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The Great Ideas of Philosophy
Taught by Professor Daniel N. Robinson, Ph.D., Oxford University
The Great Courses
Philosophy & Intellectual History
The Teaching Company
Lecture Series
60 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture Taught by Daniel N. Robinson Philosophy Faculty, Oxford University; Distinguished Professor, Emeritus, Georgetown University Ph.D., City University of New York
Humanity left childhood and entered the troubled but productive world when it started to criticize its own certainties and weigh the worthiness of its most secure beliefs. Thus began that "Long Debate" on the nature of truth, the scale of real values, the life one should aspire to live, the character of justice, the sources of law, the terms of civic and political life-the good, the better, the best. The debate continues, and one remains aloof to it at a very heavy price, for "the unexamined life is not worth living." This course of 60 lectures gives the student a sure guide and interpreter as the major themes within the Long Debate are presented and considered. The persistent themes are understood as problems: * The problem of knowledge, arising from concerns as to how or whether we come to know anything, and are justified in our belief that this knowledge is valid and sound * The problem of conduct, arising from the recognition that our actions, too, require some sort of justification in light of our moral and ethical sensibilities-or lack of them * The problem of governance, which includes an understanding of sources of law and its binding nature. The great speculators of history have exhausted themselves on these problems and have bequeathed to us a storehouse of insights, some so utterly persuasive as to have shaped thought itself. In these coherent and beautifully articulated lectures you will hear Plato and Aristotle, the Stoics and Epicureans, the Scholastic philosophers and the leaders of Renaissance thought. In addition, you will learn about the architects of the Age of Newton and the Enlightenment that followed in its wake-all this, as well as Romanticism and Continental thought, Nietzsche and Darwin, Freud and William James. This course is a veritable banquet of enriching reflection on mental life and the acts of humanity that proceed from it: the plans and purposes, the values and beliefs, the possibilities and vulnerabilities.
The Great Courses
Philosophy & Intellectual History
The Teaching Company
Lecture Series
60 lectures, 30 minutes/lecture Taught by Daniel N. Robinson Philosophy Faculty, Oxford University; Distinguished Professor, Emeritus, Georgetown University Ph.D., City University of New York
Humanity left childhood and entered the troubled but productive world when it started to criticize its own certainties and weigh the worthiness of its most secure beliefs. Thus began that "Long Debate" on the nature of truth, the scale of real values, the life one should aspire to live, the character of justice, the sources of law, the terms of civic and political life-the good, the better, the best. The debate continues, and one remains aloof to it at a very heavy price, for "the unexamined life is not worth living." This course of 60 lectures gives the student a sure guide and interpreter as the major themes within the Long Debate are presented and considered. The persistent themes are understood as problems: * The problem of knowledge, arising from concerns as to how or whether we come to know anything, and are justified in our belief that this knowledge is valid and sound * The problem of conduct, arising from the recognition that our actions, too, require some sort of justification in light of our moral and ethical sensibilities-or lack of them * The problem of governance, which includes an understanding of sources of law and its binding nature. The great speculators of history have exhausted themselves on these problems and have bequeathed to us a storehouse of insights, some so utterly persuasive as to have shaped thought itself. In these coherent and beautifully articulated lectures you will hear Plato and Aristotle, the Stoics and Epicureans, the Scholastic philosophers and the leaders of Renaissance thought. In addition, you will learn about the architects of the Age of Newton and the Enlightenment that followed in its wake-all this, as well as Romanticism and Continental thought, Nietzsche and Darwin, Freud and William James. This course is a veritable banquet of enriching reflection on mental life and the acts of humanity that proceed from it: the plans and purposes, the values and beliefs, the possibilities and vulnerabilities.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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About the author
Daniel N. Robinson
67 books74 followersDaniel N. Robinson is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Georgetown University and a Fellow of the Faculty of Philosophy, Oxford University.
Robinson has published in a wide variety of subjects, including moral philosophy, the philosophy of psychology, legal philosophy, the philosophy of the mind, intellectual history, legal history, and the history of psychology. He has held academic positions at Amherst College, Georgetown University, Princeton University, and Columbia University. In addition, he served as the principal consultant to PBS and the BBC for their award-winning series 'The Brain' and 'The Mind', and he lectured for 'The Great Courses' series on Philosophy. He is on the Board of Consulting Scholars of Princeton University's James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions and is a Senior Fellow of BYU's Wheatley Institution. In 2011 he received the Gittler Award from the American Psychological Association for significant contributions to the philosophical foundations of Psychology.
Robinson has published in a wide variety of subjects, including moral philosophy, the philosophy of psychology, legal philosophy, the philosophy of the mind, intellectual history, legal history, and the history of psychology. He has held academic positions at Amherst College, Georgetown University, Princeton University, and Columbia University. In addition, he served as the principal consultant to PBS and the BBC for their award-winning series 'The Brain' and 'The Mind', and he lectured for 'The Great Courses' series on Philosophy. He is on the Board of Consulting Scholars of Princeton University's James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions and is a Senior Fellow of BYU's Wheatley Institution. In 2011 he received the Gittler Award from the American Psychological Association for significant contributions to the philosophical foundations of Psychology.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
September 17, 2014
This is my favorite drive time companion and has saved me from road rage a thousand times (you know what I mean if you live in Manila and have to endure the traffic every single day). The metaphor of Theseus holding Ariadne's golden cord to find his way in the maze is quite apt to describe the labyrinthine task of going through 50 chapters to learn how to solve the problem of knowledge, the problem of conduct and the problem of governance. An excellent introduction to philosophy delivered by a distinguished professor.
