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The Great Ideas of Philosophy, 2nd Edition

By: Daniel N. Robinson, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Daniel N. Robinson
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Publisher's summary

Grasp the important ideas that have served as the backbone of philosophy across the ages with this extraordinary 60-lecture series. This is your opportunity to explore the enormous range of philosophical perspectives and ponder the most important and enduring of human questions - without spending your life poring over dense philosophical texts.

Professor Robinson guides you through more than 2,000 years of philosophical thinking and gives you a coherent, comprehensive, and beautifully articulated introduction to the great conversation of philosophy. Every lecture contains substance that can change your view of the world and its history.

You'll journey from the early philosophical ideas of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle; chart the origins of Christian philosophy and investigate the Islamic scholars who preserved and extended Greek thought during the Middle Ages; and venture through Enlightenment contributions to philosophy, from Francis Bacon to Locke, Hume, Kant, Mill, and Adam Smith.

Then shift your attention to the modern era, where you see groundbreaking ideas like psychoanalysis, pragmatism, and nihilism, as well as the collision between the inherently social understanding of meaning created by Wittgenstein, the vastly different estimation of human thought developed by the code-breaking genius Alan Turing, and the subtle response to him made by the American philosopher John Searle.

While the lectures cover an enormous range of key thinkers and ideas, they always focus on the most important ideas. The result is a course that gives you everything you need to finally grasp humanity's exciting philosophical history - without years of intense academic study and piles of dense reading.

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

©2004 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2004 The Great Courses

Featured Article: The Best Philosophy Audiobooks for Getting Lost in Thought


Philosophy asks and analyzes the questions that have pressed on humankind for centuries: What does it mean to be human? Why are we here? From ancient to contemporary times, these questions have been answered with varying, and sometimes contradictory, schools of thought. Our picks span centuries and subjects, and draw parallels across time to embolden listeners to dive deep into questions about the fundamental nature of our reality.

What listeners say about The Great Ideas of Philosophy, 2nd Edition

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Fantastic

Exposure to numerous problems and considerations that are at once historical and modern. This course has tons of jumping off points for further study. My favorite great course yet!

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A wealth of information

Lots of great information, just too much of his personal biases influence the information. Overall a great course that makes me want to read these works and form my own opinions.

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Should have Western in the title

No thought outside of Europe and North America is even considered in the lectures. For what it is, it is good. But it misses many great ideas from other than the Christian West.

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Very good

Well presented. Narrator has pleasant cadence. Can't comment on thoroughness due to ignorance but veried with good breadth, leaving opportunity for exploration. Disliked the blurbs/flourishes added at the end of each lecture aesthetically but don't find them inappropriate.

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changed my mind, and my life

a truly captivating and fullsome illustration of so much that shapes the way we perceive everything we see, and don't see

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Great tour!

This was a wonderful tour of philosophy, albeit solely from a Western perspective. I enjoyed every minute.

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Difficult to follow

Some ideas are interesting but the narrator is difficult to follow. Also I think it focuses too long on the lives of the philosophers instead of their ideas as the title promises.

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So much information

It is really too much to try and attempt taking it all in on your first listen. I found myself going back to previous lectures several times to get a more solid grasp. However still very engaging and a great listen.

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Very well deilveried information

Would you listen to The Great Ideas of Philosophy, 2nd Edition again? Why?

no

Who was your favorite character and why?

the author

What three words best describe Professor Daniel N. Robinson Ph.D. City University of New York’s performance?

Professor has a gift of great communication

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

connecting the dots of history

Any additional comments?

Worth your time

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Very good overview of philosophy

Good overview, but not exhaustive. Should probably have been titled "Great Ideas of Western Philosophy", since Eastern philosophy was untouched. Nevertheless, it was a good course, and I would attend more of Professor Robinson's lectures if I were attending his college.

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