Alan Charles Kors: Voltaire’s 'Philosophical Letters,' Part I
Ralston College presents a two-part series of lectures by Alan Charles Kors on Voltaire's great work 'The Philosophical Letters.' Profoundly impressed by the English scientific and philosophical revolutions of the seventeenth century, Voltaire sought to explain and to popularize new British thinking to his French readers. He argued that sound and innovative thinkers were more important to humanity than its political or military heroes and that preferring the philosophers of one’s native land over those of another nation was a barrier to the advance of truth and knowledge. In this first lecture, Professor Kors explores the reasons for Voltaire's fascination with the English empirical tradition, which is exemplified by Francis Bacon, John Locke, and Isaac Newton.
This lecture and discussion were recorded with a live online audience on April 21st, 2022.
Authors and Works Mentioned in this Episode
Alan Charles Kors, ‘Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment’
Voltaire, ‘The Philosophical Letters’
Voltaire, ‘Oedipus’
Isaac Newton, ‘Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy’
Francis Bacon, especially ‘Novum Organum’
John Locke, especially ‘An Essay Concerning Human Understanding’
René Descartes, ‘Discourse on the Method’
René Descartes, ‘Meditations Upon First Philosophy’
René Descartes, ‘Principles of Philosophy’
Links of Possible Interest:
Dr Kors’ Profile at FIRE
www.thefire.org/alan-charles-...
Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment
global.oup.com/academic/produ...
Ralston College
ralston.ac
Ralston College Short Courses
www.ralston.ac/humanities-sho...
Ralston College Humanities MA
www.ralston.ac/humanities-ma
Stephen Blackwood
www.stephenjblackwood.com
Timeline
0:00 - Introduction
3:38 - Kors’ lecture: Background of the ‘Philosophical Letters’
5:52 - Voltaire biography
12:19 - Voltaire on the role of philosophy
16:36 - Voltaire’s heroes in English philosophy
18:15 - Philosophy as mastery over nature; example of inoculation
28:06 - Francis Bacon: the scientific framework
34:12 - John Locke: superiority of sense experience in knowledge acquisition
41:44 - Isaac Newton: the fruit of Lockean empiricism
*Discussion*
50:50 - What would Voltaire make of the current claim that knowledge is a construct?
54:57 - Unusual ordering of ‘Philosophical Letters’
59:30 - The anti-aristocratic character of the scientific method?
1:02:39 - How does one ask the right questions?
1:06:38 - Balance between respect for past and challenging of its assumptions
1:14:16 - Can we know moral truths through Voltaire’s philosophical process?
1:23:15 - The role of humor in Voltaire’s argumentation
1:27:05 - Voltaire on the blank slate theory; empiricism vs ‘lived experience’
1:31:05 - English toleration exaggerated by Voltaire?
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Пікірлер: 18
I just got to know this professor, i found him this morning and cant stop watching his videos. God bless!
We appreciate the lecture series so much. They are refreshing and inspiring.
Some great words - "politicians and conquerors are nothing more than illustrious villains", "we owe respect to those who influence the mind through truth, not to those who make slaves of men by violence, and to those who understand the universe not to those who disfigure it". This reading has inspired me today. Indeed Isaac Newton was a true giant of intellectual thought, a great master of mathematics and physics.
love, Love, LOVE the discussion of Bacon. His path to knowledge rests at the core of my self-learning and teaching philosophy. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I can't believe I'm saying this. But I am inspired by Ralston to go back to school and pursue a Humanities degree. I love these lectures. But I know for a fact that studying the Humanities makes instant friends. Initiating a discussion about what you read by Xenophon, Plato, Diogenes of Laertius, Aristotle or even Boethius... People are absolutely hungry for this stuff. And serves at least as I know, to me. That the Humanities leads to human flourishing. For a fact.
Thank you
Excellent lecture. Much appreciation for the coming together of such bright minds.
This was wonderful. There with bells on for the second lecture. THANK you!
Informative, entertaining and professional. It’s like reading a good book.
❤
What piece of music is in the intro?
@HowardARoark
Жыл бұрын
Sounds like Bach piano music - for example 'preludes' and 'fugues' - it might be something like "Well-Tempered Clavier" or "Goldberg Variations" - he has a vast number of works.
@gregorymoats4007
Жыл бұрын
Bach: Tocatta and Fugue in d minor on piano. He gave the name of pianist but I cannot recall.
We have made our minds slaves in the name of freedom of body.
@aWomanFreed
Жыл бұрын
Pretty sure Voltaire was a pedophile
𝐩яⓞ𝓂𝓞Ş𝐦 😍