Understanding the Dark Side of Human Nature
by Daniel Breyer
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Hardly a day goes by that we don't hear about someone committing a violent, reprehensible, even evil, act. And each time it happens, before we know anything about the circumstances, we are already sure of one thing: We are nothing like that perpetrator. But how can we be so sure? After all, we are all human.In Understanding the Dark Side of Human Nature, Professor Daniel Breyer takes us on a fascinating philosophical journey into many of the deepest and darkest questions that have engaged show more humanity for millennia. The dark side of our nature is our mysterious and fragile underbelly—our negative, but all too human, side. For many of us, it may be easier to simply avoid looking into the darker aspects of ourselves and our world—the suffering we see everywhere around us, from real world events to the entertainment we consume. But the truth is, if we don't face the totality of what it means to be human, we can never fully understand ourselves or fully appreciate our deep desire for meaning and purpose in our lives. Thinkers from across the world and in many different eras have considered the dark side of human nature, and that's why this course will adopt a cross-cultural approach, investigating perspectives from many different traditions—Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and secular. This cross-cultural approach will help you see humanity as fully as possible from many perspectives, better allowing for progress toward finding answers that can apply across cultures and times. This course is fueled by the power of questions, one of philosophy's most potent tools. Some are questions we have all asked ourselves: Why do so many people commit violence against others, why is there so much suffering in the world? Professor Breyer provides some fascinating potential answers to many of our darkest questions.. show less
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Member Reviews
Really liked this one, some fascinating conversations to be had around the content. Some of it was fairly simplistic, but regardless I found myself listening to more than a few of the lectures multiple times and comparing the topics and traits to situations (fictional and not) I am familiar with. All in all one of the better lecture sets. The professor was interesting to listen to and I personally found the subject matter riveting.
A very insightful and informative lecture series contemplate the nature and origin of some of mankind's less than desirable traits. Professor Daniel Breyer is a very engaging speaker, and his lectures cover a wide range of philosophical schools from Buddha and Christ to Freud and Sartre. I've found the Great Courses series to be hit-or-miss, but in this case it is a definite hit. Highly recommended.
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5 Works 57 Members
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2019-06-12
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- Members
- 36
- Popularity
- 800,538
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.88)
- Languages
- English
- ISBNs
- 2
- ASINs
- 3
