Genius Of The Ancient World

In his 20's, Buddha abandoned his family and homeland in the foothills of the Himalayas, to embark on an ambitious philosophical quest - to find a solution to human suffering. Drawing on archaeology and expert opinion, Bettany investigates this inspiring figure.

Socrates was born in Athens during a creative, yet extremely tumultuous period of Greek history. Athens had given birth to democracy, and become a hotbed of new philosophical ideas. Socrates would become, arguably, its most vocal and charismatic thinker. Bettany travels to Greece on the trail of this hugely influential maverick thinker.

Confucius is considered the first Chinese thinker to take a systematic, philosophical approach to the social, political and moral challenges of his world. Born in a chaotic, violent age, he believed that harmony could be restored through the example of the sage rulers of history. Bettany travels to China on the trail of this great sage of Chinese history.