
Great Minds of the Eastern Intellectual Tradition
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Narrated by:
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Grant Hardy
About this listen
Western philosophy is a vast intellectual tradition, the product of thousands of years of revolutionary thought built up by a rich collection of brilliant minds. But to understand the Western intellectual tradition is to get only half the story. The Eastern intellectual tradition has made just as important a contribution - and is also the product of thousands of years of cumulative thought by a distinct group of brilliant thinkers.
Their ideas demonstrate wholly different ways of approaching and solving the same fundamental issues that concerned the West's greatest thinkers, such as the existence of God, the meaning of life and the nature of truth and reality.This epic and comprehensive 36-lecture examination of the East's most influential philosophers and thinkers - from a much-honored teacher and scholar - offers a thought-provoking look at the surprising connections and differences between East and West. By introducing you to the people-including The Buddha, Ashoka, Prince Shotoku, Confucius, and Gandhi - responsible for molding Asian philosophy and for giving birth to a wide variety of spiritual and ideological systems, it will strengthen your knowledge of cultures that play increasingly important roles in our globalized 21st-century world.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
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life just makes more sense.
- By Maximilian Mess on 02-01-25
By: Buddha, and others
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The American Civil War
- By: Gary W. Gallagher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary W. Gallagher
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
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Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.
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Excellent Series
- By Rodney on 07-09-13
By: Gary W. Gallagher, and others
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The Celtic World
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Jennifer Paxton PhD
- Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins
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Following the surge of interest and pride in Celtic identity since the 19th century, much of what we thought we knew about the Celts has been radically transformed. In The Celtic World, discover the incredible story of the Celtic-speaking peoples, whose art, language, and culture once spread from Ireland to Austria. This series of 24 enlightening lectures explains the traditional historical view of who the Celts were, then contrasts it with brand-new evidence from DNA analysis and archeology that totally changes our perspective on where the Celts came from.
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I wish this had a different title
- By Kindle Customer on 06-20-18
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The Theory of Evolution: A History of Controversy
- By: Edward J. Larson, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Edward J. Larson
- Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins
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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.
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Little mistakes here and there
- By Daniel on 06-21-16
By: Edward J. Larson, and others
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Thinking Like an Economist: A Guide to Rational Decision Making
- By: Randall Bartlett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Randall Bartlett
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
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Economic forces are everywhere around you. But that doesn't mean you need to passively accept whatever outcome those forces might press upon you. Instead, with these 12 fast-moving and crystal clear lectures, you can learn how to use a small handful of basic nuts-and-bolts principles to turn those same forces to your own advantage.
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Great for beginners, nothing you for an economist
- By V. Taras on 07-08-15
By: Randall Bartlett, and others
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The New Testament
- By: Bart D. Ehrman, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Bart D. Ehrman
- Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins
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Whether taken as a book of faith or a cultural artifact, the New Testament is among the most significant writings the world has ever known, its web of meaning relied upon by virtually every major writer in the last 2,000 years. Yet the New Testament is not only one of Western civilization’s most believed books, but also one of its most widely disputed, often maligned, and least clearly understood, with a vast number of people unaware of how it was written and transmitted.
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If you want a balanced overview this is not it
- By Amazon Customer on 02-27-16
By: Bart D. Ehrman, and others
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Mind-Body Philosophy
- By: Patrick Grim, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Patrick Grim
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
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How is it that our brain creates all the subjective experiences of our lives every single day - the experiences we call reality? That is the mind-body problem. In Mind-Body Philosophy, Professor Patrick Grim of the State University of New York at Stony Brook leads an intellectually exhilarating tour through millennia of philosophy and science addressing one of life's greatest conundrums. But you won't just be a spectator as Dr. Grim engages and encourages each of us to come to our own conclusions.
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Another Great Courses Homerun!
- By Mike on 01-24-17
By: Patrick Grim, and others
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Understanding Russia
- A Cultural History
- By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Lynne Ann Hartnett
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
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From the earliest recorded history of the Russian state, its people have sought to define their place in the world. And while many of us look to make sense of Russia through its political history, in many ways a real grasp of this awe-inspiring country comes from looking closely at its cultural achievements. The 24 lectures of Understanding Russia: A Cultural History survey hundreds of years of Russian culture, from the world of Ivan the Terrible to the dawn of the Soviet Union to the post-war tensions of Putin’s Russia.
