Rufus Fears – Life Lessons from the Great Books

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Rufus Fears – Life Lessons from the Great Books

Life Lessons from the Great Books
An expert storyteller and professor shows you how some of Western civilization’s greatest literary masterpieces can provide guidance in your life across the gulf of time and culture.

LECTURE

01:Seneca-“On Providence”
In this introductory lecture, Professor Fears explains how wisdom enables us to take information and apply it to our lives. You begin with the Roman Empire and Seneca’s “On Providence,” which asserts that evil cannot befall a truly good man because, if a man believes that God is good, then there is no real evil….
32 min

02:The Gospel of John
Learn how the Gospel of John differs from the other synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) in both its majestic language and the ways it reveals Jesus’s character. This text can teach you that the message of a single teacher can be more powerful than the rule of a massive empire….
30 min

03:Boethius, Martin Luther King-Conscience
See how Boethius’s On the Consolation of Philosophy instructs us on how true wisdom resides in recognizing the harm caused by returning evil with evil. Also, see Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” as a profound testimony to our ability to change the world….
30 min

04:Dostoevsky-The Brothers Karamazov
Evil, suffering, and death have important purposes that we oftentimes can’t understand, according to Professor Fears. In this lecture, see how Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov explores the depths of the Russian soul and teaches us about the very meaning of human existence….
30 min

05:Elie Wiesel-Night
Elie Wiesel’s Night shows us how we can triumph as individuals in the face of great evil. In this lecture, you examine Wiesel’s life and family before the Holocaust and witness how he survived the worst genocide in history. Both Wiesel’s life and his novel are testaments to the unconquerable human spirit….
30 min

06:Schweitzer-Out of My Life and Thought
Albert Schweitzer was one of the greatest humanitarians of his time. His autobiography, Out of My Life and Thought, is a fascinating study of his spiritual journey bringing modern medicine to Africa. Learn how this work teaches us that our very humanity rests on our reverence for all life….
30 min

07:Goethe-The Sufferings of Young Werther
Discover how Goethe advises us to move on with our lives rather than succumb to the tragic fate of lovesickness in The Sufferings of Young Werther. The most famous literary figure of his day, Goethe based the work on his own near-tragic experience with unrequited love….
30 min

08:Shakespeare-Hamlet
A meditation on the perils and merits of revenge, Shakespeare’s Hamlet demonstrates its author’s keen understanding of human motivations. The greatest lesson to be learned from this Great Book, you find, is this: Move on-vengeance will change nothing….
30 min

09:Sophocles-Ajax
Learn how Sophocles’ Ajax examines the ideas of pride and honor. Set against the violent backdrop of the Trojan War, this tragedy teaches us that even the best human qualities can become destructive when pushed to excess….
30 min

10:Plato-Epistle VII
Plato’s Epistle VII is a revealing and rewarding study of how even great philosophers can make nearly fatal mistakes. In this lecture, read the iconic Greek philosopher’s letter as a valuable lesson on how to admit mistakes….
30 min

11:Cicero-“On Old Age”
The Roman answer to Plato, Cicero achieved a successful legal career before entering the tumultuous world of politics. Investigate Cicero’s “On Old Age” and his beliefs that older people are beneficial to society because of their experience, wisdom, and good judgment-despite what young people may say….
30 min

12:Isaac Bashevis Singer-The Penitent
The Penitent, written by Nobel Prize winner Isaac Singer, is a powerful tale of a Jewish man who achieves worldly success in New York City but soon realizes how hollow that success is. The Penitentteaches us the lesson that the only reason to live a long life is to continue growing and developing….
30 min

13:Euripides-Alcestis
What do we mean when we talk about true love? Greek tragedies like Euripides’ Alcestis teach us that anything taken to excess-even something good-leads to destruction. In Alcestis’s self-sacrifice for her husband’s immortality, you find the higher ideal of love that leads us to put others before ourselves….
30 min

14:Euripides-Medea
Turn from the idea of love as self-sacrifice to the idea of love as all-consuming hatred. In Euripides’ Medea, the jealous title character’s passion for revenge is so potent that she slays her own children to punish her husband for his infidelity….
30 min

15:Von Strasburg-Tristan and Isolde
Tristan and Isolde teaches us about the overwhelming power of love to make people abandon codes of honor and betray those to whom they owe the most. In this lecture, consider how the tragedy also instructs us on the medieval ideal of human passion as an allegory for the love of God….
30 min