November 3, 2018
I desperately wanted to come away liking this and feeling that I had really learned something and grown. Unfortunately it triggered a lot of annoyance over complaints that I frequently have about academic work within the social sciences.
Let's start with the good: The professor is clearly a broadly-read and deeply informed expert in his field. He has a pleasant voice, so there is nothing grating about listening to him for 30 some hours. The ideas are clear, and the course overall is so clearly structured that you have a sense, throughout the audio course, of precisely where you are in history and what preceded it. Robinson is capable of explaining the intersection and influences of the various philosophers he discusses.
Where it falls flat however is simply in garnering interest. I was so. Damned. Bored. And I like this topic! Robinson has fallen into the classic professorial trap of being a brilliant man who is incapable of making his topic relevant to his students, and therefore equally incapable of holding their interest.
The other major criticism I have is of the topics themselves. While it was a personal preference of mine to become better versed on the big political philosophers, I understand that that was not the purpose of this course, and it certainly did not deliver on that. So much time and attention is given to the Hellenistic philosophers that nearly everyone else gets short shrift. I understand the foundational nature of Aristotle but for the love of goddess, can we move into the Common Era, please?
And due to this over-emphasis on the Greeks, absolutely no (I repeat: zero) attention is paid to any non-western philosophers. I hate courses that are utterly convinced that nothing was ever going on east of Greece for all of history. Confucious doesn't get so much as a casual mention. No Arab, Persian, Mughal, or Ottoman writings appear, and not once is Buddhist thought introduced as a concept, let alone a unit worthy of exploration (even though substantial time is devoted to Western religious philosophers mostly from the Catholic tradition). Why must American philosophers persist in this pretense that everything worth teaching happened exclusively in Europe and North America? These are the things I know the least about, need the most instruction on, and which appear almost never in philosophy texts. Jump the Bosporus already. If we're talking "Great Ideas" then let's talk all of them, shall we?
Women are also completely absent from this narrative apart from one quick nod to how poorly they were treated during the Witch Trials that plagued Europe. Apparently Mary Wollstonecraft's Vindication of the Rights of Women was far more obscure and less worthy of mention than 2 hours on William James' Varieties of Religious Experience.
Full disclosure: I did not finish the last four lectures. I was too bored.
Let's start with the good: The professor is clearly a broadly-read and deeply informed expert in his field. He has a pleasant voice, so there is nothing grating about listening to him for 30 some hours. The ideas are clear, and the course overall is so clearly structured that you have a sense, throughout the audio course, of precisely where you are in history and what preceded it. Robinson is capable of explaining the intersection and influences of the various philosophers he discusses.
Where it falls flat however is simply in garnering interest. I was so. Damned. Bored. And I like this topic! Robinson has fallen into the classic professorial trap of being a brilliant man who is incapable of making his topic relevant to his students, and therefore equally incapable of holding their interest.
The other major criticism I have is of the topics themselves. While it was a personal preference of mine to become better versed on the big political philosophers, I understand that that was not the purpose of this course, and it certainly did not deliver on that. So much time and attention is given to the Hellenistic philosophers that nearly everyone else gets short shrift. I understand the foundational nature of Aristotle but for the love of goddess, can we move into the Common Era, please?
And due to this over-emphasis on the Greeks, absolutely no (I repeat: zero) attention is paid to any non-western philosophers. I hate courses that are utterly convinced that nothing was ever going on east of Greece for all of history. Confucious doesn't get so much as a casual mention. No Arab, Persian, Mughal, or Ottoman writings appear, and not once is Buddhist thought introduced as a concept, let alone a unit worthy of exploration (even though substantial time is devoted to Western religious philosophers mostly from the Catholic tradition). Why must American philosophers persist in this pretense that everything worth teaching happened exclusively in Europe and North America? These are the things I know the least about, need the most instruction on, and which appear almost never in philosophy texts. Jump the Bosporus already. If we're talking "Great Ideas" then let's talk all of them, shall we?
Women are also completely absent from this narrative apart from one quick nod to how poorly they were treated during the Witch Trials that plagued Europe. Apparently Mary Wollstonecraft's Vindication of the Rights of Women was far more obscure and less worthy of mention than 2 hours on William James' Varieties of Religious Experience.
Full disclosure: I did not finish the last four lectures. I was too bored.
May 19, 2015
Has some interesting lectures, but still suffers from the same lacking, biased and western-centric view that plagues the majority of modern books and lectures on the topic.
June 29, 2022
I finally finished! 🎉😂 I know I did not grasp everything I listened to but I have already found the overview helpful.
February 23, 2025
If you want to listen to great topics discussed in a monotonous boring way or you’re looking for a gift idea to torture someone, this is a great pick.
December 10, 2014
Listening to these lectures on great ideas was a treat. Each lecture set my imagination on fire. Even the lectures on pre-Socratic thought held my interest. The bottom line is even with their insistence on keeping us in the cave with only being aware of the shadows that surround us led us to getting out of the cave. They realize that "man is the measure of all things" and appealed to reason instead of theology which ultimately leads us to Aristotle. Of all the people who ever lived, the best case for alien interference would be Aristotle and his methodologies (Robinson gives that statement in this lecture and I loved it so much that I have made it my own).
