Great Courses Audio

It likely comes as no surprise that, as adults, we learn differently than we did when we were children. Our brains are full of experiences and information we have acquired over time, and these resources are exactly what we apply to any new learning event, whether it's a new job or hobby, or simply a novel experience or conversation we need to navigate. And the nature of how we learn shapes the way we communicate-both how we give and how we receive information in our everyday lives. The field of neuroandragogy is the study of how adults learn and what role the brain plays in that process. By digging into this unique field and its discoveries, you can better understand how your own mind works and develop strategies based on this knowledge to communicate successfully in various situations and environments. As you will see, communicating with others is not just about clarity. Useful and rewarding communication is also about understanding how to grab someone's attention and how to ensure that the information that you share can be retained and used. Knowing how the adult mind works can help you to optimize your approach in getting the results you want from your communications. In The Brain-Based Guide to Communicating Better, Professor Allison Friederichs will walk you through six lessons that can help you better know your own mind, and thus understand and transform your own methods of communication. You will learn how your brain acquires, processes, and retains information. You can then take that knowledge and apply it whenever you need to convey something to others, with the best possible results. While you may not have any control over how other people communicate, developing your own methods of connection and conversation can have a positive impact on both your personal and professional life. Along the way, Professor Friederichs encourages you to keep a communication journal that can help you learn and process the invaluable information she shares. Keeping a journal allows you to have a continual resource for both her lessons and your own observations.

Discover why intellectuals and historians alike consider Voltaire to be one of the most intriguing, influential, and elusive thinkers of the modern world. Focusing on the deepest, most enduring aspects of Voltaire's work and thought, but never losing sight of the colorful, fascinating man himself, these 12 lectures sketch for you a vibrant, thought-provoking vision of Voltaire as "the father of the Enlightenment" and one of the great literary personalities of all time. You'll follow this Enlightenment thinker's 84 astoundingly productive years and go inside not only his masterpiece, Candide, but the hundreds of other works in almost all the literary, philosophical, and polemical genres current in his day, and the more than 20,000 letters this prolific writer and thinker left behind. What was Voltaire's world like? Who and what influenced him? What questions and dilemmas did he ponder? What evils did he struggle against? What reforms did he advocate? What made him laugh and cry, or write a book like Candide, which is at once so funny and so sad? And what is his place in the history of the Western mind? The answers to these and other questions can be found right here in this illuminating lecture series. If you're unfamiliar with Voltaire and his works, prepare to meet one of Western literature's defining writers. And if you already have some familiarity with the man, prepare to discover even more insights into why he still matters after all these years.

As the "science of humanity," anthropology can help us understand virtually everything about ourselves, from our political and economic systems, to why we get married, to how we decide to buy a particular bottle of wine. In this 24-lecture series, Professor Edward Fischer of Vanderbilt University provides an extraordinary glimpse into the world's varied human societies-including our own.

How can a nation create the conditions for economic growth and prosperity? And what, once these conditions are achieved, can it do to sustain this progress? Discover the answers, which may surprise you, in these 24 lectures that guide you through a stimulating and, above all, accessible examination of what economists know and don't know about the elusive search for economic prosperity. Here, you'll learn: • How countries as widely different as the United States and Vietnam have grown their economies • How countries like China and India were able to recover from economic reverses • Most importantly, why the critical test of any economic policy is its ability to productively alter human behavior for everyone's ultimate benefit. By looking at economic growth as the result of incentivizing such productive behavior, "making productivity more profitable than all the alternatives", Professor Rodriguez clears up an often-shrouded economic landscape. The result is a lecture series that brings the economic strategies chosen by nations down to street level by adding a newfound clarity to key issues: • Why economies succeed or fail • How economic bubbles are created, why they burst, and how nations recover from them • The challenges posed by globalization; and more. By the end of the last lecture, you'll understand as never before both the benefits granted and the costs extracted by the "instant economy" that technology and globalization have brought us. You'll grasp what China's expected economic dominance may soon mean. And you'll have a new appreciation of the juggling act policymakers perform as they try to heed history's latest lesson in achieving national growth and maximum human happiness.

What is the meaning of life? Is human existence meaningful or absurd? If you've ever pondered these questions, you have an extraordinary adventure in store, as an award-winning teacher presents a boldly revealing inquiry into these most fundamental of human concerns. In this inspiring series of 36 lectures, Professor Ambrosio charts how these questions have been pursued and grasped through the ages, providing you with the understanding and the tools to come to terms with them in a direct, practical way. Using the key metaphorical figures of the Hero and the Saint, he leads you through the history and evolution of two Western traditions that address the question of meaning: The Greek-derived, Humanist philosophical tradition and the Judeo-Christian/Islamic theistic tradition, tracking the two archetypes as they react to and evolve with cultural changes across the centuries. But these lectures go far beyond an exercise in intellectual understanding. From the very beginning, Professor Ambrosio aims the philosophical problem of meaning squarely at the student, inviting you to actively engage with it by asking you to grapple with universal questions like, How should I live my life? What is the relationship of death to life? Is there some deep, sustainable connection between the two? Drawing on the work of thinkers from Plato and Epictetus to Simone Weil and Viktor Frankl, you'll probe the existential choices about meaning and value that exist as potentials in the fabric of our experience and that call forth the dignity and possibility of our own living.

Published 150 years ago, Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species - the text that introduced the world to natural selection - is among a handful of books that have changed the world. But the route to that status has been surprisingly circuitous and uncertain. Darwin's profoundly revolutionary message has often been misunderstood, as have his own views on evolution, the intellectual background that led to them, and the turbulent history of their reception. Now, in 24 absorbing lectures by an award-winning teacher, you learn the remarkable story of Darwin's ideas, how scientists and religious leaders reacted to them, and the sea change in human thought that resulted. You'll learn how Darwin arrived at his theory of natural selection-the idea that those members of a species best equipped to survive will tend to outlast others, thus changing the species over time-very slowly and cautiously. For he was all too aware of the intellectual dynamite inherent in its implication of no divine intervention being necessary for a rich diversity of life forms on earth. And you'll see how Darwin worked out the details of his theory not only by building on both his own observations and the insights of others, but also through amazing leaps in the face of apparently contrary evidence. You'll also see how the firestorm of religious criticism Darwin's theory faced has scarcely subsided to this day, with Professor Gregory bringing this controversy up to date by carefully examining the claims of intelligent design, the latest and most sophisticated attempt to challenge Darwin on religious grounds.

