The Modern Political Tradition: Hobbes to Habermas

De: Lawrence Cahoone, The Great Courses

Narrado por: Lawrence Cahoone

Without even realizing it, we all use the fruits of political philosophy. From liberty to democracy to community, the terms and concepts originated by political philosophers are ingrained in our global consciousness. Yet many of us have an incomplete picture of how these ideas developed and, quite possibly, a skewed perception of their intentions and implications.

This highly relevant course sheds light on the labyrinth of Western political and social theory, as well as its influence on modern history. Guided by an award-winning professor of philosophy and author, these eye-opening lectures reveal how political philosophers, in responding to the societal problems and changing conditions of their day in revolutionary ways, created virtual blueprints of action for leaders. You'll gain not only the tools to comprehend the omnipresent language of politics, but a thorough understanding of the wellspring of thought that has emerged over centuries of political philosophy and the intellectual origins of major historical movements and events.

Throughout, questions of democracy, freedom, and distributive justice are addressed, and revolutionary figures who have left an indelible mark on history - from Niccolo Machiavelli to Ayn Rand - are encountered.

By the conclusion of lecture 36, you will have the context necessary to appreciate the evolution of a myriad of political ideas, including hot-button topics of today such as libertarianism, neoconservatism, feminism, and environmentalism.

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

©2014 The Great Courses (P)2014 The Teaching Company, LLC

Amazing objective and descriptive analysis .

Great narration.
Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Some comcepts were difficult but it's worth researching.
Will go through one more time.
Will recommend to others.

Great Foundation in Modern Political Philosophy

A great intro course for Modern Political Philosophy. Providing lectures on a wide range of notable thinkers such as Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant. Smith, Montesquieu, Burke, Paine, Clausewitz, Hegel, Marx's, Schmitt, Hayek, Rawls, and others. The information in these lectures is almost essential to understanding much of modern political ideas and development. Beyond the first few lectures the timeline runs mid 17th century to the modern age.

Although professor Cahoone's delivery can be slightly monotone at times, for the most part its easy to stay engaged and understand the material even if you have no background on the subject or political philosophy in general.

An essential lecture serie for thinking people

Even more essential than an American Civics class, this lecture series should be studied by any concerned citizen of any nation and anyone concerned with the "ideal", " practical" or good society. I highly recommend it. My only wish is that it would have had 45 minute lectures (and thus another 9+ hours). It was too short!

This is a great course

Excellent, very informative, and expansive. I enjoyed every minute of this course and I'm sad that it's over. I'm happy that it went all the way up to the present day and that I was able to get a good refresher on some college courses and personalities taught about in my major. I highly recommend this course, definitely one of the best ones I have gotten through.

excellent lecturer, nonbiased information

the lecturer was well spoken and clear, the lecture flowed effectively and all ideas were communicated well. interesting information and a great history of different philosophical ideas relating to politics.

brilliant synopsis of political philosophy

he covers a host of controversial topics from fascism to veganism without having an aparant bias and presenting their argument from their own point of view.

He takes a deep dive into the history of political philosophy and applies various philosophical models to a broad spectrum of political topics.

Favorite Great Courses book

Everything was amazingly well done, from the vast exhaustive content to the conversational narration by the professor. Highly recommend this entertaining yet enlightening series.

Lawrence Cahoone Rocks!

I was a big fan of his lectures "The Modern Intellectual Tradition: Descartes to Derrida"
This was another excellent work. Well paced, well researched and engaging

As with The Modern Intellectual tradition, I'll be re-listening several times to soak up more.

Understanding political chaos

I have listened to this course three times and continue to get a deeper understanding of the timeline of political ideas in the modern era. The real value for me is that the professor identifies and discusses with a neutral bias. All political swings, including unpopular or discredited movements, are discussed in an objective and rational manner. The course has really helped me sort through, organize and articulate my own beliefs. Great course!

An Excellent Survey of Western Political Thought

This is an excellent survey of the philosophical foundations of Western political thought. It covers not only the foundations of Western political thought (Plato and Aristotle) but also recent developments in western political thought (the animal rights movement and feminism). The explanations are clear, objective, and without a lot of philosophical jargon. At a certain point the standard becomes Liberal Republicanism and it is against this standard that other alternate theories are measured. That privileging of Liberal Republicanism seemed unnecessary to me. Yet when alternate theories are presented their critiques of Liberal Republicanism are presented as well. I will most certainly be listening to this book again. It's worth it.