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Locke: Philosophy in an Hour cover art

Locke: Philosophy in an Hour

By: Paul Strathern
Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
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Summary

Philosophy for busy people. Listen to this succinct account of the philosophy of Locke in just one hour.

Much of Locke’s thought we would now regard as common sense. One of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers; his philosophy was to lay the foundations of empiricism with its belief that our knowledge of the world is based on experience. Locke’s work introduced the idea of liberal democracy – a concept that has become the shibboleth of Western civilisation. People who can’t even spell philosophy are now likely to accept these ideas; just over three centuries ago they were incomprehensible.

This is an audiobook that depicts Locke’s life and his philosophical ideas. It’s entertainingly written and above all easy listening. Also included are selections from Locke’s work, suggested further reading, and chronologies that place Locke in the context of the broader scheme of philosophy.

©2013 Paul Strathern (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

”Well-written, clear and informed, they have a breezy wit about them . . .I find them hard to stop reading.” (New York Times)

”Witty, illuminating, and blessedly concise” (Wall Street Journal)

”Each of these little books is witty and dramatic and creates a sense of time, place, and character . . . I cannot think of a better way to introduce oneself and one's friends to Western civilization.” (Boston Globe)

”A godsend in this era of the short attention span.” (New York Times)

What listeners say about Locke: Philosophy in an Hour

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EXCELLENT

Well, narrated, and easy to understand by the hard of hearing. Historically fascinating, well written and amusing, bringing the character of Locke to life.

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Interesting piece of history

Great little listen. It will explain you in just over an hour the philosophy of Locke. But also the life of the man himself. I did learn that he was friends with Newton. What a small world!

I like this series very much. I will definitely buy some more from the same series as soon as I get some credits and catch up with my audiobooks.

Again, very recommended.

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The Dog's Bollocks

What made the experience of listening to Locke: Philosophy in an Hour the most enjoyable?

The off the cuff definition of structuralism was superb. Strathern is brilliant - it's Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy meets the History of Western Philosophy with a good dose of John Aubrey. When it comes to philosophy primers, many are called, few are chosen: this series is up there.

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Very listenable

A bit like the last title I enjoyed of this sort. Some books don't work well as audio, this once did though

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Excellent

It is just a joy to listen to story.
It is very informative and it is a must listen to all students of politics and philosophy alike. I would rather call this work a very short introduction to the life and the main ideas of Locke. I highly recommend this work.

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The Civil War wasn't "basically" one thing

Sneering sarcasm and inaccurate historical context. This is the worst of this series by far.

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Locke is boring says Strathern

This should be called Locke philosophy in 7 minutes, as the rest was taken up with childish sniggering about his love letters to various women and the repeated claim that Locke is too boring to warrant further study. Exceptionally disappointed

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