Most surveys of American history show you the stunning rise of America and take you through the Cold War, a story that includes the tumultuous conflict in Vietnam and the cultural upheaval of the 1960s. The 30 years of contemporary history following the fall of the Soviet Union, however, tend to get short shrift, perhaps because this period of history is still being written, or perhaps because the end of the Cold War is a natural stopping point, an inflection point when one story ends and something new-something unpredictable-begins. Nonetheless, events of today have been profoundly shaped by the past several decades, and one must understand this recent history to understand the world today. Contemporary life is changing so rapidly that it can be breathtaking to take a step back and look at the cohesive "story" from 1990 to 2019, but this is precisely what America after the Cold War: The First Thirty Years offers. Taught by esteemed professor and Great Courses favorite Dr. Patrick Allitt of Emory University, these 12 fascinating lectures tie all the threads of contemporary life together to give you a rich understanding of the world we live in now. America has always been something of a paradox-a colony turned superpower, a productivity dynamo with a widening gulf between rich and poor, and a land of the free that has abetted inequality and racial injustice. The story of the United States is ongoing, but by synthesizing events and illuminating them with vital context, Professor Allitt offers a fascinating exploration of contemporary America.

A mere 45 words, the First Amendment to the Constitution stands as a pillar of our democracy and has had an incalculable influence on the development of human freedom in the United States and the Western world. To study the First Amendment is to learn something about the meaning of America and who "We the People" are, and to see the significant and far-reaching cultural implications of these fundamental constitutional provisions. These twelve practical lectures offer a guide to understanding the protections and limitations implied by the First Amendment. You'll learn… • What and whom it protects, and why it matters to you personally. • Consider questions of how we define speech, the meaning of "religion," and when the state can interfere with your rights. Explore the questions courts and citizens will be grappling with for years to come: • How does the First Amendment apply to the Internet? • Does the First Amendment apply to video games? • Should new communication technologies make courts reconsider well-settled rules? • Is social media subject to existing principles, to new ones, or none at all? Throughout these lectures, Professor Finn returns to a fundamental theme: What the First Amendment protects is largely a function of why it protects it, the why being America's commitment to democracy and liberty. In pursuit of these ideals, courts have often placed a higher value on political speech, although no such distinction is made in the Constitution. You'll examine numerous landmark Supreme Court decisions, including Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

Professor Perl invites you in these eight lectures to abandon your preconceptions and consider some of the most controversial authors of the 20th century: the Modernists. Who were they? How did "classical" Modernists like Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, and James Joyce differ from "neo-Modernists" like Gertrude Stein and William Carlos Williams? What made them believe and write as they did? Why were political extremism, war, and self-destructive behavior such defining forces in their writing (and their personal demons)? What do they have to say to us today in the 21st century? These lectures place literary Modernism within the wide-ranging context of the philosophy, literature, politics, and morality of its time. In doing so, they allow you to look more clearly at the writers and works who have contributed to the definition of human culture. You'll see Eliot, Joyce, Pound, Yeats, James, Lawrence, and others spring to life with their radical beliefs about art and their unforgettable novels and stories. These lectures do not shrink from the challenges imposed by exploring Modernism, or from challenging the answers that scholars have routinely accepted. Nor do they shy away from the difficulties of literary Modernism itself; a literary genre that intimidates many. But despite all this, these lectures are brilliantly organized, crystal clear, and an invaluable tool for finally wrapping your brain around a dramatic roster of authors and an enduring canon of literature.

These eight lectures are a celebration of humanity and the rich texture of human experience. They are a fascinating focus on the complex artistic representations of city life from the 18th to the 20th century. Join Professor Weinstein as he reveals the portraits of humanity that came from several of the period's greatest artists, writers, and thinkers. Among them: Painter Edvard Munch, who depicts the emptiness of urban living, Poet Charles Baudelaire, who celebrates how crowds impact his imagination, Author Daniel Defoe, who dramatizes the freedom the city offers people who want to change their identities, Author Theodore Dreiser, who views the city as a huge, brutal, industrial machine that systematically grinds up individuals, and Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud, who believes that the city is like the mind: a receptacle for the past, as well as for hidden lives and passions. These lectures reveal several vital themes that appear in artists' subjective renderings of urban living: orientation (finding our way), the marketplace (exchanging goods and services), anonymity (experiencing solitude or freedom), encounters (fearing or connecting with others), history (maintaining contact with other times), and cultures (entering the cities' ever-changing cultural forms). Why use art as a guide to city life? According to Professor Weinstein, "Art usually supports what we learn from scientific studies of urban life. Art provides us with something social science cannot: a subjective rendering of city experience that is not quantifiable. Such a depiction includes our fears, desires, and dreams. Art serves as a record for these experiences."

Forget Hollywood's portrayal of violence and mayhem in ancient warfare and find out what the ancient battles were really like. What were the weapons, tactics, armor, training, and logistics? What were the crucial factors that could turn the tide of battle, giving one side victory and the other defeat? In 24 exciting lectures, Professor Fagan introduces you to the many fateful battles that became crucibles of history: the fearsome clash between the Athenians and the invading Persian army at the Marathon, Alexander the Great's crushing hammer-and-anvil tactics against the Persians at Gaugemela, and the Roman mastery of siege warfare at the Jewish fortress of Masada. Encompassing the region from Mesopotamia to western Europe-including Egypt and Northern Africa-this course charts the development of warfare from prehistoric times and examines battles and warfare from the city-states of early Sumer to the fearsome Assyrian war machine, the Greeks' distinctive form of combat, the Persian invasions, and the legions of Rome, which evolved brutally effective tactics that gained them dominion over the entire Mediterranean basin. Although the battles you study were fought long ago, considerable controversy exists among contemporary historians. Professor Fagan presents contending theories without losing sight of the grim realities of war, and the many millions who have died on the battlefields. "We owe it to them," he concludes, "and to the thousands who continue to perish in our planet's wars, to understand as fully as possible what it was that killed them. If this course has advanced its audience's comprehension of war even a little, then it has amply fulfilled its purpose.

Globalization continues to be a force in our economic climate. And the origins of this globalized economy, its effects on important contemporary concerns, and its future trends are just a few of the intriguing issues you explore in these 36 lectures. Go beyond the economy of the United States and examine the recent history of economies in other countries and regions. As you journey with Professor Taylor through the last 50 years of world economic history, you'll explore international perspectives on the new global economy and develop a richer understanding of our increasingly interconnected world. To get a comprehensive picture of the new global economy, you consider the individual economies of countries including China (which may be the world's largest economy through much of the 21st century), India (the accelerated growth of which is based in service industries), and the Middle East (where most economies are surprisingly quite small). You'll also focus on a range of economic issues that have important ramifications for everyone, such as labor laws, population growth, and international economic agencies such as the World Bank and the World Trade Organization. Taken together, these lectures are a comprehensive look at economic globalization you can't get from reading the business section of a newspaper. They're your opportunity to grasp the economic histories, issues, and trends that affect us. With the knowledge gained from these lectures, you're able to understand the latest developments in our global economy and better prepare for a future in which all our economies will be linked.

