Two unlikely men meet to swap jobs. One is a 70-year-old chimney sweep, who left school at 13, the other is a professor of philosophy at University College Dublin.

The professor gets to clean chimneys and the sweep delivers a talk on the philosophy of everyday living to the Philosophical Society at UCD.

The sweep has never set foot in second or third level institution except to clean the chimneys. However, he does have one advantage, during the course of a lifetime, he has become a self-educated man, specialising in Classical Philosophy.

The professor is an academic and needs to readjust his arguments when dealing with the unorthodoxy of a ‘natural’ philosopher.

Like the path of life itself, things rarely go to plan. There are surprises and disappointments along the way and the switch of roles cause both men to re-examine their thinking.

Compiled and narrated by Joe Kearney.

Production supervision by Liam O'Brien.

First broadcast on 19th December 2009 .

An Irish radio documentary from RTÉ Radio 1, Ireland - Documentary on One - the home of Irish radio documentaries