16:Shakespeare-Antony and Cleopatra
Explore yet another side of the power of love in Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra. In this tragedy, learn how a man of enormous talent and opportunity can throw away world rule for the love of a woman. What makes this lesson all the more effective? Its basis in historical fact….
30 min

17:Shakespeare-Macbeth
Like his Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare’s Macbeth depicts the use of love as a tool for achieving power. You see how Lady Macbeth uses her husband as a surrogate for authority and fuels his decisions with her misguided love-a plan that contributes to the play’s tragic outcome….
30 min

18:Aldous Huxley-Brave New World
In contrast to earlier works that deal with the theme of love, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World takes you to a society devoid of love-one where sex and reproduction happen outside the world of affection and relationships. Professor Fears emphasizes how this futuristic satire is a warning about the perils of technology for humanity….
30 min

19:Homer-Odyssey
Begin your look at what lessons can be found in history’s great adventure stories by studying Homer’s Odyssey. The epitome of adventure tales, Odyssey teaches us invaluable lessons about how to survive in a world of temptations, dangers, and questionable decisions….
30 min

20:Sophocles-Philoctetes
Focus on Sophocles’ Philoctetes as a lesson in the cruel business of war. Even though war brings untold suffering, wisdom and redemption can still emerge. This powerful lesson, you learn, is one that each generation must learn anew….
29 min

21:The Song of Roland-Chivalric Adventure
A tale of bravery, treachery, and loyalty to one’s faith, the French epic The Song of Roland teaches us that honor is an external value. Explore how The Song of Roland also warns us about the destructive nature of honor when pushed too far….
30 min

22:Nibelungenlied-Chivalric Romance
Composed around A.D. 1200, the Nibelungenlied is a masterpiece of medieval literature. Examine how this Great Book brings together a number of themes from the course, including the creative and destructive power of love and how to courageously find one’s destiny….
30 min

23:Lewis and Clark-Journals
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark lived one of the greatest adventures in history: the exploration of the Louisiana Purchase. This scientific and diplomatic mission was detailed in The Journals of Lewis and Clark, which you consider as a way to get valuable lessons on both friendship and personal destiny….
30 min

24:T. E. Lawrence-Seven Pillars of Wisdom
T. E. Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, lived a life of grand adventure. His life story, recorded in Seven Pillars of Wisdom, provides you with the perfect image of a man of destiny-one whose imprint is still left on the map of the Middle East and in the hearts of anyone longing for personal challenge….
31 min

25:Aristophanes-Comedies
Laughter is a universal human action. In the first of a series of lectures about lessons of laughter and irony, you investigate the comedies of Aristophanes-including Acharnians, Peace, and Lysistrata-and how they reflected the mood of the Athenian people during the Peloponnesian War….
30 min

26:Menander-The Grouch
Menander’s The Grouch tells a humorous tale of love hindered by a grumpy old man who is protective of his daughter and who is rescued from a well into which he has fallen by her would-be suitor. An important lesson you glean from this Great Book is that making happiness your ultimate goal leads to true happiness….
30 min

27:Machiavelli-La Mandragola
When we are seduced and betrayed, it is often because we have seduced and betrayed ourselves. See how this unpleasant point is illustrated in Machiavelli’s Italian comedy about love, lust, and betrayal: La Mandragola (The Mandrake)….
30 min

28:Erasmus-In Praise of Folly
Erasmus’s In Praise of Folly is written as a speech given by Folly, personified as a clown. This Great Book teaches us how to step back, see ourselves as others see us, and frequently pause to laugh at ourselves and our follies….
30 min

29:Thomas More-Utopia
While Erasmus teaches us to see ourselves as others see us individually, Thomas More (a close friend of Erasmus) does so nationally in Utopia. More conceived of Utopia as the tale of a mythic land where all goods are held in common and all needs are fully met….
30 min

30:George Orwell-Animal Farm
Learn how George Orwell’s Animal Farm uses social satire to bring attention to conditions in the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin. This scathing critique of the dangers of Communism under a ruthless dictator was aimed at exposing the evils of totalitarianism….
30 min