There was a time, not too long ago, when talking openly about race was considered in poor taste. Even now, many people feel the topic of race is better left alone. What if we say something that's misunderstood? What if we're labeled a racist? Professor Anita Foeman understands those worries. In How to Talk about Race, she gives common-sense guidance and step-by-step instructions you can employ to develop safe and productive dialogue about race.

Four billion years ago, the infant Earth was a seething cauldron of erupting volcanoes, raining meteors, and hot noxious gases, totally devoid of life. But a relatively short time later - only 100 million to 200 million years - the planet was teeming with primitive organisms. What happened? Now you can find out - in a series of 24 vibrant lectures from a leader of the NASA - supported team studying the origins of life in the universe and also one of the nation's foremost science educators. The lectures take you from path-breaking experiments in the 19th century that proved the molecules of life to be no different from other chemicals, to our increasingly sophisticated modern understanding of just how the chemistry of life works, to the near certainty that the 21st century will see spectacular and unpredictable developments in our understanding of how life began. For all its familiarity, life is an elusive concept that is hard to define, much less explain. These lectures show how scientists are systematically building a picture of the process by which those chemical reactions on the early Earth eventually led to the first appearance of the DNA-protein world that remains the fundamental basis of all life today. And you'll join them as they probe for evidence of life beyond our planet. Crammed with fascinating experiments, surprising results, heated debates, blind alleys, and promising leads, the investigation of life's origins is a mystery story in the truest sense - one in which the clues are slowly adding up but the solution is not yet in hand.

Charles Darwin's theory of organic evolution - the idea that life on earth is the product of purely natural causes, not the hand of God - set off shock waves that continue to reverberate through Western society, and especially the United States. What makes evolution such a profoundly provocative concept, so convincing to most scientists, yet so socially and politically divisive? These 12 eye-opening lectures are an examination of the varied elements that so often make this science the object of strong sentiments and heated debate. Professor Larson leads you through the "evolution" of evolution, with an eye toward enhancing your understanding of the development of the theory itself and the roots of the controversies that surround it. Here, you'll explore pre-Darwinian theories of the origins of life, from Genesis and the ancient Greeks to such 18th- and 19th-century scientists as Georges Cuvier. You'll follow the life and work of Charles Darwin, and the impact of his 1859 masterpiece, On the Origin of Species (the first printing of Origin of Species sold out on the first day). You'll examine the history of evolutionary science after Darwin-including the "rediscovery" of Gregor Mendel's work on genetic variation and the discovery of Piltdown Man, a fake evolutionary "missing link," in 1912. And you'll trace the history of religious objections to evolution, from those of Darwin's own time to contemporary efforts to teach creation science in American schools. Richly detailed yet accessible to any curious mind, these lectures offer an invaluable perspective on the volatile history of what is arguably the single most significant idea of modern times.

These 36 intellectually challenging yet remarkably clear lectures take you on an intellectual journey to explore the questions of divine existence, not from the standpoint of theology, but as an issue of epistemology, the classic branch of philosophy that concerns itself with knowledge theory: how we can know things and how we can know we know them. If you enjoy wrapping your mind around questions for which every potential answer triggers a new set of questions and issues, you will find this course particularly enjoyable, regardless of whether you define yourself as a believer, an atheist, or an agnostic. Professor Hall lays out many of the fundamental questions and issues related to the philosophy of religion: What do we mean by "God"? Consider the many characteristics of a monotheistic deity - including omnipotence, omniscience, omniperfection, and asceity. Can we know if there is a God? Examine the ontological, cosmological, and teleological arguments for the existence of God and the problem of evil. Weigh the arguments and counterarguments for whether the existence of evil - sometimes natural and sometimes human - is compatible with the existence of a god. You won't be surprised to discover that the issue of divine existence remains undecided after the arguments for and against have been put on the table and analyzed. This provocative course will hold the attention of believers, skeptics, and agnostics alike. While your mind may not be changed, it will definitely be put to work.

Daunted by the "great big books" of the Western canon? Looking for the same pleasures, satisfactions, and insights from books that are shorter, more accessible, and less dependent on classical references and difficult language than tomes such as Moby-Dick and Ulysses? The truth is that there are so many works that are just as engaging, just as enjoyable, and - most important - just as insightful about great human themes and ideas as anything you'd encounter on a college-level reading list. These 12 highly rewarding lectures offer you an introduction to 12 works that redefine what great literature is and how it can reveal startling truths about life-all without being such a chore to read. Here you'll discover alternatives to the traditional "great books" - Dead Souls as an alternative to War and Peace, and The Master and Margarita as an alternative to Faust. You'll also encounter books from genres that traditionally fall outside the purview of the Western canon. For example, you'll learn how John le Carré's The Spy Who Came In from the Cold transforms the spy novel into serious literature, and how Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons injects the comic-book format with a startling level of realism. Professor Voth excels at both unpacking the significance of a literary work and instilling excitement for it, be it a novella, a collection of short stories, or a play. If you're new to these works, he will have you running to your nearest bookstore or library to discover what you've been missing. And if you've already encountered some of these books, you'll be eager to revisit them and explore what you may have missed on your first reading.

It can be argued that one simple idea - the concept of freedom - has been the driving force of Western civilization and may be the most influential intellectual force the world has ever known. But what is freedom, exactly? These 36 engaging lectures tell the dramatic story of freedom from ancient Greece to our own day, exploring a concept so close to us we may never have considered it with the thoroughness it deserves. In exploring what freedom meant to Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, and other great historical figures, you'll probe a range of provocative issues related to a concept we in the 21st century sometimes take for granted. What does it take to be free, to have and to hold liberty? What role do the liberal arts and the world of the intellect play in the life of a free society or a free individual? How should we understand the relationship among freedom, religion, and morality? With Professor Fears guiding and informing your thinking, you explore the birth of the idea of freedom in Greece and the story of the world's first democracy; the status and meaning of freedom in both the Roman Republic and the Empire; the role of Christianity in that flowering of freedom, and the Christian view of the true meaning of human liberation; the debates about freedom that informed the framing and ratification of the United States Constitution; its awful testing on the battlefields of the Civil War; the struggles of free peoples against domestic injustices and foreign dictatorships during the 20th century; and the questions about freedom we still face today.

