Great Minds of the Eastern Intellectual Tradition

By: Grant Hardy, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Grant Hardy

Western philosophy is a vast intellectual tradition, the product of thousands of years of revolutionary thought built up by a rich collection of brilliant minds. But to understand the Western intellectual tradition is to get only half the story. The Eastern intellectual tradition has made just as important a contribution - and is also the product of thousands of years of cumulative thought by a distinct group of brilliant thinkers.

Their ideas demonstrate wholly different ways of approaching and solving the same fundamental issues that concerned the West's greatest thinkers, such as the existence of God, the meaning of life and the nature of truth and reality.

This epic and comprehensive 36-lecture examination of the East's most influential philosophers and thinkers - from a much-honored teacher and scholar - offers a thought-provoking look at the surprising connections and differences between East and West. By introducing you to the people-including The Buddha, Ashoka, Prince Shotoku, Confucius, and Gandhi - responsible for molding Asian philosophy and for giving birth to a wide variety of spiritual and ideological systems, it will strengthen your knowledge of cultures that play increasingly important roles in our globalized 21st-century world.

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

©2011 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2011 The Great Courses

The Longest But Best Course

Would you consider the audio edition of Great Minds of the Eastern Intellectual Tradition to be better than the print version?

Were there to be a print edition, it would be its own textbook.

What other book might you compare Great Minds of the Eastern Intellectual Tradition to and why?

It references an entire library of books.

Have you listened to any of Professor Grant Hardy’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This course prompted me to pick up his other Great Courses series.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

Zen master Hakuin Ekaku's story is not only fascinating but very relatable to every listener.

Any additional comments?

I can't recommend this course enough. I've listened to it four times. There is so much information, you will come to the same realization quickly. It's like putting a cup under a waterfall. There's just too much to hold in a single listen. Best credit ever spent on Audible.

The Very Best of Audible

incredible lecture series this is among the best purchases I've made since signing up with Audible! Timeless wisdom presented by a brilliant professor.

Excellent

This is a great survey course on various Asian thinkers. Given the insanely broad scope (China, India, and Japan; both religious and practical thought), it's best used as a suggested reading list. I was very happy to look into the Baghavad Gita, Upanishads, and various Chinese thinkers I never heard of before due to this course.

Content wise, it is fascinating. Who knew that Buddhism underwent its own Protestant revolution type transformation, with an emphasis on faith alone as a means of salvation. Or that Confucius was a failed government adviser who couldn't get a job with a warlord. Or that yoga refers to a yoking of the mind to the body, more similar to meditation than I realized. Those topics may be taught individually, but it's fascinating to put them into one course, where different intellectual traditions can be placed in context.

My only criticism is that the professor refers several times to his "two years in Taiwan" as a means to draw insights into Chinese culture. Two years is not a lot, especially for a China scholar, and this undermined rather than enhanced his credibility. It didn't matter for this course, however, given how broad and surface level (in a deliberate way) it was.

Engaging, inspiring

I began this course with a little background knowledge of the topic and great enthusiasm for it, and the professor did not disappoint. I am greatly motivated to seek out and read the source texts and re-listen to the lectures to get an even better understanding. Highly recommended.

Best great course so far…

Grant Hardy is the kind of college professor everyone dreams of having. He loves his subject, and radiates a joy for every topic he touches on. He has a deep sympathy for every thinker he addresses with the possible exception of Mao Tse Tung. He not only helps you understand the great minds of the eastern world, he helps you understand why they are great, and how learning about them can help you to grow as a person. When I finished I wanted to start the whole course over again!