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Ideas

The Ideas That Make Us Series 1
Episode 1 of 5

Who came up with the idea of an idea? Bettany Hughes takes a brain scan for her archaeology of philosophy. From September 2013.

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.

Available now

15 minutes

Last on

Tue 25 Apr 2017 02:15
麻豆社 Radio 4 Extra

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  • Exec Producer Dixi Stewart blogs about a bizarre moment in the recording of the programme.

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Broadcasts

  • Mon 16 Sep 2013 13:45
    麻豆社 Radio 4 FM
  • Mon 18 Aug 2014 09:30
    麻豆社 Radio 4
  • Mon 24 Apr 2017 14:15
    麻豆社 Radio 4 Extra
  • Tue 25 Apr 2017 02:15
    麻豆社 Radio 4 Extra

Watch animations from A History of Ideas

Explore some big questions about how we live today.