The ancient Greeks, more than any other early culture, have given us the template for Westerncivilization, as seen in their superlativeachievements in the fields of architecture, political theory, philosophy, science, and art-not the least of which are their inventions of democracy and drama.In these 24 compelling lectures, Professor Garland guidesyou in arichly illuminating exploration of what the ancient Greeks have given us, and why they're still important to us today. The course delvesinto the origins of Greek civilization, the great Classical and Hellenistic periods, and takesyou through the succeeding epochs of the Roman and Byzantine eras to the Renaissance, culminating with Greece's dramatic modern history.You'll discover the elements of Greek culture that have so deeply imprinted the westin examples such as:The Phenomenon of Hellenism-Learn how Greek culture flowered during the Classical Age, then spread through Alexander's conquests across the Mediterranean world;Athenian Democracy-Grasp the features of democracy as it arose in Athens in the 5thcentury B.C.E.as a bold political experiment;Religion and the Olympians-Explore the nature of Greek religious belief, and the panoply of gods and goddesses, from Zeus, Apollo, and Dionysus to Athena, Aphrodite, and Persephone; Greek Drama, Literature, and Philosophy-Study the plays of Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles, and Aristophanes; the essence of Homer's great epic poems; and the seminal ideas of philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle;andSculpture, Painting, and Architecture–Survey the techniquesand aesthetics of Greek sculpture; discover the superlative qualities of Greek vase painting; and study the elements of Greek architecture.The Greek World: A Study of History and Cultureoffers you a multilevel immersion in Greek civilization, and an unforgettable view of the extraordinary power ancientGreece exerts over the Westernimagination.

Have you ever wondered how the lives of great composers - especially when set against the social, political, and cultural context of their world - influenced their music? After listening to this perceptive series of eight lectures on the life and music of Ludwig van Beethoven, you will likely find that you hear his work in an entirely different way, with your insight informed by new knowledge of how Beethoven was able to create masterpieces from the crises of his life. You'll learn about the years of progressive hearing loss - ultimately to produce total deafness - and the understandable agony and rage such a fate would bring upon a composer. About his deep depression over the end of his relationship with the woman he calls his Immortal Beloved. About his pathological hatred of authority, his persecution complex, even delusional behaviors. But you'll also learn how each of these crises, and many others, served to drive Beethoven inward, to reinvent himself and redeem his suffering through art, creating disruptive works of profound passion and beauty that reinvented the nature of musical expression in the Western world.

After 2,000 years, Christianity is the world's largest religion and continues to prosper and grow. What accounts for its continued popularity? In these twenty-four lectures, Professor Johnson maintains that the most familiar aspects of Christianity, its myths, institutions, ideas, and morality are only its outer "husk." He takes you on a journey to find the "kernel" of Christianity's appeal: religious experience. You'll travel back to Christianity's origins during its first 300 years to identify the elements that first made it appealing and which still hold the secret to its ability to attract new followers. Professor Johnson employs scholarly techniques that have only recently been applied to religion. Professor Johnson looks at questions that are new and intellectually exciting in the study of religion. Was Christ the founder of Christianity? Was Christianity's early growth due to his life and works or to his followers' powerful experience of his death and resurrection, their sense of having been transformed by the Holy Spirit? By combining such disciplines as history, the social sciences, and comparative literary analysis, you'll look at religious experience and behavior from a fresh perspective. You'll consider a variety of theories developed by the philosophers Alfred North Whitehead and Immanuel Kant, Emil Durkheim, the founder of sociology, and Sigmund Freud. And to better understand religious experience in Christianity, you'll also study it in the two religions with which early Christianity co-existed: Greco-Roman paganism and Judaism.

How have films like Ben-Hur, Spartacus, Gladiator, or even a satire like Monty Python's Life of Brian created our popular perceptions of ancient Roman history? In what ways have they led us astray? And why, despite the occasional box-office flop, do movies set in ancient Rome still have the power to captivate us, and to turn each of us into theater-going history buffs? In these 12 lectures, an award-winning historian gives you a front-row look at the great movies that have shaped ancient Rome's role in popular culture and memory. Packed with insights into both history and filmmaking, this series immerses you in the glory and grandeur (and, sometimes, the folly) of classic and contemporary films featuring over 50 years of cinematic talent, including directors like Stanley Kubrick and Ridley Scott and actors such as Elizabeth Taylor and Russell Crowe. You'll investigate portrayals of ancient Roman life on the big screen and small screen; learn how to tease out fact from fiction in some of Hollywood's most stunning spectacles; and deepen your appreciation for films that, when made right, can be thrilling time machines into the past. Some films you may already be a fan of; other films you might have only heard of in passing. But all of them are essential to a well-rounded understanding of the intricate relationship between the world of ancient Rome and the world of the movies.

Philosophers have long puzzled over the nature of space, time, and matter. These inquiries led to the flowering of physics with the Scientific Revolution in the 17th century. Since then, the spectacular success of modern physics might appear to have made philosophy irrelevant. But new theories have created a new range of philosophical concerns: What is the shape of space? Is time travel possible? Is there a grand unified theory that unites all of physics? Treating these and other puzzles with an entertaining and accessible approach, The Great Questions of Philosophy and Physics guides you through the concepts, theories, and speculations that underlie our understanding of reality. In 12 stimulating, half-hour lectures, award-winning teacher and philosopher Steven Gimbel of Gettysburg College covers the fundamental ideas of modern physics, highlighting the role of philosophy in setting ground rules, interpreting the results, and posing new questions. Professor Gimbel describes the grand synthesis that Isaac Newton achieved with his universal theory of gravitation. Then, you see how Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, combined with quantum theory, overthrew the Newtonian paradigm, posing a host of philosophical puzzles. You close by exploring theological arguments that invoke the discoveries of physics to posit a creator God. As with other theories covered in the course, you carefully weigh both sides using scientific evidence and the tools of philosophy.

London began as a Roman outpost more than 2,000 years ago. Since then, it has become one of the most vibrant and notable cities in the world. This capital city has witnessed centuries of history and has been a crossroads of culture and transformation. It has also seen its fair share of sensational events and bizarre occurrences. With such a storied history, it should be unsurprising that many fascinating and notorious stories, places, and personalities are part of its legacy. It's not hard to see why this city has gripped the imagination of people-residents and visitors alike-for generations. In the 12 lessons of Notorious London: A City Tour, you will experience a rich sampling of some of the city's most shocking stories and infamous personalities. Taught by Professor Paul Deslandes of the University of Vermont, Notorious London dips into various regions and eras of London's past to give you a multifaceted look into this remarkable metropolis. From the destruction of St. Paul's Cathedral and the dark history of the Tower of London to the decadence of the fin de siècle and the chaos of World War II, and beyond, these stories bring London to life across the centuries and illuminate the darker corners of a complex and contradictory city. Rather than present a simple chronology of events, Professor Deslandes acts as a tour guide, sharing the many stories of Notorious London as you traverse the city through iconic locales and lesser-known areas alike. However, instead of a simple tourist map of the city, you will experience a brilliant mosaic of places and personalities across time that will show you London as you have rarely seen it before.

In The Power of Storytelling with Ari Shapiro, the award-winning host of NPR's All Things Considered reveals the storytelling secrets he's learned during his career, from finding a good story and choosing the right characters to conducting interviews and even delivering a story effectively out loud.

