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The UK is seeking energy independence. The US wants its microchips to be 'made in America'. China is targeting self-sufficiency in food. India wants technological 'self-reliance'. Is this a new age of autarky? The concept of autarky originated in ancient Greece, where it was both a philosophical ideal and a practical goal of statecraft in a hostile and treacherous world. And the autarkic lure has persisted down the centuries since. In modern times autarky has been adopted as an aspiration by both left wing and right wing movements, by communist and fascist regimes, by empires and anti-imperialists. For this first of three episodes, Ben Chu, economics editor of ��ѿ��ý Newsnight, charts the rise of modern autarky while also asking: is there something in our human make-up that keeps drawing us back to autarky’s promise of security, control and self-sufficiency? With contributions from: Scott Malcomson, former US government official and research fellow Mary Beard, Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge Helen McCabe, Associate Professor in Political Theory at the University of Nottingham Brian Doherty, author or ‘Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement’ Lawrence Samuels, former chair of Rampart Institute Carla Gericke, president emeritus of the Free State Project Presenter: Ben Chu Producer: Anouk Millet Editor: Craig Templeton Smith A Tempo & Talker production for ��ѿ��ý Radio 4