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No Excuses: Existentialism and the Meaning of Life cover art

No Excuses: Existentialism and the Meaning of Life

By: Robert C. Solomon,The Great Courses
Narrated by: Robert C. Solomon
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Summary

What is life? What is my place in it? What choices do these questions obligate me to make? More than a half-century after it burst upon the intellectual scene - with roots that extend to the mid-19th century - Existentialism's quest to answer these most fundamental questions of individual responsibility, morality, and personal freedom has continued to exert a profound attraction.

Now, in a series of 24 probing and thoughtful lectures, you can enrich your own understanding of this unique philosophical wave, the visionary thinkers it brought together to ponder and debate these questions, and the prominent role it still plays in contemporary thought.

"Existentialism is, in my view, the most exciting and important philosophical movement of the past century and a half," says Professor Solomon. "Fifty years after the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre gave it its identity and 150 years after the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard gave it its initial impetus, it continues to win new enthusiasts and, in keeping with its still exciting and revolutionary message, vehement critics." Plumbing both sides of the debate, these lectures examine a wide range of Existentialist thought. You'll be exposed to the religious approach of Kierkegaard; the bold fiction of Camus; the warrior rhetoric and often-shocking claims about religion and morality posed by Nietzsche; the radical and uncompromising notion of freedom championed by Sartre; and the searching analysis of human historicity and finitude offered by Martin Heidegger. And you'll encounter the reluctance - often angrily expressed - of many of Existentialism's major figures to be thought of as part of any philosophical movement or even as intellectual allies!

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

©2000 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2000 The Great Courses

What listeners say about No Excuses: Existentialism and the Meaning of Life

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    3 out of 5 stars

Like being in an intro lecture to philosophy

Overall i like this course. The professor introduces the great philosophers of existentialism in a straight forward way. What i especially like is that the listener needs no pre knowledge on the topic and that the lecturer does not dive into academic details. The lecture is intended to provide an overview for everyone. Yet Robert does discuss each stream very detailed as he highlights the context in which each philosopher came up with his main argument. For instance he explain inngreater detail the horistical context of colonial France when he discusses camus l etranger. Some points for suggestion: at times the discussion of the meaning of each philophers argument feels lengthy. It would be great if the professor could summarise the main points of each argument as otherwise the listener may simply loose oversight of the philosophy. In addition i would have enjoyed hearing more about the connection to other streans of philosophy. Not on a mirco level where related streams are discussed but in macro level so the reader understand how the ideas fit into the entire image of philosophy. Finally, which may be difficult, i would like to hear about how the ideas translate into daily practice of today. This would help the listener to understand the relevance of the philosophers main points on existentialism

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17 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars

So good I listened to it twice.

A very engaging speaker with a gentle but lyrical style. Comprehensive and thought provoking but designed to be accessible.

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11 people found this helpful

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Excellent overview

Highley recommended. This is a subject I'm interested in. However, sometimes even the most interesting topic can presented poorly, but the presentation and the speaker was really top class. Money well spent.

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10 people found this helpful

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No excuses

I loved this course.

It felt like I had actually read the source data, so lucid were the descriptions.

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8 people found this helpful

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Excellent - informative and interesting.

I recommend this as an accessible introduction to existentialism. The lectures are a good length and Prof. Solomon explains the subject with clarity, charisma and contemporary relevance . I feel confident now in engaging in deeper study.

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6 people found this helpful

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Not a bad precis, but problematic in places

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

Yes - it is informative and thought-provoking on the whole.

Would you be willing to try another book from The Great Courses? Why or why not?

Yes

How did the narrator detract from the book?

His delivery is a bit dry at times.

Do you think No Excuses: Existentialism and the Meaning of Life needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No

Any additional comments?

It is a bit superficial in places in terms of his understanding of some existentialist authors. The final lecture is particularly problematic insofar as he reduces existentialism to the ideologies of American exceptionalism and a particularly American form of individualism. His version of "postmodernism" (the term itself is already a major simplification) in the final lecture is both defensive and desperately simplistic.

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4 people found this helpful

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I’ll have a second go at it!

The course is clear and concise even for the more problematic and complex theses.
And What an authentic and powerful delivery by Robert Solomon!
Loved it!

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3 people found this helpful

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Enjoyable and interesting

I learned much about an area of philosophy and its critics, than I previously knew. That's why I purchased this audio lecture and it did what it said on the can.

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3 people found this helpful

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In depth

Insightful and well-balanced with a lecturer who clearer had X strong interest in the subject.

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3 people found this helpful

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Excellent overview of existentialism

I do not recall ever re-reading a book, but I’ve listened to this course all the way through at least three times. I found it uniquely listenable owing to the quality of Prof Solomon’s delivery. He speaks clearly, and in a way that keeps your attention.

I believe this will be helpful both for beginners and those already fairly well read in existentialist philosophy, since the overview of the subject provided by Prof Solomon is quite unique. He very much gives his own thoughts on the great thinkers and their works.

I will surely be listening to this again in the future, and I would recommend this to really anyone that’s interested in gaining a better understanding of existentialism and its key thinkers.

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2 people found this helpful