Gave me much needed contrasts and comparison

The Professor does an incredibly good job of making Greek Philosophy understandable. Today as well as during the ancient Greeks there's been the outstanding disagreement for what the nature of Knowledge really entails. Importantly the lecturer covers the comparisons and contrast between the pre-Socratic, the sophists, with Plato and Aristotle.

The being and becoming, the crossing a river or never crossing it, the atom or the void, the essence verse the existence, those are all aspects of nature and were the main concerns of the pre-Socratics. So often, I'll read something and they will refer to Parmenides ('nothing is not possible"), Heraclitus ("we never cross the river"), Democritus ("all is atom"), or another pre-Socratic philosopher and they would expect me the reader to understand the complete context by what was meant by the single name. Now I can understand.

This lecture series will put each of the main thinkers into context and compare them between each other, and tell you how they are similar and where they differ, and also never overly confusing the listener by giving too much to process at once.

There are many great gems within this series. Plato knew his "nature was not to know nature" and he would be better served by focusing on what our 'values' and 'virtues' should be and realized he was best able to work with logos (rational discourse), but always realizing that the sophisticated sophists (non-absolutist or relativist) had a strong argument and could not be defeated on their own terms. By just asking the question, "what is justice" is equivalent to as the Professor says, asking the question "who won the game last night", by the very fact of asking the question presumes there was a game and a winner, just as asking the question "what is justice" can imply things beyond the question itself.

I now know why my heart lies with the pre-Socratics (and sophists), why Plato is always more worth while than I've known and Aristotle with his common sense approach and his belief in reality being knowable is still relevant today, and ultimately the foundation laid down by these great thinkers are still just as relevant today.

10 people found this helpful

Prof. Roochnik is a ROCK STAR!

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I'll listen to any lecture given by Prof. Roochnik. His knowledge is equalled only by his ability to convey the information is simple easy to understand terms. A great teacher!

19 people found this helpful

Great.

Like many of the courses in this series, it lives up to its name. It is great. The professor is top notch, and even though I have completed graduate work in philosophy I still learned a great deal. The learnings came from putting things in a larger perspective given this professor's immense background, and also learning A bit more about some of the thinkers with which I was already familiar.

14 people found this helpful

An Excellent Introduction

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I bought this title after reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, to further explore the topics presented in that book.

"An Introduction to Greek Philosophy" is an excellent--if not essential--companion to ZMM. Prof. Roochnik covers a wide body of ancient works clearly and efficiently. He also references numerous other A.D. philosophers throughout his lectures, creating new paths of exploration for you if you enjoyed this title.

Perhaps my largest takeway was Roochnik's urging to take the side of the philosopher before offering your own critique, no matter how ludicrous their writings initially sound. Sound advice outside, as well as inside, the classroom. Other personal takeaways I enjoyed include:
- The Pre-Socratics (more enjoyable than I initially thought they would be)
- Relativism vs. Absolutism
- Plato's Forms
- Aristotle's God: "God does not love, because God does not hate."

The entry/exit of each chapter is laughable--I don't remember attending any college course that opened each lecture with a string quartet and a rousing ovation. Don't let that skew your perception of the quality of the material covered. This title was well worth the cost of an Audible credit (and -way- cheaper than the equivalent university credit).

11 people found this helpful

What a concept!

While I’m enjoying listening to this, it’s maddening to listen to Roochnik circle round and round definition and concept formation without seeming to have a clue what they are. Maybe it will get better with Aristotle which I am quickly approaching.

2 people found this helpful

Useful introduction that stimulates

Roochnik's series is a wonderful way to start learning more about life and philosophy. The framework situates major figures in western philosophy. Having no philosophical background the language and terms were well explained and clearly expressed. And through use of examples the points that Roochnik sought to convey were well made. It has been an eye opener and pleasure.

2 people found this helpful

A bit dry, but essential

I have to admit some bias for these lectures. You're basically getting a semester's worth of classroom lectures for under $30 per course. This introduction to Greek philosophy was fantastic and engaging, though the last couple hours were somewhat tedious to get through.

7 people found this helpful

Another great course

This course was wondeful. A very good start to philosophy. Not to much, not too little.

1 person found this helpful

Exactly as Advertised

This is exactly what it professes to be, a series of lectures focused on introducing the listener to Greek philosophy. The narration is lively, the professor is knowledgeable, and the information is presented simply and clearly. I'm taking an Introduction to Philosophy class at the local college and I thought this would help get me going in the subject, and it did just that. It covers the big three of Greek Philosophy quite well an it will definitely give you a feel for the subject, teach you a few things, and help you decide if this is a subject you want to continue to pursue. I did not look at the accompanying PDF, so I can't fully grade the product as a whole, but as with all of The Great Courses I've listened to, this one was both entertaining and educational. Very well done.

1 person found this helpful

Well Done

And amazing lecture, perfectly suited for a long commute. The speaker was incredibly easy to listen to.

2 people found this helpful