Begin with a close study of omnitemporalism-the idea that the future already exists and that God necessarily has foreknowledge of it. He earned a master's degree and doctorate in philosophy from the University of Oklahoma. He also maintains two blogs for Psychology Today. Look briefly at emotivism, which holds that our emotions tell us what is right. A very biased introduction to the big questions of philosophy, Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2017. He also has written numerous articles that explore the relationship between philosophical questions and such pop cultural phenomena as The Hobbit, Doctor Who, Batman, South Park, Johnny Cash, Quentin Tarantino, and Christmas. Your guide is philosopher David Kyle Johnson, an award-winning teacher and nationally recognized scholar, author, speaker, and blogger, who is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at King’s College in Pennsylvania. Outstanding review of the topics in Philosophy. Among shapers of contemporary thought, Friedrich Nietzsche is the most mysterious and least understood. Avoiding fallacious reasoning is just the beginning of philosophical thinking. Does God have reasons we cannot understand? Logical reasoning (induction, deduction, abduction) are dealt with in a manner that was eye-opening to me. What makes it "obvious"? Start with the celebrated "hard problem" of consciousness: How does the brain produce the mind? Thus, the title of the series is misleading; rather than, "Big Questions of Philosophy," a more accurate title would be, "My Answers to the Big Questions of Philosophy, and You're a Fool If You Don't Agree With Me." Obviously, everyone has their biases, but when you're teaching philosophy you shouldn't push those biases on your students. If you are not familiar with the term, and it's logical weaknesses, it may be well worth looking up.) Given the complexity of these big questions, it should be no surprise that many controversies are far from settled. If I didn't find my interest in philosophy dropping during this listen I would have rated it better because the author is probably a great teacher. No deep discussions of what Plato, Aristotle, etc said. You will get an email reminder before your trial ends. The most popular proofs appeal to God's existence as the best explanation for the universe's existence and nature. Presents some logic basics tidily. And if this is the kind of "penetrating, questioning, probing analysis" currently being taught in Acedmia, it is diffucult to see how we are really advancing scientifically, intelectually...or morally. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. This kind of polemic, propoganda and, yes, bullying, is not worthy of the Great Courses. I bought these lectures fully prepared, even chomping at the bit, to have my own beliefs and assumptions thoroughly questioned and examined in hopes of further growth and insight. See what Plato had to say. Professor Johnson's humor and clear presentation really help make sense of these fascinating aspects of our daily lives. Disappointing...to say the least. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. I listen to lots of audio lectures from both Great Courses and Modern Scholar. "Well because...it's the placebo effect...that's why!" We are assured that "scientific invesitgation", (or at least the scientific investigation that aligns with the professor's own beliefs), is a better "faith" for the modern world. By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible’s Conditions of Use. So, not as much discussion of people, as much as of the topics. The professor is a good speakers who teaches clearly and keeps your attention at all times. (Funny...and perhaps revealing...that term does not occur in these lectures...not once. The course is entertaining and thought provoking. Professor Johnson regularly teaches classes on metaphysics, philosophy of religion, philosophy of mind, and logic, as well as courses on critical thinking and scientific reasoning. Join Plato, St. Anselm, Descartes, Locke, Hume, Kant, Mill, Smith, Marx, Rawls, and many others in an exploration of fundamental questions. Professor Johnson also publishes prolifically on the intersection of pop culture and philosophy. In 2011, the American Philosophical Association's committee on public philosophy gave him an award for his ability to make philosophy accessible to the general public. We have all pondered seemingly unanswerably but significant questions about our existence - the biggest of all being, "Why are we here?" Here, perform a thought experiment that casts into doubt the moral justification of government. Your first step is to inquire what establishes the truth of ethical statements. If there is one suggestion that I could add is that in such a course that presents many terms not commonly used in the mainstream lexicon, where such terms not only are defined ,however used to synthesize a concept takes my mind into a spin to follow both the definitions, and the synthesized concept that is challenging to encode as learning. However, those are minor issues and an overall excellent course. I've purchased at least 50 courses from The Great Courses, and this is one of the rare times I had to return a course. Analyze his famous categorical imperative, which is a set of obligatory moral rules guided by reason. Begin a series of lectures addressing the next big question: Does God exist? Professor Johnson poses the last big question of the course: Can we answer the ultimate question? How should one behave? Investigate examples of gut-thinking, confirmation bias, appealing to ignorance, the correlation fallacy, begging the question, and equivocation. Had the title been The big questions in Western Philosophy, the course would have been perfect; but not as advertised. What are our grounds for doing so, and how does this apply to religious faith? A delightful, detailed discourse about philosophy's concepts of our lives. Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2018. We've sent a link and instructions to your email address to Please try again. How certain can we be that what we claim to "know" is true? Definitely recommended. All starts with the Greeks and ends either in Europe or America. And what exactly is the "placebo effect", exactly, and why does it work? Learn to think clearly, shun fallacies, and reach your own conclusions as you confront the questions that have puzzled generations of philosophers. Learn that all of us unconsciously behave as if it is. ©2016 The Great Courses (P)2016 The Teaching Company, LLC. Does this fact morally justify it? Get ready to think big! We've updated our website and apps to improve your Great Courses Plus experience. Second, Dr. Johnson does a great job showing why the problems are genuine problems on not merely mental diddling. Explore the possibility that personal identity is preserved by memory, as Locke contended, or by psychological continuity. And propganda and polemic for that Belief. These questions include: What is knowledge? A very interesting and informative audiobook from an impressive instructor. Start Your Lifelong Learning Journey Today! A satisfying listen for scholarly atheists, Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2020. Explore this issue with Plato, whose dialogue The Republic is a detailed description of a highly regulated, virtuous society. Evaluate different approaches to this problem, including the suggestion that God exists but didn't create our universe.... Do we have free will?