The Great Courses (Firm)
Author
Series
Great Courses volume 9
Language
English
Description
Logic is intellectual self-defense against such assaults on reason and also a method of quality control for checking the validity of your own views. But beyond these very practical benefits, informal logic—the kind we apply in daily life—is the gateway to an elegant and fascinating branch of philosophy known as formal logic, which is philosophy’s equivalent to calculus. Formal logic is a breathtakingly versatile tool. Much like a Swiss army...
Publisher
The Great Courses
Language
English
Description
We commonly define the Pythagorean theorem using the formula a2 + b2 = c2. But Pythagoras himself would have been confused by that. Explore how this famous theorem can be explained using common geometric shapes (no fancy algebra required), and how it’s a critical foundation for the rest of geometry.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Language
English
Description
Quantum mechanics gives us a picture of the world so radically counterintuitive that it has changed our perspective on reality itself. In Quantum Mechanics: The Physics of the Microscopic World, award-winning Professor Benjamin Schumacher gives you the logical tools to grasp the paradoxes and astonishing insights of this field.
4) Anonymity
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
With the pervasiveness of government and corporate surveillance, some people feel the urge to go off the grid. This lecture explores the benefits and challenges of anonymity for individuals and for society, delving into issues such as the freedom of political speech and the privacy of personal searches and communication. Take a look at two tools people use in pursuit of Internet anonymity: TOR networks and Bitcoin currency.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
What's going on in your cognitive machinery as you manufacture your decision? Delve into the two-system model of decision making: System 1 is your automatic and intuitive processor, your earlier system from an evolutionary perspective; and System 2 is the flexible, powerful serial processor that you think of as "you."
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2017.
Language
English
Description
Investigate Gandhi's early life and how he became a nationalist leader. Study the elements of his political philosophy, the political tools of ahimsa (no harm) and satyagraha (force of truth), and the forces of modernity and British rule that Gandhi critiqued. Finally, examine the 1919 event that thrust him onto the national stage.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2015.
Language
English
Description
First, consider images of the Arthurian legend familiar in Western culture, and their relationship to historical reality. Trace the history of post-Roman Britain, the large-scale invasions of the Anglo-Saxons, and evidence that a single, extraordinary individual rose from the chaos to lead and save his people..
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
The expansion of the Islamic civilization between the 8th and 10th centuries played a major role in the history of Afro-Eurasian states and cultures. Survey the story of Islam from the life of Mohammed to the Sunni-Shia split to the Islamic Golden Age. Review the pillars of the faith and the culture's impact on the world.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
Sport and spectacle have long been part of human affairs. We associate gladiatorial combat with the Romans, but it actually originated with the Etruscans, who held such combats and chariot races as part of religious observances. Study the exciting world of Etruscan sports and find out the context surrounding different types of games..
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
See what measures the American government took during the Cold War to prevent our devolution into a Stasi-like state. While the CIA and the FBI had several unauthorized surveillance programs in the 1950s and 1960s, Congress and the Supreme Court stepped in to oversee the intelligence world with several powerful measures in the 1970s.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2017.
Language
English
Description
The 200 years of Britain’s colonial rule of India was a time of seminal transformation and change - for India, for Britain, and for the world. In A History of British India, explore how the British took power in India, built a massive economic machine, and ruled until India’s 1947 independence. You’ll relive a crucial era in international relations, one with deep and lasting implications.
13) The Grand Finale
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
1999.
Language
English
Description
This last lecture crowns the course by briefly summarizing 3,000 years of Egyptian history; outlining Egypt's legacy to us; surveying images of Egypt in film and literature; and listing ways you can pursue your interest in this remarkable civilization. Your learning needn't stop here!
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
In Hinduism, death is part of a grander cycle of rebirth and suffering—with the ultimate goal of liberation (moksha). Here, ponder the concept of the Atman (one’s immutable soul); meet the Hindu gods who personify death and, relatedly, time; and learn what rituals can prevent a spirit from becoming stuck between worlds.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2013.
Language
English
Description
Whether it's chess, poker, or Sudoku, most games have this in common: Everything you need to win is rooted in mathematics. Now, using nothing more than a simple grasp of math, you can discover optimal ways to win games and solve puzzles with the speed and accuracy of professional players. These 12 lessons will teach you a rewarding set of skills you can apply to countless games and puzzles.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
Professor Cognard-Black introduces you to artistic proofs, which are grounded in your expertise and colored by your own observations and experiences. The most important artistic proof in any essay is ethos—the writer’s ethical appeal or credibility. She demonstrates how to effectively use ethos along with logos or rationality to bring reasonableness into your essays, which vital to writing effectively. You’ll examine the work of a pair of writers...
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
It is one thing for God to grant humans the freedom to do evil, but it’s harder to understand the existence of natural evils such as earthquakes and plagues. Evaluate different approaches to this problem, including the suggestion that God exists but didn’t create our universe.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2016.
Language
English
Description
Begin a series of lectures on thunderstorms, which are the key to understanding many types of extreme weather. Learn how thunderstorms are forecast, and explore their formation by following a weather balloon on its data-gathering mission through the atmosphere.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2017.
Language
English
Description
Dr. Bonura leaves you with skills to learn from the stress in your life. Discover why it's important to feel a sense of purpose; how the frequency of positive experiences you have is more important than their intensity; and why it truly is important to appreciate the small things.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2015.
Language
English
Description
Military historians still argue over what happened and who was at fault in the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Examine why this battle between George Custer’s cavalry and the Lakota and their allies remains one of the most infamous in American history, and see how this rare victory for the indigenous tribes ultimately hastened their defeat..