Lectures in Classics, Philosophy, and History of Science
for DWC
Providence College
Development of Western Civilization (DWC)
Fall Semester 2020
The following lectures were delivered for a team-taught core curriculum course in the Development of Western Civilization at Providence College in Fall 2020.
Development of Western Civilization (DWC)
Fall Semester 2020
The following lectures were delivered for a team-taught core curriculum course in the Development of Western Civilization at Providence College in Fall 2020.
"Why the Classics?" (Aug 28, 2020)
In this introductory lecture I offer some reflections on why college students should read old Western books, the Classics in the Western tradition. I consider some arguments for doing so that were made by Wilhelm von Humboldt in his essay “On the study of antiquity, in particular of Greece”, portions of which were translated for this course.
In this introductory lecture I offer some reflections on why college students should read old Western books, the Classics in the Western tradition. I consider some arguments for doing so that were made by Wilhelm von Humboldt in his essay “On the study of antiquity, in particular of Greece”, portions of which were translated for this course.
| on_the_study_of_classical_antiquity__cgk_27_8_20_.pdf |
Greek religion in Homer’s Odyssey (Sep 7, 2020)
In this lecture I explore some aspects of Greek religious beliefs and practices as we find them in Homer’s Odyssey.
I also take a trip to the Antikenmuseum in Basel, which I would like to warmly thank for permission to film.
In this lecture I explore some aspects of Greek religious beliefs and practices as we find them in Homer’s Odyssey.
I also take a trip to the Antikenmuseum in Basel, which I would like to warmly thank for permission to film.
Wisdom Literature in East and West (September 17, 2020)
In this lecture I discuss the beginning of Hesiod’s Works and Days as an example of “wisdom literature”, and compare it with Laozi’s Tao de Ching, a classic with a very different kind of wisdom.
In this lecture I discuss the beginning of Hesiod’s Works and Days as an example of “wisdom literature”, and compare it with Laozi’s Tao de Ching, a classic with a very different kind of wisdom.
Socrates is not sorry (September 22, 2020)
In this lecture I give some background to the trial of Socrates and Plato’s Apology of Socrates, in which Plato’s Socrates is anything but apologetic.
In this lecture I give some background to the trial of Socrates and Plato’s Apology of Socrates, in which Plato’s Socrates is anything but apologetic.
