- Title: Greek Fire: Ideas
- Date: 17th May 1990
- Summary: PLATO QUESTIONED OUR WHOLE NOTION OF REALITY. FOR HIM OUR WORLD WAS TOO TRANSIENT TO EXPRESS TRUTH. INSTEAD HE PROPOSED A WORLD OF FIXED POINTS, OF CERTAINTY ABOVE AND BEYOND OUR OWN. THIS WAS THE WORLD OF FORMS. FROM THIS HE DEDUCED THE IDEA OF THE HUMAN SOUL, WHICH ENTERED THE BODY FROM A STATE OF PERFECTION AND RETURNED THERE AGAIN AT DEATH. THIS IS THE ORIGIN OF THE CHRISTIAN IDEA OF THE IMMORTAL SOUL. THE OTHER LEGACY OF PLATO IS THE WORLD OF POLITICS. PLATO SUGGESTED THAT PHILOSOPHER KINGS IN TOUCH WITH THE WORLD OF FORMS WERE BEST SUITED TO RULE. BUT PLATONIC IDEALISM PRESENTS US WITH A PROBLEM. HOW CAN WE PREVENT THE RISE OF FALSE POLITICAL MESSIAHS, LIKE THE DICTATORS OF OUR OWN CENTURY?
- Description:TEN HALF HOUR PROGRAMMES LOOKING AT GREEK CIVILISATION AND HOW IT HAS SHAPED THE WAY WE LIVE NOW.
- Broadcaster:Channel 4
- Collection: Channel 4
- Genre:Documentary and Factual
- Producer:TRANSATLANTIC FILMS LTD
- Programme Episode:Episode 9
- Transmission Date:17/05/1990
- Rights:On Request
- Decade: 1990s