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Voltaire and the Triumph of the Enlightenment
- Narrated by: Alan Charles Kors
- Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins
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Voltaire and the Triumph of the Enlightenment
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Summary
Discover why intellectuals and historians alike consider Voltaire to be one of the most intriguing, influential, and elusive thinkers of the modern world. Focusing on the deepest, most enduring aspects of Voltaire's work and thought, but never losing sight of the colorful, fascinating man himself, these 12 lectures sketch for you a vibrant, thought-provoking vision of Voltaire as "the father of the Enlightenment" and one of the great literary personalities of all time.
You'll follow this Enlightenment thinker's 84 astoundingly productive years and go inside not only his masterpiece, Candide, but the hundreds of other works in almost all the literary, philosophical, and polemical genres current in his day, and the more than 20,000 letters this prolific writer and thinker left behind.
What was Voltaire's world like? Who and what influenced him? What questions and dilemmas did he ponder? What evils did he struggle against? What reforms did he advocate? What made him laugh and cry, or write a book like Candide, which is at once so funny and so sad? And what is his place in the history of the Western mind? The answers to these and other questions can be found right here in this illuminating lecture series. If you're unfamiliar with Voltaire and his works, prepare to meet one of Western literature's defining writers. And if you already have some familiarity with the man, prepare to discover even more insights into why he still matters after all these years.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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- Chros
- 30-05-22
Enlightening
In Voltaire and the Triumph of the Enlightenment, Prof. Alan Charles Kors talks about Voltaire in such a knowledgeable and familiar way that he may as well be speaking about a family member. Whilst his scholarly New York accent may initially come across as somewhat annoying (to a Brit), this soon dies down.
The lecture series is a concise yet seemingly complete and charming commentary on how Voltaire came to be one of the most influential writers of all time. Voltaire writes on the role luck plays in history; no doubt can the modern day student retrospectively see the role it plays here in Voltaire's life. There's a lot the present day thinker can learn from Voltaire - perhaps most poignant is how the pen can be mightier than the sword. Other subjects/themes encountered include optimism, tolerance, religion, nationalism, empiricism, deism, irenism and pacifism.
Despite being a 'green' Great Courses title which usually relates to philosophy, this one is perhaps more historical. In fact, it's part biography, part 17-18th century European history and only part philosophy. Even then, the word philosophy may refer to sciences such as physics i.e. Newtonian philosophy. Although philosophy is occasionally discussed in a more traditional sense when outlining Voltaire's personal ideas.
To fill in the gaps, one can read Voltaire's works (the most influential being mentioned within) or study the time period or the people that directly relate to the great man such as Newton, Descartes, Émilie du Châtelet, Rousseau, Louis XIV etc.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 25-01-23
An excellent course
A comprehensive and well-structured introduction to a truly magisterial thinker and activist. I was actually emotionally moved in the end…
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- murray
- 15-03-15
Stunning
Where does Voltaire and the Triumph of the Enlightenment rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Just amazing. Brilliantly lucid lectures on Voltaire. Loved this so much, passionately dictated bar the author's misguided understanding of Voltaire and tolerance. Highly recommended.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Alexander Sutherland
- 09-09-14
Excellent introduction and overview!
Any additional comments?
This is a fascinating and well told story of Voltaire, his works, his thoughts and his impact on society both then just before the French revolution and now. Excellently told with passion and attention to details. Super!!
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- dmcd
- 11-05-17
Great overview of Voltaire
Always wanted to have an understanding of the Enlightenment and Voltaire- this course doesn't disappoint! 5 Stars
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2 people found this helpful
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- Hilary MB
- 14-10-22
Excellent series of talks on Voltaire
Brilliant. While the American accent grated a bit his enthusiasm was infectious. Loved every moment.
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