Biography

A philosopher, teacher, and political thinker, Confucius lived 2500 years ago, in the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history. While his teachings and thinking has travelled worldwide, it is a hard task to separate the man from the myth.

Guest: Professor John Makeham (Director, China Studies Research Centre, La Trobe University).

By the end of her reign there was little doubt that Catherine had earned the 'Great' which was attached to her name. But what did Russia make of the empire she had built, and why is she most notably remembered for her sexual promiscuity?

Guest: Associate Professor Adrian Jones (History, La Trobe University)

Catherine the Great took control of Russia, tried to make it a better place, and made sure the rest of the world couldn't ignore it's greatness.

Guest: Associate Professor Adrian Jones (History, La Trobe University)

Catherine the Great is well known for being a patron for a range of artists and intellectuals. Her art collection, now housed in the Hermitage in St Petersburg, is one of the most varied and valuable in the world.

Guest: Laurie Benson (Curator, National Gallery of Victoria)

Catherine the Great is one of Russia's most respected rulers, seen as raising Russia's reputation and building a powerful, cultured empire to rival Europe. It's almost hard to imagine that she was a little-known German princess, put into place by an elaborate power play.

Guest: Associate Professor Adrian Jones (History, La Trobe University)

Catherine the Great is one of Russia's most respected rulers, seen as raising Russia's reputation and building a powerful, cultured empire to rival Europe. It's almost hard to imagine that she was a little-known German princess, put into place by an elaborate power play.

Guest: Associate Professor Adrian Jones (History, La Trobe University)

Vida Goldstein was a political activist in Australia, helping Australian women win the right to vote twenty years before Britain. Through tireless campaigning and rallying, she changed the perception of women in politics, and was held up as an example of what could be achieved for women around the world.

Guest: Associate Professor Clare Wright (History, La Trobe University)

Vida Goldstein was a political activist in Australia, helping Australian women win the right to vote twenty years before Britain. Through tireless campaigning and rallying, she changed the perception of women in politics, and was held up as an example of what could be achieved for women around the world.

Guest: Associate Professor Clare Wright (History, La Trobe University)

Martin Luther King's effectiveness in the civil rights movement made him the target of fierce opposition, but he was never swayed from protesting. His speech at the March on Washington is famous around the world, and became all the more important after his murder.

Guest: Professor Timothy Minchin (North American History, La Trobe University)

Issues around the segregation of African-Americans in the United States led to an increasingly active civil rights movement. The most influential figure in this movement was a Baptist minister named Martin Luther King Jr. His persuasive words and non-violent methods have made him one of the most revered Americans.

Guest: Professor Timothy Minchin (North American History, La Trobe University)