Greece, Rome, and the Birth of Western Philosophy

By: Margaret Scharle, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Margaret Scharle

Philosophy is one of the world’s oldest intellectual disciplines. In the West, the philosophical tradition reaches back 2,700 years to the ancient Greeks who pioneered philosophy and inspired major philosophical thinkers of ancient Rome.

The ancient Greek and Roman philosophers thought deeply about virtually every aspect of human life, from the origins of the cosmos, the nature of divinity, and the physics and biology of the natural world to the nature of government, politics, law, and ethics, including thought on pleasure in living, happiness, and the ideal human life.

In Greece, Rome, and the Birth of Western Philosophy, celebrated philosopher Professor Margaret Scharle of Reed College invites you to join her in an extraordinary philosophical and human inquiry. In 24 highly engaging lectures, you’ll come to grips with the lives, the essential thinking and the core influence of the great philosophers of the Greek and Roman traditions in a far-reaching exploration of the origins of philosophy

At the heart of this course, you’ll encounter philosophy not as ivory tower abstraction, but, in the spirit of the philosophers themselves, as a bios, a hands-on way of life—philosophy as it interfaces with how we live, in the home, the marketplace, and the public and political spheres. In these compelling and delightful lectures, you’ll gain penetrating insight into the Greek and Roman philosophers and their impact on Western thought.

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

©2025 The Great Courses (P)2025 The Teaching Company, LLC

Not Exactly what I was Expecting

Felt like the author alternated between talking about her travels and offering interpretations of Aristotle that fit her priors.

Oh my God! This Audiobook is Like Totally Gnarly!

Due to the narration ( which is too close to valley girl for comfort), and the lack of quality content, I would only recommend this audio book to masochists. The more you listen, the more the narration grates on your nerves.

As for the content, Scharle seems more intent on padding the lectures than conveying interesting or important information. It reminds me of television and movie depictions of students who did not prepare for speeches so they tried to fill up the time with anything but the actual subject matter.

It's hard to believe that this professor isn't well versed on the subject matter, but I don't know what other reason someone could have for focusing on fluff so much instead of what is important about these philosophers.