Enjoyed it immensely

It is a detailed examination of political theory that was appropriately detailed. Would recommend it

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2 people found this helpful

Good in parts but limited in scope.

Best explanation of Dostoyevsky's Grand Inquisitor ive ever come across.

Its a rather select and limited scope of political thinkers.
Too little on Aristotle's politics.
Nothing on conservative thinkers like Burke.

A strong bias to contemporary mainstream American Liberalism.

The professor is a Ghandi expert and spent time on India and he does tend to have an ongoing bias to Ghandi & Hinduism which is not that relevant to much of the course.

The professor has a tendency to ramble and keep repeating the same point over and over.

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fascinating and informative

absorbing and very good value. I love these courses which provide informatiion and entertainment of a very high quality.

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Great Lecture Series, but a Little Basic

The Great Courses lectures by the Teaching Company are a brilliant source of practical learning. I have listened to quite a few now, and I have not been disappointed by any. Some, however, are more challenging than others, while some are very much introductory courses. This was definitely the latter for me as I'm not a newcomer to political theory. Still, Dalton's enthusiasm for the subject matter is energizing, and he puts no end of passion into his work.

The reason I have dropped a point for the performance is not because of the narrator himself, but because I feel that audiobooks produced in this day and age should be highly professional in their production quality. Most of the lecture series I have listened to recently have been produced and edited to a very high standard. However, this one is quite raw, with frequent coughing and lip-smacking left in. For many, this is a minor point, but for me it was enough to drop a star.

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Fascinating stuff

Slow start but covers a lot of ground. could do with a part two for today's political environment

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Upanishads to Gandhi

This course of lectures takes the listener through a sequence of political theories with emphasis upon the work of Plato, setting up what follows. Denis Dalton draws out the contrasts between optimists & pessimists: those who have founded their ideas on a belief in the essential good of human nature, & those for whom humanity if basically flawed, weak, wilful & in need of a controlling hand. This
Is not a new approach but Dalton gives a lucidly clear account of all the thinkers, giving each view an enthusiastic rendition. Ultimately, the contradictions are unresolved, as, perhaps, they needs must be. Dalton touches in passing on the the influence of social & historical context but he fails to apply this as an active principle for the practical effectiveness of the ideas, although he hints broadly about the role the background of each thinker might have had. It’s good to see Emma Goldman given her due here. This listener would have liked to have had some consideration of Hannah Arendt’s vital work in the field.

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A well written and fascinating course

This course of lectures covers political philosophy from the ancients right up to Ghandi. Starting with an overview of Ancient Indian political philosophy, before moving to Greece and the more traditional Western view of this history. The lecturer is a very good speaker, and his writing is simply fantastic. He covers Plato, Socrates, Hitler and many more in great detail. Included in the course is also discussions of art and literature relevant to the topics, which adds colour to what could otherwise be a dry series.

If I had to give it a negative, I would say that the course is too short, and the topics left out are a real shame. Hobbes is barely touched, along with Locke and Paine as well, all three only get a small mention in reference to Thoreau. However, the course is so overwhelmingly good that I cannot take points away for lack of these writers. The lecturer is an expert on Ghandi, and the episode on Ancient hindu philosophy is superfluous for people like me (really interested in the Western theory), but I'm sure very interesting for some.

Overall, I would say this is the best Great Courses series I've heard so far, and I'm just hoping he writes a new edition with a few more conservative philosophers! The course concentrates on more radical ideas and these does leave some of the debates behind.

Fantastic, cannot recommend enough.

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6 people found this helpful

Power to the Listener

This is 2st rate education from a Professor who is passionate and lives each class he teaches. I learned a lot and grew in my understanding through the deep review of Political Theory

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Learned a lot! Great lectures.

The lecturer is fantastic - gets to the essence of political philosophy, tge key philosophers and the contexts in which they gave their ideas.

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I'm still trying to figure out who Play Doh is.

Wonderfully presented, thorough and clear, with an informative comparison between the thinkers. Now, I feel I understand the views of all from Hinduism through Floyd and more.

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