He basically ended the great idea lectures with Alan Turing and the breaking of the code. I just didn't agree with a lot he had to say about Turing and his universal machines and as for breaking the code I would strongly recommend the book "Seizing the Enigma". Things are always more nuanced then a half hour lecture can explain. As for John Searle and the Chinese Room, I think that is a laughable thought experiment and would recommend Dennett and many of his books including "Intuition Pumps" or his book on Consciousness which dismantles the main conclusions that Searle arrives at.
My only real complaint with this lecture series is I didn't find it coherent as a whole. The pieces seemed mostly independent and a better series would have given a central narrative, but overall I liked the lectures and will probably listen to them again in the future.
There's no reason not to listen to this series and I noticed that is available for free in a thread on Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
The price is right (free) and it will entertain.
He basically ended the great idea lectures with Alan Turing and the breaking of the code. I just didn't agree with a lot he had to say about Turing and his universal machines and as for breaking the code I would strongly recommend the book "Seizing the Enigma". Things are always more nuanced then a half hour lecture can explain. As for John Searle and the Chinese Room, I think that is a laughable thought experiment and would recommend Dennett and many of his books including "Intuition Pumps" or his book on Consciousness which dismantles the main conclusions that Searle arrives at.
My only real complaint with this lecture series is I didn't find it coherent as a whole. The pieces seemed mostly independent and a better series would have given a central narrative, but overall I liked the lectures and will probably listen to them again in the future.
There's no reason not to listen to this series and I noticed that is available for free in a thread on Goodreads, https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
The price is right (free) and it will entertain.
August 27, 2017
Actually I'm both listening to and reading this series, the information contained therein is most interesting and generally quite enjoyable and easy to understand. I'll recommend the series to anyone with an interest in the field...
November 10, 2024
These lectures are profoundly dense and helpful. Worth listening to more than once or twice.
April 13, 2020
(Technically a lecture series, but at 30 hours of absolutely outstanding quality, it deserves a review and widespread promotion).
I've heard Professor Robinson's 60 lecture series at least three times since the early 2000s. I remain staunchly of the view this series is one of the most impressive intellectual and humane efforts devised. It is a series of depth, insight, scope and concentration that is a joy to listen and learn from. From the Upanishads to the latest problems in the philosophy of mind and artificial intelligence, this series covers an astonishingly broad sweep of intellectual history.
Robinson, who sadly passed away in 2018, is one of the great teachers. He knows the material, has respect for it, and for his audience. He is funny and passionate and able to communicate some of the most complex issues in very clear and direct terms. He begins the series by describing Ariadne and the golden thread she provides Theseus to escape the labyrinth. And through to the very end, honours that promise to provide a golden cord to help guide the listener through. Like all great teachers, you come away not only understanding the content, but having learned something about life itself from spending time with him.
This series is available via Audible for 1 credit (a steal given how much it used to cost to buy the Great Courses series in the early 2000s when I first heard it). It is simply, a must listen. And one I hope to return to, and learn much more from, about both philosophy and life, when I listen to it again in 2025 or so.
I've heard Professor Robinson's 60 lecture series at least three times since the early 2000s. I remain staunchly of the view this series is one of the most impressive intellectual and humane efforts devised. It is a series of depth, insight, scope and concentration that is a joy to listen and learn from. From the Upanishads to the latest problems in the philosophy of mind and artificial intelligence, this series covers an astonishingly broad sweep of intellectual history.
Robinson, who sadly passed away in 2018, is one of the great teachers. He knows the material, has respect for it, and for his audience. He is funny and passionate and able to communicate some of the most complex issues in very clear and direct terms. He begins the series by describing Ariadne and the golden thread she provides Theseus to escape the labyrinth. And through to the very end, honours that promise to provide a golden cord to help guide the listener through. Like all great teachers, you come away not only understanding the content, but having learned something about life itself from spending time with him.
This series is available via Audible for 1 credit (a steal given how much it used to cost to buy the Great Courses series in the early 2000s when I first heard it). It is simply, a must listen. And one I hope to return to, and learn much more from, about both philosophy and life, when I listen to it again in 2025 or so.
February 2, 2017
استمعت له كتاب صوتي
هو مجموعة محاضرات عن الفلسفة
حياة كل فيلسوف و كيف أثرت حياته على تصوراته و أفكاره
محتوى عظيم باسلوب سهل ممتنع
عددها ٦٠ محاضرة من نصف ساعة تقل أو تزيد
مرشح بقوة لشخص يحتاج تصور عام عن الموضوع
هو مجموعة محاضرات عن الفلسفة
حياة كل فيلسوف و كيف أثرت حياته على تصوراته و أفكاره
محتوى عظيم باسلوب سهل ممتنع
عددها ٦٠ محاضرة من نصف ساعة تقل أو تزيد
مرشح بقوة لشخص يحتاج تصور عام عن الموضوع
November 30, 2018
Dense yet topical. Great intro to the subject
April 13, 2022
I cannot possible sing any higher praises than those I offer for both this course and Professor Daniel Robinson. The material was cram packed with enough touch points jumpstart multiple lifetimes worth of historical study into philosophy throughout the ages and the ways in which it has dictated the directions taken in science, politics, psychology, economics, and just about every other social arena. In 60 classes covering 30+ hours of audio time, I was often out of my depth, but I was never once bored. Professor Robinson manages to cover every ideology proposed with a fair hand, expressing the ideas of the philosopher and his contemporary and historical critics as well as the influences for better or worse that played out as a result. The man was a genius and a treasure.
From the creation of the term “philosopher” by Pythagoras, humanity has been carrying on an intense effort to summarize all that we are and all that there is outside of us.
