Philosophy and religions - course 14885 rub. from Synchronization, training, Date: November 29, 2023.

block 1 (audio course, immediate access)
Guide to Philosophy

We will listen to audio lectures about philosophers and watch videos to immerse ourselves in the atmosphere of the era. And with the help of tests we will consolidate the acquired knowledge.

Antiquity
The meaning of life from the point of view of the ancient Greeks

Philosophy as a science began to take shape precisely in Ancient Greece. In this lesson we will study the main philosophers of this period. Let's find out:
How the ancient Greeks saw and perceived the world;
Why did Plato compare the world to a faded copy of ideas;
Why did the Epicureans consider pleasure to be the goal of life?

Middle Ages
The Church and its influence on theology and logic

In the Middle Ages, religion greatly influenced all aspects of human life - including how people perceived the world. In this block we will learn how theology was formed. And let's also understand:
How Thomas Aquinas proved the existence of God;
Why did Neoplatonists strive for ecstasy;
How the church paid philosophers for their work.

Renaissance
Ideas of humanism and natural philosophy

During the Renaissance, the focus shifted from God to man. In this lesson we will examine the basic ideas of anthropocentrism and humanism. We will also find out:
Why did the Renaissance invent vision boards;
Why did Renaissance philosophers consider man the creator of history;
How Giordano Bruno found God in things.

New time
Empiricism and systems that describe the world

In modern times, many disputes arose around the approaches and methods used in philosophy. In this lesson we will find out what is the difference between induction and deduction. We will also find out:
How physics helped Kant understand the world;
Why, from Spinoza's point of view, we are all substance;
Why did Descartes liken man to a machine?

Turn of the 19th-20th centuries
The end of faith, scientific progress and world crises

At the turn of the century, the struggle between modern thinkers and classical philosophy began. Let's find out how they tried to build a new philosophy. Let's also find out:
Because of what philosophers stopped trusting reason;
Why did Nietzsche divide everyone into slaves and masters;
Where did Marx's theory come from and why did the thinker consider capitalism to be evil?

XX century
War and postmodern society

The Second World War changed the world forever, and this could not but affect philosophy. In this lesson we will learn what post-war thinkers saw as the meaning of human life. Let's also find out:
How studying language helps to understand the workings of consciousness;
How mathematics and linguistics became the main tools of philosophers;
Why Heidegger believed that awareness is the key to knowledge.

Modernity
Current trends and political philosophy

In the last lesson we will study questions that concern philosophers today. Let's find out:
How the coronavirus forced people to rethink their ideas about the world;
How, according to Slavoj Žižek, politics changes our thinking;
What Jean Baudrillard, Gilles Deleuze and Jacques Derrida say about existential questions.

block 2 (audio course, immediate access)
How ideas control people

We will find out why we talk about freedom and the meaning of life in the words of Sartre, look at power through the eyes of Foucault, and perceive our sexuality through the prism of the concepts of Freud and Deleuze.

Sigmund Freud
Changed our ideas about sexuality

Sigmund Freud taught us to look for the causes of fears in childhood traumas and captivated the whole world with the theory of psychoanalysis. During the lecture we will understand how our unconscious breaks through, how libido affects the psyche and how Freud’s ideas influenced not only culture, but also our everyday life.

Karl Marx
Taught us to look at any events from an economic point of view

Karl Marx was the first to prove that philosophers can not only explain the world, but also change it. He taught people to see labor relations in everything and inspired politicians from dozens of countries to try to build a classless society. During the lecture we will find out why revolutionaries from different countries interpreted Marx’s ideas incorrectly, what kind of capitalism the philosopher actually criticized, and why Marx’s ideas are still popular in the West.

Immanuel Kant
Proved that we perceive the world subjectively

Immanuel Kant showed what the human mind is capable of: he thoroughly studied its capabilities and explained how we obtain knowledge about the world and systematize it. And then he went further and developed an original and categorical ethics, which is still debated. At the lecture we will find out why the philosopher called for telling the truth in any case, we will analyze three of his main works: “Critique of Pure Reason”, “Critique of Practical Reason” and “Critique of Ability judgments."

Friedrich Nietzsche
Taught us to question established values

Friedrich Nietzsche is one of the most radical philosophers in history. He proclaimed the death of God and declared that there are no absolute values ​​and ideals in the world. He urged people to rely only on themselves and independently seek the meaning of life. At the lecture we will understand how Nietzsche’s views were formed, why he is quoted even by those who have not read his works, why all people are driven by the will to power, who is superman, why did the philosopher call Christian morality slave

Georg Hegel
Revealed the laws by which life develops

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel took aim at the role of God: in his philosophical works he tried to formulate the laws according to which the whole world develops. And he did it! Hegel invented dialectics, which became a universal method of knowing things and phenomena. At the lecture we will get acquainted with the principles and laws of dialectics and understand why our habit of systematizing everything comes from Hegel.