The brain is a complex and mysterious organ. When everything goes right, it is a finely tuned machine that serves as our body's central processing unit. But like computers on the fritz, things occasionally go haywire in the brain, and the effects can be absolutely crushing. What happens when things go wrong? Now you can delve into the mysteries of what can go awry inside our central processing unit. Taught by esteemed Professor Sandy Neargarder, the 24 eye-opening lessons in Understanding Disorders of the Brain survey some of the most common, and not-so-common, disorders that disrupt the many ways our brains function. Professor Neargarder explores what we know about diseases ranging from autism, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer's to traumas such as head injuries and strokes. For each disorder, she walks through the genetic and environmental factors that underlie the pathology, shares insight about the signs and symptoms to look out for, and looks at the latest research on treatment and cures. Science has come a long way in solving the mysteries of the human brain, but we still have a long way to go. Building a better understanding of these disorders can help all of us minimize our risk factors, recognize symptoms, and ensure the best course of action for ourselves and those we love. This course offers a powerful introduction to the journey of brain science in the 21st century and an excellent addition to your lifelong learning library.\

In the 12 fascinating lectures of Gut Health Explained, Dr. Gabrielle Fundaro shares the latest scientific knowledge about the trillions of organisms and thousands of species that live in your gut. You'll learn how to navigate the evolving landscape of gut microbiome science while gaining a deep understanding of the intricate interplay between you and your microbiome.

In 24 fascinating lectures, Professor Sean Carroll guides you through the history, reasoning, and implications of the Many-Worlds Interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Long before the advent of either the novel coronavirus or the 1918 flu, the plague was one of the world's most prevalent and transformative diseases. In the 14th century, it ravaged populations in the East and West, infecting any man, woman, or child in its path. In Europe, it killed roughly half the population. All Europeans were touched by its lasting effects. A young Geoffrey Chaucer lived, worked, and wrote in the shadow of a pandemic. Without ever mentioning by name the affliction gripping Europe, the brilliant medieval writer captured a continent defined by disease and social upheaval, but also by human resilience. He and other great creative artists of the time bore witness to a period of turbulence and transformation, folding the complex world he occupied into his stories. How did the Black Death transform Europe? How can we make sense of the religious, social, political, and economic changes that followed the advent of disease? And what can our inquiry into the Middle Ages and its most significant outbreak reveal about the human spirit? With expert Simon Doubleday, professor of history at Hofstra University, in After the Plague, dig into the true impact of the Black Death across Europe. In just 24 lectures, understand how medieval men and women confronted the traumas of disease, social upheaval, and violent rebellion. Uncover the contradictions and paradoxes of an extraordinary age: innovations and setbacks, vibrancy and darkness, and reform and repression. Understand how human resilience, a remarkable quality that continues to transcend time and place, functions in the face of tumult and trauma.

Assessing America's National Security Threats digs into the history, scope, and scale of America's most pressing national security threats. In 12 lectures, you will work with former US National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster to understand the threats facing the United States today. You will dive into history to better understand the motivations, goals, and world views of our adversaries; investigate American foreign policy, both past and present; and see how to reframe strategy and construct sound policy in light of specific challenges like climate change and Russian misinformation.

The most effective communicators have strong bodies and focused minds. They know how to train their lungs and warm up their muscles before major speaking engagements. They understand that to speak well, they must first learn how to listen thoughtfully and deliberately. They can craft and deliver quality content no matter who is in the audience. And they can do these things despite the many distractions and noisy soundscapes that define the 21st century. You too can become an effective communicator. All you need is How to Speak So That People Want to Listen, a brief but intensive workshop on the fundamentals of effective speaking and listening, led by expert public speaker and business sound designer Julian Treasure. In nine carefully crafted episodes packed with proven exercises and techniques, you will sharpen your communication skills. Shed your bad listening habits and discover how you can tune out unproductive noise. Investigate the many filters-culture, language, intention, and so on-through which you listen. Understand the difference between content and delivery when it comes to conveying a message, and see how you can improve your skills in each of these two areas. Explore how you can change your tone, pitch, and body language so that you and your content are properly received. Conclude by examining how you can address large audiences with authority and conviction by making small but meaningful changes in how you practice, prepare, and deliver your message.

Propaganda and Persuasion gives you a one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore the powerful, fascinating, and at times dangerous world of influence. Taught by Professor Dannagal G. Young of the University of Delaware, these 12 eye-opening lectures arm you with the tools of effective communication and the insight to understand-and perhaps resist-persuasion in all its forms.

"The piano—with its rich tonal resources, orchestral textures, and ability to convey both melody and harmony—has attracted great composers throughout its history. The result is a repertoire of keyboard works of astonishing size and scope, going far beyond that of any other musical instrument. This phenomenal repertoire, which spans more than 300 years of Western music, includes many of classical music's most beloved masterpieces. Treasures of this tradition include: • The Baroque-era genius of Johann Sebastian Bach, whose preludes and fugues, toccatas, and suites set the standard for keyboard writing. • Sonatas, variations, and related piano works by Classical giants Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven, and the transitional figure of Franz Schubert. • Romantic masterworks ranging from Frederic Chopin's mazurkas, nocturnes, and ballades and Robert Schumann's multi-form piano works to Johannes Brahms's variations and glorious small-scale pieces, and Franz Liszt's virtuosic Hungarian Rhapsodies. • At the turn of the 20th century, the mystical piano works of Aleksandr Scriabin, and the impressionistic textures of Claude Debussy's and Maurice Ravel's keyboard writing. • A dazzling spectrum of 20th- and 21st-century piano music, pioneering new forms and new tonalities, from Arnold Schoenberg, Sergei Prokofiev, and Charles Ives to George Crumb, Florence Price, and George Walker, all of whom extended the expressive voice of the piano. These works and many more form the piano literature that continues to move and enchant us; it comprises one of the most powerful legacies in Western art. In Great Piano Works Explained, you'll dig deeply into this magnificent tradition, in a far-reaching exploration of the art of listening, seen from the bench of a pianist. In these 24 musically rich lectures, taught with passion and deep insight by Professor Catherine Kautsky of Lawrence University, you'll encounter the composers named above and more, finding your way to the heart of their extraordinary music for the piano. Experience the Sublime Richness of the Piano Repertoire In this illuminating course, Professor Kautsky coaches you in hearing and understanding the great works for the piano, with a special feature: In addition to her esteemed teaching, she is a celebrated pianist, and she demonstrates the works under discussion in real-time, at the keyboard, illustrating both excerpts and entire works through her own expressive and thoughtful playing. With her inspired guidance, you'll highlight key works of each composer, and unpack their structure, the musical materials that drive them, and the specific features that affect listeners so strongly, giving you a clear grounding in how to approach and hear this great music. Within the Baroque and Classical periods, you'll look in depth at works such as: • Bach's Well Tempered Clavier and French Suite No. 5—Discover the radiant beauty of Bach's keyboard creations in the brilliant counterpoint of two fugues from the ""WTC,"" and in the emotional range of this vibrant dance suite. • Mozart's Sonata in C Minor, K. 457—Hear the influence of opera in this intense and tempestuous sonata, where Mozart uses dialogue between opposing themes and magical key changes to transport the listener from joy to sorrow, and back again, in an ever-changing kaleidoscope of emotions. • Beethoven's Sonata Opus 110—In this monumental late sonata, witness how Beethoven constructs the work as an unforgettable musical journey; study the majestic first movement, the dramatic Allegro molto, and the Arioso and great fugue that ends the sonata in triumphant affirmation. • Schubert's Sonata in Bb, D. 960—This large-scale sonata, written in the last year of Schubert's life, features unforgettable themes and an intriguing dichotomy between keys. Tour the first movement: You'll love the melodies, and you'll see how one small trill gives rise to the harmonic plan of the entire work.