Pythagoras, Pyrrho and his skeptics, the academic skeptics, the stoics, the cynics, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Seneca, Cicero, Marcus Aurelius, St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, the Muslim Aristotelians, Abelard, Newton, Roger Bacon, Francis Bacon, D’écartés, Montaigne, Hobbes, Schopenhauer, Goethe, Leibniz, Montague, Voltaire, Kant, Hegel, Locke, Hume, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, George Washington, Darwin, Marx, Thomas Reed, John Ruskin, John Stuart Mills, William James, Sigmund Freud, and Ludwig Wittgenstein.
Phew. These are the names I can readily call to mind from my time in this course. Some I knew a good deal about. Others I was introduced to for the first time. Some seem to have little of true philosophy in their records, yet their ideologies are intrinsically linked to beliefs which they have incidentally propounded in the world that followed them. Some new ones I am eager to come into a better understand of. Others I found greater clarity upon. This course was a great leaping off point. Even so, I can’t wait to listen to it all again soon.
From the creation of the term “philosopher” by Pythagoras, humanity has been carrying on an intense effort to summarize all that we are and all that there is outside of us.
Pythagoras, Pyrrho and his skeptics, the academic skeptics, the stoics, the cynics, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Seneca, Cicero, Marcus Aurelius, St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, the Muslim Aristotelians, Abelard, Newton, Roger Bacon, Francis Bacon, D’écartés, Montaigne, Hobbes, Schopenhauer, Goethe, Leibniz, Montague, Voltaire, Kant, Hegel, Locke, Hume, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, George Washington, Darwin, Marx, Thomas Reed, John Ruskin, John Stuart Mills, William James, Sigmund Freud, and Ludwig Wittgenstein.
Phew. These are the names I can readily call to mind from my time in this course. Some I knew a good deal about. Others I was introduced to for the first time. Some seem to have little of true philosophy in their records, yet their ideologies are intrinsically linked to beliefs which they have incidentally propounded in the world that followed them. Some new ones I am eager to come into a better understand of. Others I found greater clarity upon. This course was a great leaping off point. Even so, I can’t wait to listen to it all again soon.
November 14, 2012
This was almost a throw away to me. A little to simplistic of a concept to spend the entire time on it.
Merged review:
Okay, so everyone sees "Pythagoras" and feels smart because they can remember the Pythagorean Theorem (or at least that's what I did). Robinson will call you on it, explain there was a lot more to Pythagoras, and delve into numberical theory (and make you ponder if numbers rule the world). The most interesting one in the series thus far.
Merged review:
*Note* I started this series because I feel I'm woefully ignorant concerning Philosophical concepts. Please keep that in mind when reading my reviews.
I'll admit I had to look up what the Upanishads were before I started this (if you don't know either, a quick Google search would be a good idea just to get the concept - Robinson jumps right in). Good overview and setup for the rest of the series. Robinson isn't lofty or elitist; it's very accessible for those who aren't Philosophy majors. I would've preferred more humor just to make it more engaging, but I'm still committed to the whole series of 60. 1 down, 59 to go.
Merged review:
Okay, so everyone sees "Pythagoras" and feels smart because they can remember the Pythagorean Theorem (or at least that's what I did). Robinson will call you on it, explain there was a lot more to Pythagoras, and delve into numberical theory (and make you ponder if numbers rule the world). The most interesting one in the series thus far.
Merged review:
*Note* I started this series because I feel I'm woefully ignorant concerning Philosophical concepts. Please keep that in mind when reading my reviews.
I'll admit I had to look up what the Upanishads were before I started this (if you don't know either, a quick Google search would be a good idea just to get the concept - Robinson jumps right in). Good overview and setup for the rest of the series. Robinson isn't lofty or elitist; it's very accessible for those who aren't Philosophy majors. I would've preferred more humor just to make it more engaging, but I'm still committed to the whole series of 60. 1 down, 59 to go.
July 24, 2022
Feeling much like a podcast in nature, Robinson delivers a string of different ideas in philosophy that build upon each other to give us a better understanding of wisdom. Each lecture is its own idea, and Robinson uses humor and translations of original words to help you understand HOW we understand, and where that understanding comes from.
My second Great Courses I’ve listened to with professor Robinson, his course are well laid out and fun to follow. I use these for road trips when my mind needs stimulation.
My second Great Courses I’ve listened to with professor Robinson, his course are well laid out and fun to follow. I use these for road trips when my mind needs stimulation.
January 17, 2018
I used to think philosophy was interesting. I found this rather boring and I disagreed with the narrator's own personal philosophy. There are a lot of lectures on here. It covers a lots of the philosophical ideas in human history. I would have liked to see it get into AI at the end and what it really means to be human. Very long audio book, so there is a lot of educational information in here, it just isn't captivating.
November 23, 2018
the title is misleading because it only goes through western philosophy but it was still well worth listening to and engaging with over the last few months
November 13, 2021
This book is an amazing collection of the ideas that built and directed western civilization. In 60 lectures, Robinson guides the reader on a tour de force of western philosophical thought. I knew the basics about the majority of the philosophers mentioned, but a few were totally new to me. What was especially fascinating was following the threads that tied these great thinkers together as they react to and built upon each other’s work.
