear and anxiety plays in their condition and how they those feelings can be managed. Her experience of fear has also given her a unique insight into animal welfare, and led her to campaign for improved animal rights and care of livestock. Producer Laura Thomas. Temple Grandin considers the role fear and anxiety plays in autistic people's lives. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.
05	Raymond Tallis	20150227		Fear is one of the six basic universal emotions (the others are anger, disgust, happiness, sadness and surprise) and like all human emotions not easy to understand. Fear can be played upon, enjoyed, conquered. It is an obstacle to progress ('the only thing to fear is fear itself') and, as we stand at the kerb, it saves our lives every day. This series of The Essay brings you five essays on different aspects of fear. At first sight it appears that fear can be understood in a straightforward way as an adaptive response, promoting behaviour to protect us from threats to life and limb. In humans, however, the biological givens are invariably transformed and serve ends not envisaged in biology. Physician and philosopher Raymond Tallis explores the uniqueness of human fear, how it is rooted in the distinctive nature of human as opposed to animal consciousness, and how it is often led by thought and imagination. He considers why, seemingly perversely, we might enjoy cultivating fear through stories and games. Producer Laura Thomas. Raymond Tallis explains how human fear is often led by thought and imagination. Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.