The Meaning of Life: Perspectives from the World's Great Intellectual Traditions
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The Meaning of Life: Perspectives from the World's Great Intellectual Traditions
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Narrated by:
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Jay L. Garfield
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Written by:
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Jay L. Garfield
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The Great Courses
About this listen
What is the meaning of life?
It's a question every thoughtful person has pondered at one time or another. Indeed, it may be the biggest question of all - at once profound and universal, but also deeply personal.
We want to understand the world in which we live, but we also want to understand how to make our own lives as meaningful as possible; to know not only why we're living, but that we're doing it with intention, purpose, and ethical commitment. But how, exactly, do we find that meaning, and develop that commitment? How can we grasp why we are here? Or how we should proceed? And to whom, exactly, we should listen as we shape the path we will walk? This comprehensive 36-lecture series from a much-honored scholar is an invigorating way to begin or continue your pursuit of these questions, and it requires no previous background in philosophical or religious thought.
It offers a rigorous and wide-ranging exploration of what various spiritual, religious, and philosophical traditions from both the East and West have contributed to this profound line of questioning, sharing insights from sources that include ancient Indian texts, such as:
- The Bhagavad-Gita
- Foundational Chinese texts like the Daodejing and the Chuang Tzu
- Classical Western texts, such as Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics and Marcus Aurelius's Meditations
- Modern philosophers and writers like David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Leo Tolstoy
- The unique perspectives offered by Native Americans, in this case, the Lakota Sioux medicine man and writer, John Lame Deer
- More recent and contemporary philosophers, such as Mohandas Gandhi and the Dalai Lama
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
What listeners say about The Meaning of Life: Perspectives from the World's Great Intellectual Traditions
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Joan Porter
- 2020-09-27
Outstanding
Second time through. So much to absorb, I will probably leave some time, then go through it again.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2021-07-14
Excellent
This course is one of the best courses I’ve ever finished, he selects diverse approaches and explains them very well and teach us how to read and engage different books in different cultures
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2022-11-25
Review
Life changing and expansive.
Fun to listen to, and very interesting. It changed the course of my life and Im grateful for this.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- charlanda wise
- 2020-08-24
excellent
I really enjoyed this course. Dr Garfield became a friend who is very good at explaining such an abstract topic.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jtoronto
- 2024-02-20
Wonderful and meaningful course
As most of the Great Courses, this is a wonderful overview of ancient, modern and contemporary philosophy.
Jay Garfield is a gifted teacher that not only cover the topic in a succinct and masterly way, but has also wonderful presentation skills that make this long listening captivating.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Marie-Kim
- 2022-05-01
Interesting
I thought it was interesting. It broadened my thoughts on the subject, however it got me more confused on the meaning of life than I was before 🙈.
It would have been nice to sense a sensitivity for suicidal individuals, passages like (even if it has been reported by someone else): "If we are to understand our lives we've got to come to terms with our deaths. We've got to actually think about it, plan it, accept it.", could be quite confrontational for people who once planned suicide/death.
But overall interesting, kept me curious until the end.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Petra Holstein
- 2021-11-04
Fantastic teacher. A kind soul.
I hope one day to meet Jay in person and thank him. This is a very rich and wonderful lecture that fueled me to look deeper and live deeper.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- HelenaH
- 2022-09-29
An elusive subject matter
The course covered key philosophical traditions, but not in an interesting or memorable way. Perhaps I was looking for some more real-life applications (e.g. the meaning of life to be spoon-fed to me :) rather than being quoted philosophical texts to. I also found that the way the professor kept introducing the next chapters over and over and over and over was excessive. To sum up: I got this course to form an opinion, for myself, what is a meaning of my life. I've ended with nothing. Elusive subject matter.
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