31:Josephus-History of the Jewish War
Focus now on the final universal theme of the course: patriotism. Come to see History of the Jewish War by the historian Flavius Josephus as a moving lesson in the human love of freedom. To fight and die in the noble cause of freedom, you learn, should never be considered a defeat….
30 min

32:Joseph Addison-Cato
Although not commonly read today, Joseph Addison’s Cato was one of the most influential intellectual models for the American Revolution. This 1713 play-about the struggle of the Roman Cato the Younger under the tyranny of Julius Caesar-has much to teach us about the ideals of our nation….
30 min

33:George Washington-Farewell Address
As a general and a president, George Washington was a great model of civic virtue and patriotism. His farewell address, an open letter to the American people, addresses national issues still with us today, including party division, foreign policy, and fiscal responsibility….
31 min

34:Abraham Lincoln, George Patton-War
Explore the many ways in which war defines what it means to be patriotic by looking at two great wartime leaders: Abraham Lincoln and George S. Patton. Lincoln’s 1864 letter to Mrs. Lydia Bixby teaches us about the costs of personal sacrifice, while Patton’s life and career as told in War as I Knew It teach us about valor in the midst of battle….
30 min

35:Theodore Roosevelt-An Autobiography
Chronicle the development of Theodore Roosevelt’s ideas and his rise to political fame, as detailed in An Autobiography. Roosevelt’s travels into and exploration of the American frontier helped him-and can help you-understand what makes a political leader truly great….
31 min

36:The Wisdom of Great Books
Professor Fears concludes the course by reminding you about the tried-and-true lessons to be found in the pages of Great Books. Although the world has changed throughout the course of human history, themes such as love, courage, and patriotism have always been-and will continue to be-part of our lives….
32 min

DETAILS

Overview

For every important moment in your life, there is a Great Book that can give you a unique perspective on the experience. In Life Lessons from the Great Books, master storyteller and veteran Teaching Company Professor J. Rufus Fears shows you how some of Western civilization’s greatest literary masterpieces can provide you with guidance and consolation. Every book you explore in this course-from the Odyssey to Hamlet to Animal Farm-is a unique expression of the human spirit. They provide you with a wealth of insight into aspects of life, from how to conduct yourself in times of trouble to appreciating the simple moments in life. Rich in historical perspective, these 36 lectures reveal the many relevant insights in these enduring works of literature.

About
J. Rufus Fears
We are no wiser than the Athenians of the 5th century B.C., no wiser than Sophocles for our science of today has shown us the overwhelming power of genes, of DNA.

Dr. J. Rufus Fears was David Ross Boyd Professor of Classics at the University of Oklahoma, where he held the G. T. and Libby Blankenship Chair in the History of Liberty. He also served as David and Ann Brown Distinguished Fellow of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. He earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University. Before joining the faculty at the University of Oklahoma, Professor Fears was Professor of History and Distinguished Faculty Research Lecturer at Indiana University, and Professor of Classical Studies at Boston University. An acclaimed teacher and scholar with more than 25 awards for teaching excellence, Professor Fears was chosen Professor of the Year on three occasions by students at the University of Oklahoma. His other accolades included the Medal for Excellence in College and University Teaching from the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, the University Continuing Education Association (UCEA) Great Plains Region Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the UCEA’s National Award for Teaching Excellence. Professor Fears’s books and monographs include The Cult of Jupiter and Roman Imperial Ideology and The Theology of Victory at Rome. He edited a three-volume edition of Selected Writings of Lord Acton. His discussions of the Great Books have appeared in newspapers across the country and have aired on national television and radio programs. Professor Fears passed away in October 2012.

REVIEWS

rintintin  
Terrific!
If you enjoy a perspective that looks back to the ancient Greeks and others who came before us for lessons about what is important and valuable, and who doesn’t feel compelled to turn everything into a lesson about how awful America is, and has ever been, you’ll like and enjoy this. He has a Christian foundation, and doesn’t hide it, and if that delegitimizes everything he says in your view, you probably won’t like it. But if you keep listening, you might find you learn some things. He is an engaging story teller, and included many books that I had never heard of in his lectures. Well done and a good listen.

whydoineeda
where are the Black and Indigenous writers?
where are the African American and Indigenous writers? and where are the Chinese, Japanese, continental African writers? one would be made to think that there are no “great books” written by anyone other than white men. huh.

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