Jean-Paul Sartre
He placed full responsibility for our own lives on us.

Jean-Paul Sartre is one of the most popular philosophers in history. But the most popular does not mean the simplest. At the lecture we will talk in detail about existentialism and find out what Sartre meant when he wrote that man is doomed to be free. Let's find out why the philosopher looked at human life as a project and why we experience anxiety every time we make a serious choice.

Ludwig Wittgenstein
Showed us how the world of words is connected to the world of things

We put any thought into words, and it is with the help of language that we systematize the world.
But how does language affect our thinking? And is it possible to accurately describe the world around us in words? Ludwig Wittgenstein dedicated his life to finding answers to these questions. During the lecture we will trace how his views changed throughout his life and find out why we need metaphors and language games.

Michel Foucault
Understood how the state influences citizens

Michel Foucault explored the influence of the state on the individual and looked for ways to gain power over his own life. At the lecture we will figure out how the state manages to control all areas of our lives and how to become free in such conditions. Let's find out how schools and hospitals format personality and how discourses formed by authorities influence our perception of the world.

Marshall McLuhan
Explained how phones and computers became extensions of our hands

Even before the advent of the Internet, Marshall McLuhan realized that communications had created a completely new world. News spreads across this world as quickly as through a village, and human bodies are modified and given additional capabilities thanks to technology. At the lecture we will find out why the philosopher was wary of the penetration of media into all spheres of life and learn how mass media influence our psyche.

Gilles Deleuze
Convinced us that being different is the norm

Gilles Deleuze turned philosophy on its head. He called for looking for differences in people and phenomena and abandoning attempts to systematize the world. The philosopher proposed to consider reality as a rhizome - a decentralized system without key people and generally accepted norms. During the lecture we will understand Deleuze’s philosophy and get acquainted with the principles of schizoanalysis - a direction that considers a person as a set of subpersonalities.

block 3 (video course, immediate access)
History of religions

Let's consider each religion as a philosophical system and analyze it from several angles: we will study history, doctrine, schools and directions.

Judaism
How one people changed the history of all mankind

What we learn:
Abraham, Moses and the Temple of Jerusalem: How the Monotheistic Revolution Occurred
Talmud, Shabbat and circumcision: the main ideas and rituals of the Jews
Pharisees, “tremblers” and Kabbalists: how Judaism developed

Christianity
What is the secret of the most widespread religion in the world?

What we learn:
Jesus, the apostles and the first monasteries: how Christianity appeared
Creeds, the sacrifice of Christ and the salvation of the soul: the main ideas of Christianity
Catholics, Old Believers and Protestants: why the church split

Islam
What Muslims Believe

What we learn:
Revelation, the Hijra and the Pagans: How the Prophet Muhammad Founded a Religion
Koran, Sharia and Jihad: the main tenets and rituals of Islam
Shiites, Sufis and feminist Muslims: what Islam is like

Hinduism
How yoga leads to liberation

What we learn:
Aryans, ancient cults and the Trinity: how Hinduism appeared and developed
Brahman, karma and moksha: the idea of ​​the “great game”: paths to liberation
The end of discrimination and globalization: how Hinduism is changing

Buddhism
Why comprehend emptiness

What we learn:
Prince Gautama, “three baskets” and Samkhya: how Buddhism appeared
Buddha, Bodhisattva and Emptiness: The Foundations of Buddhism and the Path to Nirvana
Three vehicles and Tibet: different movements of Buddhism

Confucianism
Why did a philosophical movement turn into a religion?

What we learn:
The Great Teacher, Heaven and Chinese Dynasties: How Confucius Changed China
Golden Age, Humanism and Xiao: The Main Principles of Confucianism

Taoism
How to achieve immortality

What we learn:
Ancestor cult, Lao Tzu and “heavenly mentors”: what is Taoism like?
Jade Emperor, Tao and alchemy: what Taoists believe and strive for

block 4 (webinar recordings, available immediately)
World Philosophy Tour

We will find out how the philosophical movements of different countries differ, get acquainted with outstanding thinkers and find out how they influenced each other

lecture 1
France: Rousseau, Descartes, Baudrillard
A distinctive feature of French philosophy is the desire for rational thinking. Since the Middle Ages, the French have questioned everything. They wanted people to learn to reason sequentially, weighing each thought and the logical connections between these thoughts.