But be forewarned, there’s so much here it is actually hard to digest. While it’s definitely helpful to listen to the lectures in quick succession, this volume will be just as useful for a quick primer on any of the great philosophical thinkers of the past three thousand or so years.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
But be forewarned, there’s so much here it is actually hard to digest. While it’s definitely helpful to listen to the lectures in quick succession, this volume will be just as useful for a quick primer on any of the great philosophical thinkers of the past three thousand or so years.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
September 17, 2018
30 hours of philosophy and its reach into law, beauty, morality, government, science, psychology, and religion, relying repeatedly upon, Aristotle, Plato, Kant, Hume, and Reid, and not a single mention of the name Spinoza? I have no idea why or how he was omitted but it is a testament to Mr. Robinson that he still produces a master course. His affability and supreme mastery of every topic makes up for his pretending that Spinoza never existed.
Listened to numerous chapters numerous times and went off searching the internet in order to grasp some ideas better and still want to go back and start all again. Robinson is a truly gifted teacher that absolutely ADORES his subject.
Listened to numerous chapters numerous times and went off searching the internet in order to grasp some ideas better and still want to go back and start all again. Robinson is a truly gifted teacher that absolutely ADORES his subject.
March 31, 2020
Best comprehensive resource for the history of philosophy (that I’ve found). Though it does not include much of modern philosophy, it does an incredible job at covering material up until the 19th century. Immediately going on to “to-re-read” list, which I plan on re-reading after I finish reading William James, the author’s clear favorite.
March 24, 2022
Слушал съм само няколко лекции, но давам 5 от 5 защото си заслужава дори само заради последната лекция.
Последната лекция на професора е просто уникална...
Горещо я препоръчвам на агностиците.
Заради тази лекция един ден ще му изгледам целия курс дет е 16173627 часа и 3627261 лекции
Последната лекция на професора е просто уникална...
Горещо я препоръчвам на агностиците.
Заради тази лекция един ден ще му изгледам целия курс дет е 16173627 часа и 3627261 лекции
June 29, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this series of lectures. The professor Daniel N Robinson was wonderfully informative and with a dry sense of humor kept me engaged throughout *all* 60 of the lectures. Thank you for this!
March 8, 2021
Probably the longest Great Courses you will ever listen to, it's meant to cover in essentially chronological order a history of moral, political and analytical philosophy in the EUROPEAN tradition.
Daniel Robinson is (rather, was) a lecturer affiliated with several higher educational institutions, including Oxford, though his background was in psychology. His lectures are certainly eloquent and well-written but this is not a intro or beginner's course. At least not an objective or unbiased one I'm assuming you'd expect that has this wide of scope and introductory depth.
I highlight EUROPEAN because he barely makes any effort to highlight ancient Chinese or Indian philosophical concepts (some of which should be familiar to anyone who's read pre-Socratic works). His cursory and demeaning overview of Arab/Islamic medieval philosophers (which didn't even make reference to important contribution of medieval Jewish philosophers like Maimonides) smacked of cultural arrogance to the point that I questioned his legitimacy (if he thought so little of their contribution to world civilization, why did he bother including it in his lectures?).
Robinson is also quite biased and argumentative to the point that I would classify half of his lectures as diatribes. He consistently uses terms like "vulgar materialism" and "experientialist" to belittle views that don't align with his essentially transcendental / idealist / religious viewpoints. He tries to essentially compartmentalize Hume's arguments as not inconsistent with his own views which I found desperate. Worst of all, he resorts to ad hominem attacks against Nietzsche and Heidegger as a substitute for seriously engaged their ontological and epistemological viewpoints. If he wants to open that door, one should take a closer look at Robinson's political views: https://qz.com/822811/daniel-robinson...
That being said, I did derive some value from these lectures (admittedly I did not finish after Heidegger) for those more acquainted with the philosophical ideas he covers because I found myself arguing with him as I listened to his lectures. Sometimes it's good to listen to unapologetic viewpoints that you disagree with and that aren't trying too hard to waffle for fear of offending. It's really the only way to discover your own views or beliefs. Robinson was helpful from that angle and I don't necessarily disagree with his critiques of empiricism or naturalism.
If you want an actual education on philosophy covering the ambitious scope that Robinson tried to do without his biases, your best bet is Stephen West's excellent podcast Philosophize This!: https://studybreaks.com/thoughts/phil...
Daniel Robinson is (rather, was) a lecturer affiliated with several higher educational institutions, including Oxford, though his background was in psychology. His lectures are certainly eloquent and well-written but this is not a intro or beginner's course. At least not an objective or unbiased one I'm assuming you'd expect that has this wide of scope and introductory depth.
I highlight EUROPEAN because he barely makes any effort to highlight ancient Chinese or Indian philosophical concepts (some of which should be familiar to anyone who's read pre-Socratic works). His cursory and demeaning overview of Arab/Islamic medieval philosophers (which didn't even make reference to important contribution of medieval Jewish philosophers like Maimonides) smacked of cultural arrogance to the point that I questioned his legitimacy (if he thought so little of their contribution to world civilization, why did he bother including it in his lectures?).
Robinson is also quite biased and argumentative to the point that I would classify half of his lectures as diatribes. He consistently uses terms like "vulgar materialism" and "experientialist" to belittle views that don't align with his essentially transcendental / idealist / religious viewpoints. He tries to essentially compartmentalize Hume's arguments as not inconsistent with his own views which I found desperate. Worst of all, he resorts to ad hominem attacks against Nietzsche and Heidegger as a substitute for seriously engaged their ontological and epistemological viewpoints. If he wants to open that door, one should take a closer look at Robinson's political views: https://qz.com/822811/daniel-robinson...