Shedding light on what creative people do, and how they do it, neuroscientists are mapping the regions of the brain that come into play during creative work, showing that creativity is a skill and something that all of us can cultivate. In these 24 compelling lectures, Professor Viskontas takes you on a deep dive into the human creative faculty, exploring core themes, such as: • How Creative Work Activates the Brain: Study the regions of the brain that shape creativity, as well as the synchronized activity across brain regions that characterizes creative thinking. • Stages and Types of Creativity: Study two practical models of the creative process, one which breaks down recognizable steps or stages in creative work, and one which defines different kinds of creativity, involving two types of mental work. • Myths about Creative People: Examine notions linking mental illness with creative people; regarding creative people and depression, investigate whether depression drives creativity, or the reverse. • Core Features of the Creative Process: Study the phenomenon of creative insight (the "Aha moment"), and how to increase the likelihood of insight; take account of how imagination can be stimulated; and consider the flow state (being "in the zone"), and what occurs in the brain during flow. • Mastering Creative Skills, Thinking, and Improvisation: Grasp the process of mastering a skill, whether in sports, the arts, or any setting; study the steps of design thinking, as a practical aid to creativity; and learn the rules of creative improvisation. • The Creative Context: Note how an open exchange of ideas and a collaborative dynamic fosters a culture of creativity and observe how interaction between human cultures and social ecosystems makes creativity and innovation blossom. Through the many areas of knowledge within the course, Creativity and Your Brain offers empowering and inspiring guidelines for developing your own creativity.

The issues addressed by macroeconomics are all around you, all the time-from taxes to inflation to mentions of GDP on the nightly news. By learning the principles of macroeconomics, you'll be able to go beyond simply hearing the terms to better understanding their relationships to each other and how they create the economic environment in which you live. In fact, macroeconomics with its "big-picture glasses" allows you to better ask-and better try to answer-the biggest questions of our time, questions that impact the lives of billions of people. In 24 revealing lectures, Macroeconomics Made Clear will introduce you to the subject that people have been theorizing about and modeling for almost 100 years. With easy-to-understand visuals and examples, Dr. Akila Weerapana of Wellesley College shows you the real-world applications of the key ideas in macroeconomics. Dr. Weerapana shows you how macroeconomics offers a hopeful tool for the future and sheds light on what we observe now. He focuses on the beginning of macroeconomics when the new field tried to explain the causes of the Great Depression, subsequent business cycles, the COVID-19 pandemic with its economic impacts, and several of our greatest global challenges of today. The People behind the Math When we think about macroeconomics, images of equations, symbols, and models may come to mind. While those do depict the work of macroeconomics, behind all the math are real people trying to figure out something about the world they see around them. What happened to cause the Great Depression and how can we prevent such a severe economic collapse from happening again? Why are two countries that are so similar in so many ways-even sharing one small island in the case of Haiti and the Dominican Republic-so very different in the quality of life experienced by their populations? Are masses of people destined to live in poverty while a few live in luxury or could we develop policies that really make a difference for everyone? These are the questions that drive macroeconomists. In this course, you'll meet many of the most influential people behind the equations, economists who have changed our understanding of the way the world works. These economists include: • John Maynard Keynes. Known as the father of macroeconomics, Keynes was one of the most influential economists to examine the causes of the Great Depression. He proposed occasional short-term government intervention in economies as opposed to always letting free-market forces reign. • Robert Solow. Solow studied the growth of economies-what makes them grow and at what rate-and created one of the most popular models of growth. His work revealed technology to be the key engine of economic growth. • Paul Romer. While Solow identified the role technology plays in an economy, it was Romer's work that explored how those technologies are created, also identifying specific policies that could encourage their development. As you meet these and other influential economists, you will also see how there is no singular model for economic success-There are different theories and varied solutions to the challenges facing modern economies. Models Macroeconomists do not have the option of running their experiments in the real world; no country's central bank is going to change their monetary policy to help a university professor test out a new theory. Instead, macroeconomists create mathematical models. Just like maps, these models preserve the main structures to be considered, while omitting the thousands of smaller features that exist in the real world. Macroeconomic models test what happens when one variable changes against another over time, when an altogether new variable is added into the mix, when government regulations change the value of a constant, and more. In Macroeconomics Made Clear, Dr. Weerapana introduces you to the most significant macroeconomic modeling concepts in order to he

Two folklorists shine a light into the dark recesses of our cultural obsession with vampires. Using folklore, literature, history, television, film, and more, they show you how-and why-vampires are a potent metaphor for what matters most about the human condition.

The stories we tell ourselves are central to how we engage with the world around us. Stories help us make sense of the world, tell us who we are and why we're here, and define our purpose for existence. Stories empower us to learn from the experiences, successes, and failures of others, and can guide us as we make difficult choices in our own lives. They can entertain us; instruct us; and, above all, connect us-to the world, to people in other times and places, to each other, and to our innermost selves. Stories remind us of the remarkable constancy in human nature and the human experience, while simultaneously helping us to learn and grow. We are perpetually interested in questions related to the human condition: What does it mean to be human? Why are we here? What is the best way to live? These stories comprise "The Great Conversation"-the iterative dialogue between thoughtful people across time and place about questions of origin, purpose, and destiny. Studying stories from The Great Conversation across media, across history, and across culture allows us insight into how people have answered these questions for themselves. Doing so helps us become better able to understand who we are and how we can live life richly and, well, in the here and now. To examine the connection between the storytelling impulse and our implicit desire to understand our lives and our place in the world, you will go on a globe-spanning, time-travelling, media-traversing tour in the 12 lectures of Storytelling and the Human Condition. Your guide is award-winning journalist, author, and storyteller Alexandra Hudson, founder of Civic Renaissance, a community of lifelong learners, which she invites you to join at Civic-Renaissance.com. In this course, she will illuminate the many ways stories shape our lives throughout history and across cultures. In the Beginning ... We're storytelling-and story-listening-creatures from day one. According to narrative paradigm theory, conceptualized by communication scholar Walter Fisher, all meaningful human communication occurs through storytelling. This theory argues that, whether we realize it or not, each of us are storytellers, or listeners of stories, at different times in our lives. This isn't just true for our own moment-but for people in all times and places. Every civilization and culture have stories they use to explore the big questions of the human condition, beginning from their earliest, pre-literate days. From the art on the walls of caves to oral storytelling traditions to the (much later) impact of writing and literacy, stories are always central to living lives of meaning in our world. As you examine ancient and influential stories like the Enuma Elish of Babylon, the creation story of Genesis, or the histories of Hesiod, you will gain a better understanding of how these earliest of stories share many of the same questions people have pondered across the history of our species. The stories that Alexandra presents explore the breadth of the human experience: beginning with origin stories and progressing through themes such as suffering, humor, love and sex, pride, death, freedom, and much more. In each lecture, she crosscuts culture, era, and medium to show how stories from different disciplines, people, and places are in conversation with each other across generations and continents. All great art tells a story, as Alexandra shows. Whether you are examining ancient creation stories, analyzing the plays of Shakespeare, diving into modern poetry, or considering the lyrics of a song from the 20th century, you are invited to see how the drive to understand our world and ourselves in story is universal. The Plot Thickens The human condition, said 17th-century French polymath Blaise Pascal, is defined by the greatness and wretchedness of man. As there is duality to our nature as human beings, there is duality to our stories. Great stories lay bare a cu

