Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Thousands of incredible audiobooks and podcasts to take wherever you go.
Immerse yourself in a world of storytelling with the Plus Catalogue - unlimited listening to thousands of select audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Practical Philosophy: The Greco-Roman Moralists

By: Luke Timothy Johnson, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Luke Timothy Johnson
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £25.99

Buy Now for £25.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

It's easy to forget that philosophy means "love of wisdom," not "love of thinking." In addition to philosophy that tells you how to think well, the field also provides guidance on how to live well - solid advice on how to be a good father or friend, or how to grow old gracefully, or to know what true happiness is.

Greek and Roman thinkers such as Marcus Tullius Cicero, Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, Dio Chrysostom, and Plutarch of Chaeronea devoted their lives not to metaphysics and epistemology but to the appreciation and practice of morality and virtue, values, and character. They give us - in plain, straightforward language - rules designed to help us progress as people.

These 24 inspiring lectures introduce you to the sages who, as a group, represent the "missing page" of the history of philosophy. Although their names are sometimes familiar to us, as in the case of Cicero and Plutarch, their philosophy is not. Studying these thinkers offers some surprising ways to think about philosophy.

For example, they believed the heart of philosophy is the question of how to live well as a human being. It is how you act, not what you think, that is most important. Virtue and morality are the keys to living a good life. And philosophers should practice what they preach (although, as you'll discover, the Greco-Roman moral philosophers certainly had flaws).

From Cicero's deep sense of civic duty to Marcus Aurelius's pursuit of wisdom and dedication to the common good, this course offers ample opportunity to hear, in their own words, the philosophers' prescriptions for healthier living.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2002 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2002 The Great Courses
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Ethics of Aristotle cover art
World War II: Up Close and Personal cover art
The Greek World cover art
Thinking Like an Economist: A Guide to Rational Decision Making cover art
Think like a Stoic cover art
The Iliad of Homer cover art
The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World cover art
The Theory of Evolution: A History of Controversy cover art
No Excuses: Existentialism and the Meaning of Life cover art
Elements of Jazz: From Cakewalks to Fusion cover art
Your Deceptive Mind: A Scientific Guide to Critical Thinking Skills cover art
The Great Ideas of Philosophy, 2nd Edition cover art
The Science of Energy cover art
England: From the Fall of Rome to the Norman Conquest cover art
Stoicism: A Detailed Breakdown of Stoicism Philosophy and Wisdom from the Greats cover art
A Brief History of Western Philosophy cover art

What listeners say about Practical Philosophy: The Greco-Roman Moralists

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    18
  • 4 Stars
    8
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    18
  • 4 Stars
    6
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    14
  • 4 Stars
    8
  • 3 Stars
    4
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Another great course!

I've come to absolutely love The Great Courses. I've done so many now, and the speakers and subjects involved are always fascinating and delivered in a wonderful way. In this case, we delve into the Greco-Roman of philosophy. I would regard this as a great entry point to many philosophers of that time, opening a door for you to go deeper. The Insights are great, always though-provoking. Well worth your time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great for the late roman philosophical context

I listened to this to understand the influence of stoicism and christianity, having read the Moral Epistles by Seneca. There was so much more, that I have started to listen to it again.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Eureka!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would! It puts one in awe of the incredible wisdom that's been amassed by the ancients that is sadly forgotten in this day and age, but should be shouted from the rooftops! The Greco-Roman moralists should be known to every high school student.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Practical Philosophy: The Greco-Roman Moralists?

I couldn't name one particular moment - but there's so many things that are said by the thinkers that make perfect sense while at the same time are also said in a simple, yet elegant way - something that is very lacking in modern academia.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed it so much I came re-listened some of the chapters right after finishing the book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very, very good

These lectures are so good. It gives justice to all the thinkers described by being so very balanced. And I also likes his comments about our present situation.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Not to be taken too seriously

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes, it was well-spent - though perhaps not for the reasons that it was produced. It was plausible, well set out, and articulately delivered .. which make it a great boone to the student and listener.

What was most disappointing about The Great Courses and Luke Timothy Johnson ’s story?

There was little of disappointment, only a sense of mistake - making the past 'relevant' to today (by forcing comparisons).

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The Post-Modern aspect of Modernism's self-centred-ness - as an agenda by which to measure all else - could have been cut, or at least treated much more critically.

Did Practical Philosophy: The Greco-Roman Moralists inspire you to do anything?

Not especially, but it has helped to expose some of the assumptions presented as a given by lecturers.

Any additional comments?

A good course to follow, if taken with a handy pinch of salt. The basic tenet of the presentation, that of philosophy as a context for understanding wisdom not merely of disputing ideas of knowledge, is a helpful starting place. Simply try to get past the Lesson For Us psycho-babble, and you'll have a fine window through which to view the subjects.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!