That being said, I did derive some value from these lectures (admittedly I did not finish after Heidegger) for those more acquainted with the philosophical ideas he covers because I found myself arguing with him as I listened to his lectures. Sometimes it's good to listen to unapologetic viewpoints that you disagree with and that aren't trying too hard to waffle for fear of offending. It's really the only way to discover your own views or beliefs. Robinson was helpful from that angle and I don't necessarily disagree with his critiques of empiricism or naturalism.
If you want an actual education on philosophy covering the ambitious scope that Robinson tried to do without his biases, your best bet is Stephen West's excellent podcast Philosophize This!: https://studybreaks.com/thoughts/phil...
March 7, 2024
This very old lecture series was one of my absolute favorites. I loved his sometimes idiosyncratic takes on a series of philosophers.
June 15, 2021
Listening to this course was probably the best-spent time in my entire life. I used to listen to it whenever I was driving long distances: with some experience as a driver, I got to pay close attention to the material while also being able to safely get to my destination and avoid the boredom of hearing my own Deezer playlist over and over again.
Professor Robinson does an incredible feat. His lectures are clear, strong and informative, more so than any of my university professors were, despite their best efforts (not that I had poor teachers. Most were pretty amazing, too!) He does a terrific job at catching the listener's attention, his voice is perfectly fitted for the job, his tone highlights the most important parts of each lecture, and he is able to very effectively summarize two thousand years of thought, written in hundreds of thousand tratieses, into a few hours of speech. His abilities as a storyteller and thinker are extraordinary, and I can sincerely say that none of the speakers I listened to in many of the audiobooks I listened to even came close to him. Even written books by some leading authors struggle to reach the level of clarity professor Robinson attains.
As for those complaining about the lectures' focus on Western philosophy, I advise you listen to what professor Robinson says in one of the first lectures. He makes it clear from the beginning that religion, be it Christianity, Islam, Confucianism or Buddhism, does not constitute philosophy. The main aim of philosohpy is to CRITICALLY analyse features of existence, whereas religion, guided by belief, is the exact opposite of it. Thus, he argues that 'not a glimpse of philosophy' existed in the world before Ancient Greece, which I see as a very hard truth few are ready to accept. Egyptian religious texts, along with Sumerian, Hindu and Chinese ones, did not constitute philosophy, at least not in the sense covered in these lectures.
I recommend this audiobook to both the novice and experienced alike. It gives few answers, but many questions. And its reach is beyond anything I have heard or read before. If you listen with a clear and open mind, your life might be changed. I promise, for the better.
Rest in peace, professor Robinson. May you enjoy the Island of the Blessed, with such distinguished company as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and the others you have so greatly esteemed.
Professor Robinson does an incredible feat. His lectures are clear, strong and informative, more so than any of my university professors were, despite their best efforts (not that I had poor teachers. Most were pretty amazing, too!) He does a terrific job at catching the listener's attention, his voice is perfectly fitted for the job, his tone highlights the most important parts of each lecture, and he is able to very effectively summarize two thousand years of thought, written in hundreds of thousand tratieses, into a few hours of speech. His abilities as a storyteller and thinker are extraordinary, and I can sincerely say that none of the speakers I listened to in many of the audiobooks I listened to even came close to him. Even written books by some leading authors struggle to reach the level of clarity professor Robinson attains.
As for those complaining about the lectures' focus on Western philosophy, I advise you listen to what professor Robinson says in one of the first lectures. He makes it clear from the beginning that religion, be it Christianity, Islam, Confucianism or Buddhism, does not constitute philosophy. The main aim of philosohpy is to CRITICALLY analyse features of existence, whereas religion, guided by belief, is the exact opposite of it. Thus, he argues that 'not a glimpse of philosophy' existed in the world before Ancient Greece, which I see as a very hard truth few are ready to accept. Egyptian religious texts, along with Sumerian, Hindu and Chinese ones, did not constitute philosophy, at least not in the sense covered in these lectures.
I recommend this audiobook to both the novice and experienced alike. It gives few answers, but many questions. And its reach is beyond anything I have heard or read before. If you listen with a clear and open mind, your life might be changed. I promise, for the better.
Rest in peace, professor Robinson. May you enjoy the Island of the Blessed, with such distinguished company as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and the others you have so greatly esteemed.
July 5, 2014
As many of the books I list here as "read", I listened to the audio version of this one also. From the Upanishads through Alan Turing, it was a very well presented series of lectures. I consider audio as much as I do "reading", because I increase my "ingestion" of reading and the books I cover by more than 50%. Driving to and from work in Washington, D.C., and in Northern Virginia while listening to great books or lectures calms me and lets me advance in my own self-development. I'm always relieved to have to take long trips alone so that I can listen to almost complete works when driving to Texas or Chicago. It's hard to listen to these works with others in the car, because they rarely share my eclectic tastes or can put up with my constantly reversing the recording to make sure I did not miss a detail, usually because I'm mainly concentrating on the road--priority number 1, and secondarily ingesting the book on CD.
April 18, 2007
The metaphor for this particular lecture series that the good professor uses is an apt one; following the thread of human knowledge and thought throughout the ages is like Theseus escaping the labyrinth by following Ariadne's golden thread. This 50 lecture series by Oxford professor Robinson is a masterful thematic fugue on the great ideas of philosophy; starting out with the Upanishads, traversing through, Locke, Kant, Mill and Turing among many others, including several lectures at the end that touch on the great philosophical issues of our time
For those who wish to enlarge their understanding of human thought through an examination of some of the most brilliant minds in history, I highly recommend this series.