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Good American overview of Russia
- By Jeffrey L. Smith, PE on 10-21-18
By: Lynne Ann Hartnett, and others
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The Ethics of Aristotle
- By: The Great Courses, Father Joseph Koterski S.J.
- Narrated by: Father Joseph Koterski S.J.
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
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In this 12-lecture meditation on Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, you'll uncover the clarity and ethical wisdom of one of humanity's greatest minds. Father Koterski shows how and why this great philosopher can help you deepen and improve your own thinking on questions of morality and leading the best life. The aim of these lectures is to provide you with a clear and thoughtful introduction to Aristotle as a moral philosopher.
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Father Joseph is awesome!
- By DeeDeen on 04-08-17
By: The Great Courses, and others
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1066: The Year That Changed Everything
- By: Jennifer Paxton, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jennifer Paxton
- Length: 3 hrs
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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.
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History brought to life
- By Joshua on 07-10-13
By: Jennifer Paxton, and others
What listeners say about Great Minds of the Eastern Intellectual Tradition
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- Jeremy
- 11-24-14
Great, sweeping overview of Eastern thought
Would you listen to Great Minds of the Eastern Intellectual Tradition again? Why?
Definitely. There is so much Information packed into each lecture that you pretty much have to listen to it again to retain most of it. But I got a lot more out of them the second time around - particularly when I took the time to read the texts Professor Hardy is lecturing on (i.e. the Gita, the Analects, the Dao De Jing, Seami's plays, etc.)
What did you like best about this story?
Professor Hardy includes interesting anecdotes and clearly knows his stuff (though in most lectures he can only really skim the surface).
Still, I came away with a new appreciation for Indian philosophy and learned some new tidbits about topics I already knew pretty well.
Any additional comments?
This is a great introduction for further study. I wanted a general overview of Eastern thought so that I could then investigate people who caught my interest. This gave me exactly that.
1 credit well spent.
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- Dan
- 02-09-19
interesting and entertaining
a great summary of a huge amount of history, told in an interesting and engaging way
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- Tawnya J. Luke
- 06-30-17
I loved it!
Grant Hardy is a great lecturist! I love listening to his course. It is fun and not dreary. I can listen over and over again!
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- Phillip Jones
- 05-26-22
Lovely exploration of Eastern Civilization and it’s key thinkers
Grant Hardy provides a gracious and compelling exploration of Asia’s key philosophers, historians, religious thinkers, and their influences. His analysis is measured and respectful and he provides teaching in a humorous, good-mannered, and educational way. It’s a remarkable way to spend 18 hours.
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-07-22
Breadth not depth.
The range of things he introduces is really more than I had ever even speculated about. And he delivers it well. I do like it.
However, early on before he confessed it in the final lecture, it is apparent that he doesn't "get" Easter religion. I could just tell that he didn't understand the concepts which one really does have to experience.
This made it a little dry for me and awkward at times listening to him try to put the right words in place and he couldn't tell that he had missed the mark.
Overall I commend him. He seems like a fantastic man. But he is obviously a scholar and NOT also a practitioner.
I would highly recommend if you want knowledge but it is the wrong source if what you seek is insight.
Hope this helps.
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- Mike Lewis
- 07-23-19
A PhD of Eastern thought in 20hrs
good stuff. this lecture seried turned me on to dozens of historical thinkers, writers, and religious figures that either had never heard of, or knew very little about. i ended up buying 10+ of the original books mentioned here.
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- Amazon Customerw
- 12-28-18
I have worked 45 years in banking in the Far East
I have never heard of better lecture or explanation of the philosophy and the ways of lives in the Far East.
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- Jeremy Estabrooks
- 05-15-15
Interesting, sometimes overwhelming in detail
Having the course book for this series is indispensable in order to not lose yourself in the depth of detail that the professor delves into, especially since many of these thinkers and schools of thought are not familiar to most westerners.
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- Prester
- 11-13-17
Clear introduction to eastern philosophy
This course is one of my favorites from The Great Courses. It is a fantastic overview of Eastern Philosophy, and really sparked my interest in current work attempting to connect Eastern and Western philosophical traditions.
AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY
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- Blythe Freeman
- 02-19-19
Great course, performance was lacking
Very informative but the professor's use of "k" was profuse and off putting. I would recommend this course for any beginner.
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