The Big Questions of Philosophy
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The Big Questions of Philosophy
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Narrated by:
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David K. Johnson
About this listen
We have all pondered seemingly unanswerably but significant questions about our existence - the biggest of all being, "Why are we here?" Philosophy has developed over millennia to help us grapple with these essential intangibles. There is no better way to study the big questions in philosophy than to compare how the world's greatest minds have analyzed these questions, defined the terms, and then reasoned out potential solutions. Once you've compared the arguments, the final step is always deciding for yourself whether you find an explanation convincing.
This course gives you the tools to follow and create logical arguments while exploring famous philosophers' viewpoints on these important questions. Although progress has been made toward answers, brilliant thinkers have continued to wrestle with many big questions that inspire thoughtful people everywhere. These questions include: What is knowledge? Does God exist? Do humans have free will? What is right and wrong? How should society be organized?
Given the complexity of these big questions, it should be no surprise that many controversies are far from settled. In fact, by the end of these 36 lectures, you may be even less sure of the right answers to some of the questions than you were at the beginning. But being a philosopher means constantly testing your views - giving a reasoned defense if you believe you are right and modifying your ideas when you realize you are wrong. You'll discover that great thinkers before you have offered convincing answers to hard questions, philosophers after them have made equally persuasive objections, and then still others have refined the debate even further - causing the issues to come into sharper and sharper focus.
Join Plato, St. Anselm, Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, Mill, Smith, Marx, Rawls, and many others in an exploration of fundamental questions. Get ready to think big!
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©2016 The Great Courses (P)2016 The Teaching Company, LLCWhat listeners say about The Big Questions of Philosophy
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tom Hermez
- 18-11-2017
Probably the best intro to philosophy book.
So I've read my fair share of introduction to philosophy books and I'm not sure if it's just me but I honestly think this rates significantly better than the usual recommendations (Bertrand Russell's Western Philosophy) etc... I mean, i know theyre different in nature but what I meant was is you're looking to jump into an intro to philosophy book. I would definitely recommend this book.
Why...
1- He's not a bad narrator, nice to listen too. Very clearly spoken and. Gets to the point.
2- The book is split up into obvious logical sections that makes the whole thing easy to follow.
3- He knows he's stuff
4- He claimed to address the big questions and that he did.
All in all, 10/10 .
Thank you for a great read 🙂
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Old Mate
- 27-01-2023
Excellent course
I strongly advise anyone who wants to get a solid introduction into how philosophy considers the big questions of existence.
Well delivered and comprehensive.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Insanely-Asian
- 19-03-2021
Life Affirming and Deeply Meaningful.
Firstly; I'll apologise to Professor Johnson for the fact that I enjoyed this collection of lectures probably more than any previous formal educational experience in my 31 years of life.
Although I realise that this just a brief introduction to the many schools of philosophical thought, I no less appreciate the sheer amount of value that it has brought me and no doubt many others.
I found the multiple lectures both extremely engaging and highly informative(although honestly, much of it was expanding & rehashing conclusions that I had come to previously; through my own deductive reasoning and self reflection). His use of pop culture references were artful and stirred the passion of my inner geek immensely.
If you pursue & value sound logical reasoning and verifiable truth you should absolutely get this audio book; you will enjoy it immensely.
HOWEVER if you perhaps value faith & religious zeal or you believe that all truth is relative in some manner and you're not ready for those beliefs yo be challenged, you're probably gonna hate this with vitriol but objectively I believe it would be far more valuable and meaningful to you; than it ever could be to me!!............perhaps haha.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Reza
- 16-11-2023
Excellent, deep, and fair analysis of human condition
I listen a lot of philosophy and science lectures, and this one was one of the most straightforward and interesting lecture series. D Johnson knows what he’s talking about and knows how to talk about them. Well done. Highly recommend it to anyone who takes the life and the world seriously!
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- James Wang
- 21-02-2019
The big questions of philosophy unphilosophically
The big questions of philosophy answered unphilosophically.
Logic of the book is weak, when the author gives answer to philosophy, logic should be the foundation stone.
Most of the arguments the author made after chapter 4 can be used against his own reasoning process and contradicts.
The best written part of the book is the sample provided on Audible, was attracted by it and bought the audio book. But it is a downward journey after for me. If you expect the book is to be as objective as the sample, you might be disappointed too.
Thanks for reading this comment, hope it helps.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Chrissy Tinsley
- 19-09-2022
Big Questions in Theology
A broad and shallow exploration of philosophy with a spirited reading by the author and numerous analogies drawn from pop culture. Unfortunately, large parts are mired in dead-end, long-winded forays into theology.
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