For those who wish to enlarge their understanding of human thought through an examination of some of the most brilliant minds in history, I highly recommend this series.
June 2, 2017
My low rating is likely because I didn't devote the time to pre-reading the notes about these lectures. I do feel Robinson's approach was not to be accessible; this course is likely best for someone with significant philosophical background already. I've taken a few classes and felt out of my depth. That said, consuming piecemeal would be fine. Check out the table of contents and see if one strikes your fancy.
These were some of my favorites:
23: Let Us Burn the Witches to Save Them
34: The Federalist Papers
43: Darwin and Nature's Purpose
49: Alan Turing
This is very Western-focused after lecture 1. I would have liked a higher level discussion of global topics in philosophy.
These were some of my favorites:
23: Let Us Burn the Witches to Save Them
34: The Federalist Papers
43: Darwin and Nature's Purpose
49: Alan Turing
This is very Western-focused after lecture 1. I would have liked a higher level discussion of global topics in philosophy.
May 23, 2018
This audiobook is ok, although not as comprehensible even as other philosophy audiobooks from the Great Courses. There is some interesting information in there, but I found it hard to follow. The author also has an annoying habit of saying something the listener is extremely unlikely to have ever heard of with a comment making it clear he thinks it's general knowledge. For example,
"they were neo-platonists, as the saying goes" - dude, that's not a saying. Nobody says that.
"Plato was nicknamed Platon, for his broad shoulders" - wait, what? What's the connection? Care to explain and define the word?
Or other phrases such as "we all know, of course"
"they were neo-platonists, as the saying goes" - dude, that's not a saying. Nobody says that.
"Plato was nicknamed Platon, for his broad shoulders" - wait, what? What's the connection? Care to explain and define the word?
Or other phrases such as "we all know, of course"
January 11, 2023
Searching for Soren Kierkegaard
This work suffers from selection bias but in large measure, this cannot be avoided. Professor Robinson presents thirty-minute lectures on each of sixty separate philosophical topics or authors. The full scope of each topic, or depth of each author, cannot be fully presented. Professor Robinson acknowledges this much. Much of the selection bias is necessitated by the time constraint of each presentation, but some of it is also the author’s bias in the selection of subjects and authors as well as in the treatment of those so selected. In addition to the missing in action Soren Kierkegaard and several others, here are just a couple of obvious examples with the materials presented, nowhere is David Hume’s ‘Dialogs Concerning Natural Religion’ mentioned and that wonderfully delicious and provocative quote from Thomas Hobbes “…and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short” is never mentioned, explained or put into context. Professor Robinson’s teleological bias is also apparent in many of the lectures. We must be on guard against our tendency to impose our order onto reality and then suppose that we found that order in place quite independent of our perspective. This is an ongoing challenge for any careful thinker, not just Professor Robinson.
The only real disappointment is lecture sixty. The title of the lecture is ‘God-Really?’ Spoiler alert, Dr. Robinson’s answer is “yes, really!” Dr. Robinson arrives at his answer by presenting the listener with a false choice. The false choice, as well as the basis of Professor Robinson’s own answer to the question, is, and I quote from the source book, p. 300: “One might ask in vein, what one would choose: a dead cosmos of meaningless statistical possibilities or one alive with promise and nurturing hope, I would regard it as simply curmudgeonly to choose the former. I chose the latter.” Eloquently put, but a false choice nonetheless. Philosophy is not a matter of ‘or’; it is matter of ‘and’. Philosophy is not ‘yes or no’; it is ‘yes and no’. The choice is not limited to nihilism or nirvana. We can insist upon the existence of God as a matter of necessity or the impossibility of God as a matter of reason, either disposition or something in between, is largely a matter of taste. I have also transcribed the following quote from Professor Robinson contained in the audio itself, “…and so, God, really? Well ya, really. But I say the debate does on, and all candidate good arguments are welcome.” It is in this spirit that I offer I offer this review.
We do not need to appeal to the supernatural to find the sacred. The refutation of religious claims and faith is not a refutation of meaning and nurturing which is indeed sacred. There still exists the sacred, post religious faith, and it is more important and more real when it is discovered anew. It is we who are sacred. Our relationships are sacred, our ability to maintain civil society and individual liberty is sacred, our ability to care for each other is sacred, our ability to create and distribute wealth is sacred, our ability to empathize and share is sacred, and our ability to forgive, overlook faults and tolerate idiosyncrasies is scared. We can lose faith in the supernatural and replace it with something more important and more valuable, faith in ourselves. It is we who are the scared, the sacrosanct and the sacred yet to come and it is we who can be the sacrilegious if we so choose ignore these simple authenticities. We do not have to mourn the dropping of extravagant metaphysical claims because this does not mean that we have to drop secure commitments to ourselves and each other. We are on the verge of discovering these aspects about ourselves as human beings and our inherent sacredness. Our sacredness needs no explanation, validation or justification other than that of our own existence. We are not faced with the choice of the “…a dead cosmos of meaningless statistical possibilities or one alive with promise and nurturing hope…” We are the nurturing hope, no one God or gods of any kinds is necessary to validate our basic human solidarity and capacity for mutual nurturing. We can chose ourselves as the middle ground between these two extremes presented by Professor Robinson. We are the virtue that is the mean between two vices - the mean between infinite credulity and paralyzing skepticism as I believe Professor Robinson would agree. Do we really need the instantiation of some sort of divine within us to realize the authenticity of our own sacredness? No, our authenticity as human beings is not chimerical or episodic. Just because there is no God, it does not following that our lives are unimportant and the world empty and devoid of all significance. God-really? No, not really.
