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Philosophy, Religion, and the Meaning of Life  By  cover art

Philosophy, Religion, and the Meaning of Life

By: Francis J. Ambrosio, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Francis J. Ambrosio
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Publisher's summary

What is the meaning of life? Is human existence meaningful or absurd?

If you've ever pondered these questions, you have an extraordinary adventure in store, as an award-winning teacher presents a boldly revealing inquiry into these most fundamental of human concerns.

In this inspiring series of 36 lectures, Professor Ambrosio charts how these questions have been pursued and grasped through the ages, providing you with the understanding and the tools to come to terms with them in a direct, practical way. Using the key metaphorical figures of the Hero and the Saint, he leads you through the history and evolution of two Western traditions that address the question of meaning: The Greek-derived, Humanist philosophical tradition and the Judeo-Christian/Islamic theistic tradition, tracking the two archetypes as they react to and evolve with cultural changes across the centuries. But these lectures go far beyond an exercise in intellectual understanding. From the very beginning, Professor Ambrosio aims the philosophical problem of meaning squarely at the student, inviting you to actively engage with it by asking you to grapple with universal questions like, How should I live my life? What is the relationship of death to life? Is there some deep, sustainable connection between the two?

Drawing on the work of thinkers from Plato and Epictetus to Simone Weil and Viktor Frankl, you'll probe the existential choices about meaning and value that exist as potentials in the fabric of our experience and that call forth the dignity and possibility of our own living.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2009 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2009 The Great Courses

What listeners say about Philosophy, Religion, and the Meaning of Life

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    1 out of 5 stars

This cannot be a real course.

Any additional comments?

I rarely write critical reviews as different people find value in different things, and who am I to stand in the way of another human wanting to explore.

I've decided to review this one in case that – by some twist of fate – this becomes somebody's first brush with philosophy.

I'm fairly certain this isn't a real course, but was planted among The Great Courses' audio courses as a social experiment. Professor Francis J. Ambrosio sounds like a highly intelligent person, so I'm rather certain he's in on it. My theory is that someone decided to check whether a respectable professor giving 36 purely nonsensical lectures would result in some people being tricked into believing they're listening to something profound.

It's a fair experiment, and I see the value in running it. But I would just like to stress – for the sake of any novice – this isn't philosophy. If you are considering delving into philosophy, please, don't base your decision on this course.

The Great Courses offer some truly amazing introductory courses. You might want to try "Biology and Human Behavior: The Neurological Origins of Individuality," "Philosophy of Mind: Brains, Consciousness, and Thinking Machines," "Origins of the Human Mind" and "Moral Decision Making: How to Approach Everyday Ethics," among others.

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Engaged Frustration!

What disappointed you about Philosophy, Religion, and the Meaning of Life?

The most frustrating thing about this lecture series from the Greta Courses is that you want to like it, yet in the end you feel as if the lecturer ultimately cannot take a stand, make a decision. He seems to want to please everyone, and ends up doing the cliche of pleasing no one but himself. I did not feel as if his logic, arguments were sound, and that a certain points he avoids issues that major world views put forward. These views give little room with those that disagree with them, so why accommodate them? If they have something serious to say, can we dismiss them without truly listening to what they say?

Would you ever listen to anything by The Great Courses again?

Yes.

Did Professor Francis J. Ambrosio do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Professor Ambrosio has an engaging style, and the content is not easy. Still, the essense of what he says is leaves you wanting more meat, less fluff.

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6 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Simple ideas made complex

What would have made Philosophy, Religion, and the Meaning of Life better?

Each chapter requires some serious work to become easier and more pleasant to listen to. This feels more like one of those old books in which you constantly need to jump back several pages to understand the point being made.

Has Philosophy, Religion, and the Meaning of Life turned you off from other books in this genre?

Not really. There are many great books on the same topic.

Would you be willing to try another one of Professor Francis J. Ambrosio’s performances?

No

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

It's thorough.

Any additional comments?

This book is very hard to listen to as the simplest ideas are lost in circumvoluted thoughts. It reminded me of what I disliked most at university: the inability to state interesting ideas in an interesting way.

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4 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars

Too hard to follow, at best

I really wanted to like this and learn more from it, but in the end, I have to say that I find it at best far too hard to follow. It isn't that I'm stupid or unprepared, I hope. My interdisciplinary PhD crosses both of the fields involved herein--philosophy and religious studies--and I've been wrestling with the meaning of life all my adult life (I'm 53). I first thought that I was merely too distracted for the complex subject matter, that I couldn't do housework and get anything out of this course at the same time. But when I slowed down and started to use the back button to re-listen and re-listen again (and sometimes again and again) to passages I didn't get the first time through, I found the lecturer speaking in frequently (usually?) ungrammatical Kantian sentences (as in very long and labyrinthine things with many qualifications and asides)-- apparently off the top of his head. And when I tried during those repeated listenings to subdivide his run-ons, complete his fragments, and birth his unborn thoughts, I found that I often still couldn't understand him. I wish I could say I'm sure the speaker knows his material and has important things to share with those willing to take the time to listen very, very carefully, but how would I know? Judging from this course, The Teaching Company needs to work harder to ensure that its lecturers deliver good content in a way that is suited to the manner in which its customers are likely to approach the material: i.e., while driving, washing dishes, working a factory job, etc.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great listen

Was a little skeptical getting this title given few previous (somewhat lukewarm) reviews. I am somewhat familiar with the material presented from dabbling in philosophy reading and more recently listening to similar titles on Audible. Definitely a good pick for me, professor Ambrosio makes good points and explains things in an interesting and engaging way. He covers a lot of material presenting the facts and solutions people found at different points in history and I feel it is definitely worth a relisten. If one expects this course will spell out a cook book meaning of life, this is not it, everybody needs to find it for themselves.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Challenging

This Great Courses lecture series is more challenging and requires greater concentration and effort than most of the Great Courses - and certainly more than your average audiobook. If you are interested in the subject matter - I should say committed to delving into it - then it is worth your while. For me, that meant re listening to portions (even entire lectures), and reviewing the course guide in some detail. Not for the sunshine listener or the fair weather learner. I give it five stars.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Slow to talk, but worth your time

I started listening to this at normal speed, and found it to be difficult to stay focused on due to the frequent long pauses. I turned the speed up to 1.20x speed and it sounded more like a normal talking speed. Once I did this, I was able to focus on the content.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Better than many of the reviews.

I have done a considerable number of Great Courses in history and philosophy, and I found this one to be quite good. Some suffer from being to "classroom," just covering the main bullet points, where others wander all over the place, This comines both. Prof. Ambrosia brings his own knowledge to the table here when examining the various traditions, while leaving the student to come to their own conclusions. He covers all the basis here. Highly recommend.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Educational, worth listening, but a bit too poetic

I was introduced to a lot of great thinkers and concepts in this audiobook, and I'm gratful for that. However, some parts were too metaphorical or poetic to easily understand for me. A lot of flowery language that was difficult for me to follow. Overall though, worth the time.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A larger Me

This course affords opportunity to deepen and mature life views on the choices made in life. One instance includes a discussion of forgiveness as a discreet act, or an additional filter .

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