African Americans became disillusioned with their prospects in the United States following the Civil War. Instead of providing for formerly enslaved people across the South, the government abandoned them to Jim Crow laws segregating buses, schools, stores, and even ticket windows by race. And in northern cities, white Americans responded to the influx of Black migrants not with compassion but with extreme violence and discrimination. The period between slavery and lunch counter sit-ins was regressive and dangerous for African Americans in the United States. But nevertheless, they found ways to resist-through political movements, but also through art, sports, consumer boycotts, and more. African American History: From Emancipation through Jim Crow explores an overlooked but pivotal period of African American history. In just 12 courses, delve into Black history in the United States from the Emancipation Proclamation to Jackie Robsinson's first Major League baseball game. With Associate Professor Hasan Kwame Jeffries as your expert guide, examine how white supremacy affected all aspects of American society from courtrooms to schools. Study the extreme injustices that defined the period, from lynchings to bogus convictions. Explore the number of ways African Americans cultivated culture and preserved a degree of autonomy through song, poetry, religions, and social clubs. And discover how Black men and women fought back against the scourge of white supremacy through marches, concerted legal efforts, and even excellence in sports.

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Many Americans know that our nation's founders drew inspiration from the political systems of ancient Rome and Greece. But what exactly were these influences? And did they shape the United States in far-reaching ways? In these 24 compelling lectures, Professor Winterer takes you on a journey into the thought and actions of the American revolutionaries, showing how classical antiquity shaped every aspect of the revolutionary and founding era. In a multi-layered look at the founders' epoch, you'll investigate key aspects of the story, such as: · A Culture of Classicism. Explore the ethos of classicism that deeply permeated the world of the founders, in education, art, architecture, politics, and more. · The Clash with Britain. In the wake of oppressive British taxation, track the ways in which the revolutionaries identified with the virtues of the ancient Roman republic, viewing the British as a monarchical empire veering into tyranny, as had the Roman empire. · Revolutionary Spirits. Over five lectures, dig deeply into the thought of iconic founders Washington, Adams, Madison, Jefferson, and Franklin; observe how the classical influences of Cicero, Socrates, and many others shaped their public actions. · Classicism, Christianity, and the Enlightenment. Uncover the founders' synthesis of Christian values with the ethical precepts of classical philosophers; also, assess key currents of Enlightenment thought, which deeply informed the founders' vision of a republic which could last through time. · Surpassing the Ancients: The US Constitution. See how the framers created a radically new political model, based in the unprecedented conception of equality, separating the branches of government, and placing all power in the hands of one element: the people. In What America's Founders Learned from Antiquity, you'll discover a new way of appreciating the exciting history of the birth of the American republic.

Join Professor John McWhorter on a journey to the very beginning of writing as a tool of language and see how the many threads of history and linguistics came together to create the alphabet that forms the foundation of English writing.

"Picture this: You were up late with a sick child last night and overslept your alarm by 30 minutes, this morning. You dash into work 45 minutes late and your anxiety is through the roof, but you give it your best effort to act calm on the outside. You're aware that your boss is fuming, and your teammates are disgruntled because you were key to the discussion. After the meeting, you walk outside to decompress, only to be inundated with texts from both work and home. You implode as you weigh your impossible choices. Life is running away from you, and you can't remember the last time you felt in control of anything. If you relate to any part of the scene above, you aren't alone. In a survey from the nonprofit advocacy group Mental Health America, 83% of today's workers are experiencing signs of burnout, with demands of the work domain spilling over into demands of the personal life domain. By learning the simple and accessible techniques provided in Mindfulness for the Workplace, you can find respite from life's inevitable frustrations and create a better work experience with practical, evidence-based solutions from our expert Wendy Quan—author, entrepreneur, and pioneer in workplace mindfulness. As Wendy makes clear, mindfulness is not a way to zone out, be blissful, or avoid life's challenges; nor is it about passive acceptance of your difficulties. It's a tool to lean into life's ups and downs in a conscious, healthy way. The potential benefits are many, including effective stress management and more enjoyment of life. Wendy discovered and used mindfulness and meditation as a primary source of strength to get through a series of devastating crises in her life. Stunned by its effectiveness, she now trains and certifies others to do the same in the workplace. With this insightful and engaging 12-lesson course, you will pick up tools to create a better experience for yourself at work and in life, no matter what your current circumstances are or what the future might hold. Find Calm and Composure in Any Situation But what exactly is mindfulness? And is it the same as meditation? If you're picturing people sitting cross-legged on the floor with blank minds and chanting with blissful smiles on their faces, you may misunderstand what mindfulness practice looks like. While meditation is integral to creating mindfulness, it has nothing to do with emptying your mind. Rather, you can think of it as a pause button in your day, a time to concentrate on your breath, an image, or a word. There are many types of meditation styles employing several techniques such as visualizations, imagery, and even moving meditations such as walking, tai chi, and yoga. This course focuses on a secular, non-spiritual approach that anyone from any walk of life can incorporate. Five key traits of mindfulness will be reiterated throughout the lessons in a practical, applicable way. Those traits are: • Presence—Placing yourself in the present moment and not worrying about the past or future. • Awareness—Noticing what you are experiencing within you and around you. • Non-judgment—Not getting caught up in a stream of likes and dislikes and recognizing when you are judging. • Being with what is—Accepting that your situation is happening, so you can move forward. • Kindness—Both toward yourself and others, an excellent way to check your words and actions is to ask yourself—Is it kind? Is it true? Is it helpful? Learn Simple Techniques Anyone Can Do Throughout the course, expert Wendy will guide you to try different breathing and thinking techniques that have the potential to immediately decrease your stress and increase your awareness. An example of a simple and direct technique you can employ when facing tough interactions is the S.T.O.P. technique: S—Stop what you're doing T—Take a breath O—Observe what's going on in and around you P—Proceed to your next action with intention

