The Foundations of Western Civilization

By: Thomas F. X. Noble, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Thomas F. X. Noble

What is Western civilization? According to Professor Noble, it is "much more than human and political geography," encompassing myriad forms of political and institutional structures - from monarchies to participatory republics - and its own traditions of political discourse. It involves choices about who gets to participate in any given society and the ways in which societies have resolved the tension between individual self-interest and the common good.

Within this series of 48 lectures, you'll discover the many ways in which Western civilization has addressed those questions, from its first stirrings in the great river valleys of Iraq and Egypt in 3000 B.C to the beginning of the 17th century and the dawn of the modern world. Your learning will cover vast amounts of territory and thousands of years, beginning in the ancient Near East and moving to Greece and then Rome. You'll explore ancient empires, including those of Persia, Alexander the Great, and Rome.

You'll watch as western Europe gradually expands, both physically and culturally. And you'll examine the globalizations of Western civilization with the Portuguese and Spanish voyages of exploration and discovery.

This broad and panoramic series, ripe with the telling detail on which history can turn, will help you pull an enormous sweep of history together into one coherent - though by no means closed - framework as you watch history develop under the influence of such critical factors as ecology and environment, geography, and climate; government and economics; technology; religion; work and leisure; philosophy; literature; art and architecture; and virtues, values, and aesthetics.

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

great

All of the Great Courses are fantastic. a problem occurs when the narrator constantly slides in the slanted left-wing viewpoint prevalent in academia. This is not the issue here however. Magnificently unbiased. Absolutely engrossing.

Excellent course!

This is my second, all time favorite history course thus far. I have only been a patron of the Great Courses for about 7 or 8 months when my favorite podcaster mentioned they were now on Audible. I highly recommend this particular course. The professor is very good at what he does, captivating, interesting, and knowledgeable.

Excellent Course!

Any additional comments?

I have listened to numerous courses from the Teaching Company, but this one is by far the best! Clear, concise and very engaging Professor

Very informative

A very clear and coherent summary of the foundations of Western Civilization from the beginning of civilization in Mesopotamia to the 16th Century.

A very good overview of the important events and developments over time. Necessarily leaves out a lot of detail in order to cover such a vast expanse of time and space.

I strongly recommend this lecture series to people who have some very rudimentary knowledge of Western History, and would like to learn more.

Informative and Relatable

I was surprised that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. I am not traditionally a fan of European History, but this book kept me enthralled. It was straight and too the point, which made it for an easy listen and easy to digest.