The Modern Scholar
Political Theory: The Classic Texts and Their Continuing Relevance
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The Modern Scholar
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Narrated by:
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Joshua Kaplan
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By:
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Joshua Kaplan
About this listen
Professor Kaplan's goal is to make these works accessible without distorting or oversimplifying them. As you will see, the study of political theory is an enjoyable, gratifying, and challenging subject that will reward the effort you put into thinking about it many times over.
Political theory helps us to think about who we are, where we are coming from, and where we are going. At the same time, theory does not tell us what to do, but can help us to act with purpose and vision. It helps us to step back and get perspective on our problems and on who we really are.
Here, you'll investigate how the language of political theory conveys its meaning. This course is not a substitute for reading the texts, but it can help you to overcome some of the obstacles that the texts present. It is not easy to pick up a book by Aristotle or Hobbes and figure it out on your own. We all need some help in understanding the world, and that is the starting point for political theory itself.
As you embark on this adventure, you are taking part in a community that comes from specific times and places, but transcends them. These great works can speak to us today, wherever we are. Political theory does this better than many other subjects, in part because the theorist wants us to look around and think about the specifics of the world around us, but also to lift our heads and see farther than we normally do. By the conclusion of this course, you will see a dramatic difference in your ability to understand what you read or watch in the news.
Download the accompanying reference guide.©2005 Joshua Kaplan (P)2005 Recorded Books, LLCPeople who viewed this also viewed...
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- Narrated by: Professor Timothy B. Shutt
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 136
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 108
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A Tour de Force on a Tour de Force
- By John on 05-19-14
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The Modern Scholar: Dickens and Twain
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- Narrated by: Professor Timothy B. Shutt
- Length: 4 hrs and 39 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 17
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 15
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Story4 out of 5 stars 15
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a tale of two authors... deftly told
- By Terry K on 05-11-17
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The Modern Scholar: Giants of French Literature
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- By: Prof. Katherine Elkins
- Narrated by: Katherine Elkins
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 108
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 80
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 80
In this series of lectures, Professor Katherine Elkins details the lives and works of the premier French writers of the last two centuries. With keen insight into her subject material, Professor Elkins discusses the attributes that made classics of such works as Balzac's Human Comedy, Flaubert's Madame Bovary, Proust's In Search of Lost Time, and Camus' The Stranger.
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- By: Prof. Liza Knapp
- Narrated by: Liza Knapp
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 95
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 65
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 64
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5 out of 5 stars
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beautifully wrought
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By: Prof. Liza Knapp
What listeners say about The Modern Scholar
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Albert
- 12-26-11
Quite enjoyable and informative.
If you could sum up The Modern Scholar in three words, what would they be?
I love Thucydides
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Modern Scholar?
The narrator, professor Kaplan, begins his analysis of political science with the ancient Greeks and leads up to modern Game theory. It between, you take a trip through many of the great authors that deal with the subject of political science such as: Machiavelli, Rousseau, John Locke, et cetera. This is one of my favorite audio books, and I plan to listen to it many more times.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Ernest
- 11-12-08
Every American Should Listen to This
As the presidential election gathered steam this fall, I was listening to this course by Dr. Kaplan and felt as if he was channeling expert commentary from the great political thinkers of history. My advice: Turn off the TV talking heads and listen to this course. It will connect many of the bits of information you already have about politics -- then sharpen everything into a clear picture.
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25 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Nigar
- 03-26-11
Excellent book to be read
this book let you understand political theory and its evolving process by the certain peoples' ideas, briefly.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Philo
- 06-11-13
Inconsistent, but enjoyable
Anyone looking for a wide-ranging, systematic treatment of classical political thought/science might look elsewhere. I would retitle this something like, "some of this professor's favorite important political thinkers: a grab bag." As such, it is fairly well-delivered and a pleasant listen. It is in a sort of vernacular, personalized style, which I might call "very college, very undergrad;" not the sort of high academic delivery I might have expected. Some will prefer that, and for fine reasons: it will speak to a pretty wide audience.
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2 people found this helpful