Waiting for Godot. The Importance of Being Earnest. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Since Shakespeare's time, no period has produced more brilliant and various theatrical dramas in Great Britain than in the past 100 years. Professor Saccio has selected the major British playwrights of the past century to cover Wilde, Shaw, Coward, Beckett, Osborne, Pinter, Stoppard, Churchill, and Hare. Why this roster of modern British playwrights? As you'll discover while exploring their great works in these eight lectures, some of them celebrate (or satirize) elite manners, some explore the changes in a kingdom that once ruled a quarter of the globe, some assault the sociopolitical establishment, and some probe the Existential anxiety of the modern age. "Unlike other media, dramatic art occurs in a certain place in time; in the 'here and now,'" states Professor Saccio. You'll examine the role theater has played in British culture and society over the past 100 years. You'll witness the evolution of the stylistic conventions of the British play, from the genteel drawing-room comedies of the late 19th century to the radical political theater of the late 20th century. Throughout this brief survey of some of the great innovators of the dramatic arts of the modern era, you'll understand how and why modern British drama has changed so dramatically, and you'll realize the importance of the political and social context in which these works were written.

What is our species' greatest invention? Medicine, computers, space travel? Not even close. The innovation that underlies each of our past achievements and those we still aspire to is language. Language is the ultimate invention of Homo sapiens-one that has allowed us to change the physical and social world around us in every conceivable way, and an invention that has fundamentally changed us, as well. Research has shown that whether we're sighted or blind, hearing or deaf, one or one hundred years old, communication through language is a fundamental part of what it means to be human. In 24 fascinating lectures, Dr. Spencer Kelly, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Colgate University, takes us on a fascinating journey into so many aspects of life we take for granted every day: our ability to remember the past and imagine a future, our use of hand gestures and facial expressions in communication, our capacity for storytelling, and so much more. You will explore fascinating questions, such as the origin of the human mind, what makes our communication so much different than other animals, whether or not language itself influences thought, and how babies learn their native language without direct teaching. You will follow along, finding yourself intrigued, surprised, and enthralled by it all because ... you possess the power of language.

What is the dynamic relationship between our culture's written and unwritten laws and its literature? How is that relationship evolving? How do law and literature influence or reflect one other? And what lessons might we draw from their symbiotic relationship? This 24-lecture series from a much-honored teacher approaches these questions with provocation and passion as it explores the rhetorical and philosophical connections that link these two disciplines, moving through ancient Greece, the Middle Ages, England's experience of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, and the 19th and 20th centuries. Focusing on individual works of literature where law - implicit or explicit - is a central theme, as well as on the overall relationship between law and literature in society, Professor Heinzelman shows how that relationship gradually transformed, from the astoundingly intricate cross-connections between law and literature still present during the time of Shakespeare, to a point in the mid-18th century when the two disciplines separated more clearly into the distinct realms we recognize today. The crucial period from the late 17th to the 19th century - during which that separation evolved and solidified - draws her sharpest focus, with the literature of the time, including some of the most famous and influential works ever put to paper, offering a profound perspective on that era's structures and values as well as an enduring impact we still feel today.

Americans pride themselves on being doers rather than thinkers, but ideas are at the very root of what it means to be an American. Behind this nation's diverse views on religion, education, social equality, democracy, and other vital issues is a long-running intellectual debate about the right ordering of the human, natural, and divine worlds. Indeed, America is an enduring hotbed of ideas. Such great thinkers as Jonathan Edwards, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, William James, Martin Luther King, Jr., and many others engaged in lively and often contentious debate that helped mold America's institutions and attitudes. This immensely stimulating conversation made the United States what it is today - and provides the subject for these 36 fascinating lectures. In this course, you will delve deeply into the philosophical underpinnings of the nation, forged by the Puritans and the leaders of the American Revolution. You will also explore many other aspects of the elaborate structure that became modern America, tracing ideas in politics, religion, education, philosophy, psychology, anthropology, literature, social theory, and science - proving that Americans have a much richer intellectual tradition than generally imagined. You'll learn about such philosophical movements as transcendentalism, pragmatism, and conservatism. You'll study the transatlantic philosophy of the Puritans, the spiritual revival of the Great Awakening, and the passion for reason sparked by the Enlightenment. And you'll trace the origin and evolution of America's colleges, which have served as a battleground of ideas, sometimes in an almost literal sense.

We've all asked ourselves whether there is any meaning in human life. But for philosophers, this is just the first question of many: Is such a question even answerable by philosophy? And if so, can the practice of philosophy itself pursue a positive answer? Can philosophy prove life has any meaning? These 24 accessible lectures offer a thoughtful and stimulating discussion of how some of the greatest minds in the past three centuries have pondered why we are here and what journey we might be on. It's also a chance for you to take your own journey, as Professor Erickson guides you along the intellectual road traveled by a host of powerful thinkers. You'll consider the post-Enlightenment ideas of Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer, and other European philosophers. Then you'll trace the line of thought through such intellectuals as Marx, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Freud, Heidegger, Sartre, Camus, Foucault, and Habermas. Most importantly, however, Professor Erickson has designed a course that requires no prior background in philosophy and avoids the often-intimidating language in which serious philosophy can be expressed. And he has done so without diminishing the extraordinary intellectual depth that each of the philosophers included here bring to the debate. The avenues opened by these thinkers do not, of course, explain the meaning of life - or even if such a meaning exists. But they do take us further along a fascinating and worthwhile journey that will almost certainly never end.

With this exciting and historically rich six-lecture course, experience for yourself the drama of this dynamic year in medieval history, centered on the landmark Norman Conquest. Taking you from the shores of Scandinavia and France to the battlefields of the English countryside, these lectures will plunge you into a world of fierce Viking warriors, powerful noble families, politically charged marriages, tense succession crises, epic military invasions, and much more. Your journey starts in the 10th and early 11th centuries, when power in England and Normandy was very much up for grabs - and when the small island nation was under continuous assault from Viking forces. Professor Paxton helps you gain a solid grasp of the complex political alliances and shifting relationships between figures such as Emma of Normandy, Cnut, and Edward the Confessor. She also recounts for you the two seminal battles that pitted England against the Scandinavians and the Normans: the Battle of Stamford Bridge and the Battle of Hastings. Throughout the lectures, Dr. Paxton opens your eyes to continued debates and controversies over this year and offers her own take on the Norman Conquest's enduring legacy and the fascinating results of this epic clash. By exploring the year 1066 - what led up to it, what happened during that fateful year, and what changed as a result - you'll gain a sharper perspective and a greater understanding of everything that would come afterward.