Ideas

The Ideas That Make Us is a Radio 4 series which reveals the history of the most influential ideas in the story of civilisation, ideas which continue to affect us all today.

In this 'archaeology of philosophy', the award-winning historian and broadcaster Bettany Hughes begins each programme with the first, extant evidence of a single word-idea in Ancient Greek culture and travels both forwards and backwards in time, investigating how these ideas have been moulded by history and have impacted on history and the human experience. In this, the first programme of the series, Bettany investigates the idea of 'idea' with neuroscientist Professor Faraneh Vargha-Khadem, classicist Professor Paul Cartledge, historian Dr. Stephen Pigney and specialist in intellectual property law, Professor Tanya Aplin.

Other ideas examined in The Ideas that Make Us are desire, agony, fame, justice, wisdom, comedy, liberty, hospitality and peace.

Producer: Dixi Stewart.