In the final analysis, this would not be philosophy if we did not disagree, both as to selections and conclusions to the extent there are any conclusions in philosophy. Professor Robinson’s lectures are erudite, witty, eloquent, powerful and a joy to hear. Even more importantly in these lectures is the manner in which Professor Robinson’s basic humanity shines through time and time again. I have found this to be the most valuable, enduring, delightful and enjoyable quality of these lectures. I highly recommend this course, but not as one’s only source in the study of philosophy. For example, there is no discussion of existentialism or phenomenology but a full lecture on phrenology. Professor Robinson, really?
This work suffers from selection bias but in large measure, this cannot be avoided. Professor Robinson presents thirty-minute lectures on each of sixty separate philosophical topics or authors. The full scope of each topic, or depth of each author, cannot be fully presented. Professor Robinson acknowledges this much. Much of the selection bias is necessitated by the time constraint of each presentation, but some of it is also the author’s bias in the selection of subjects and authors as well as in the treatment of those so selected. In addition to the missing in action Soren Kierkegaard and several others, here are just a couple of obvious examples with the materials presented, nowhere is David Hume’s ‘Dialogs Concerning Natural Religion’ mentioned and that wonderfully delicious and provocative quote from Thomas Hobbes “…and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short” is never mentioned, explained or put into context. Professor Robinson’s teleological bias is also apparent in many of the lectures. We must be on guard against our tendency to impose our order onto reality and then suppose that we found that order in place quite independent of our perspective. This is an ongoing challenge for any careful thinker, not just Professor Robinson.
The only real disappointment is lecture sixty. The title of the lecture is ‘God-Really?’ Spoiler alert, Dr. Robinson’s answer is “yes, really!” Dr. Robinson arrives at his answer by presenting the listener with a false choice. The false choice, as well as the basis of Professor Robinson’s own answer to the question, is, and I quote from the source book, p. 300: “One might ask in vein, what one would choose: a dead cosmos of meaningless statistical possibilities or one alive with promise and nurturing hope, I would regard it as simply curmudgeonly to choose the former. I chose the latter.” Eloquently put, but a false choice nonetheless. Philosophy is not a matter of ‘or’; it is matter of ‘and’. Philosophy is not ‘yes or no’; it is ‘yes and no’. The choice is not limited to nihilism or nirvana. We can insist upon the existence of God as a matter of necessity or the impossibility of God as a matter of reason, either disposition or something in between, is largely a matter of taste. I have also transcribed the following quote from Professor Robinson contained in the audio itself, “…and so, God, really? Well ya, really. But I say the debate does on, and all candidate good arguments are welcome.” It is in this spirit that I offer I offer this review.
We do not need to appeal to the supernatural to find the sacred. The refutation of religious claims and faith is not a refutation of meaning and nurturing which is indeed sacred. There still exists the sacred, post religious faith, and it is more important and more real when it is discovered anew. It is we who are sacred. Our relationships are sacred, our ability to maintain civil society and individual liberty is sacred, our ability to care for each other is sacred, our ability to create and distribute wealth is sacred, our ability to empathize and share is sacred, and our ability to forgive, overlook faults and tolerate idiosyncrasies is scared. We can lose faith in the supernatural and replace it with something more important and more valuable, faith in ourselves. It is we who are the scared, the sacrosanct and the sacred yet to come and it is we who can be the sacrilegious if we so choose ignore these simple authenticities. We do not have to mourn the dropping of extravagant metaphysical claims because this does not mean that we have to drop secure commitments to ourselves and each other. We are on the verge of discovering these aspects about ourselves as human beings and our inherent sacredness. Our sacredness needs no explanation, validation or justification other than that of our own existence. We are not faced with the choice of the “…a dead cosmos of meaningless statistical possibilities or one alive with promise and nurturing hope…” We are the nurturing hope, no one God or gods of any kinds is necessary to validate our basic human solidarity and capacity for mutual nurturing. We can chose ourselves as the middle ground between these two extremes presented by Professor Robinson. We are the virtue that is the mean between two vices - the mean between infinite credulity and paralyzing skepticism as I believe Professor Robinson would agree. Do we really need the instantiation of some sort of divine within us to realize the authenticity of our own sacredness? No, our authenticity as human beings is not chimerical or episodic. Just because there is no God, it does not following that our lives are unimportant and the world empty and devoid of all significance. God-really? No, not really.
In the final analysis, this would not be philosophy if we did not disagree, both as to selections and conclusions to the extent there are any conclusions in philosophy. Professor Robinson’s lectures are erudite, witty, eloquent, powerful and a joy to hear. Even more importantly in these lectures is the manner in which Professor Robinson’s basic humanity shines through time and time again. I have found this to be the most valuable, enduring, delightful and enjoyable quality of these lectures. I highly recommend this course, but not as one’s only source in the study of philosophy. For example, there is no discussion of existentialism or phenomenology but a full lecture on phrenology. Professor Robinson, really?
February 5, 2017
I loved the first series of lectures put together by the Teaching Company and probably listened to those tapes ten times over the past two decades. The Second Edition available on Audible expand the series of lectures by ten for a total of 60 lectures. The new lectures focus on philosophy of mind, artificial intelligence, Aristotle, Stoicism, and ethics. The Teaching Company is fantastic and rarely disappoints.
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