At the lecture we will analyze the most striking philosophical concepts in the history of France. Let's find out how Pierre Abelard became a classic of medieval scholasticism, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau - a prominent representative of revolutionary liberal thought. Let's talk about Rene Descartes and his methods of cognition. Let's discuss how Roland Barthes, Jean Baudrillard and other stars of philosophy of the 20th and 21st centuries created a new post-war picture of the world.

lecture 2
Germany: Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche
In Germany, philosophy was distinguished by its belief in higher, deeper meanings - in the unspoken laws of the universe, where much is based on mysticism and religion. Another important feature of German philosophy is its “titanism”. Almost every philosopher of this country left behind entire systems of philosophical thought, countless books and scientific works.

At the lecture we will talk about the constellation of German geniuses: we will discuss the teachings of the “dark” theologian Meister Eckhart and the revolutionary works of Karl Marx. Let us study the works of the four who created the brand of “Classical German Philosophy”: Immanuel Kant, Johann Fichte, Friedrich Schelling and Georg Hegel. Let's see how the irrationalists Arthur Schopenhauer and Friedrich Nietzsche influenced the fate of Germany. We will also understand why Martin Heidegger’s ideas about being are still relevant today.

lecture 3
UK: Bacon, Spencer, Berkeley
For many centuries, British philosophy was built on a foundation of logic and skepticism. The British believed in the scientific approach and rejected any irrationality. Unlike the French, they focused not on the structure of human thinking, but on a deep understanding of the world around them.

During the lecture we will understand the famous logical principle of the “razor” of the medieval monk William of Occam. Let's discuss the socialist projects of Thomas More, the principles of scientific knowledge of Francis Bacon and the positivism of Bertrand Russell. Let's understand what was unique about Herbert Spencer's ideas of evolution, and talk about the specifics of modern American philosophy.

lecture 4
Russia: Berdyaev, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky
The peculiarity of Russian philosophy is its late formation and heterogeneity. Russian philosophers took ideas from science and religion, from literature and art. They drew knowledge from opposing concepts and created new directions of thought based on this.

At the lecture we will talk about two competing trends in Russia in the 19th century - Westernism and Slavophilism. Let's find out what the value of the works of Pyotr Chaadaev, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy was. We will discuss the mystical philosophy of unity of Vladimir Solovyov and the ideas of creativity and freedom of Nikolai Berdyaev and, finally, get acquainted with the big names of modern Russian philosophy.

lecture 5
India: Kapila, Canada, Vyasa
In the treasury of Indian philosophy one can find ideas that were several centuries ahead of the discoveries of European schools. Conventionally, local philosophy can be divided into two camps: the first, based on the sacred scriptures as an indisputable source, and the second, developed separately from generally accepted religious dogmas.

At the lecture we will analyze the structure of sacred texts - the Vedas and Upanishads. Let's talk about classical philosophical schools: Samkhya, Vedanta and Buddhism. Let us list the main provisions of Hindu religious philosophy and see what echoes of Indian culture we see in modern cultural trends in Russia and in the world.

lecture 6
Middle East and Asia: Buddha, Confucius, Muhammad
Arab and Asian philosophy gave the world many discoveries in the fields of mathematics, medicine and astronomy. In addition, it was the Arab states that preserved the heritage of ancient Greek philosophy: the works of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle.

At the lecture we will talk about two philosophical movements: the Middle East and China. Let's study the most striking theories of the Arab intellectual world: Sufism, materialism, dogmatism. Let us briefly examine the specifics of three religious teachings - Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. Let us discuss the philosophical achievements of the paradoxical culture of Asia: on the one hand, ritual and formalized, on the other hand, free from religion and prejudices.

block 5 (webinar recordings, already available)
Questions

Let's find out how the greatest thinkers answered the 6 main philosophical questions, and see how the answers changed from era to era

lecture 1
What is a person and what is the meaning of our life?
Plato's Chariot, Humanism and Marxism

Who are we and what is our purpose? Philosophers have asked the same question for thousands of years and found different answers. We’ll find out which ones at the webinar, and we’ll also understand how the idea of ​​man and the meaning of life changed from era to era. Let's also figure it out:

Why did Plato compare man to a chariot?
Why should a person strive for God?
What is humanism
Why a person is defined by his work

lecture 2
How does the world work?
Cave, City of God and simulacra

Why is the world the way it is, how did it appear and by what laws does it exist? Such questions are asked not only by small children, but also by sophisticated philosophers. In this webinar we will dive into the secrets of the universe. We will find out why the ancient Greeks looked for the fundamental principle of the world in fire, water and emptiness, we will get acquainted with the ideas of medieval theologians and understand what philosophers of the 20th century thought about the world.
Let's also figure it out:

How does Plato's cave work?
What is the difference between the City of Earth and the City of God?
Who questioned the existing world
Why Baudrillard claimed that there was no war in the Persian Gulf

lecture 3
What is God?
Mythological consciousness, the Absolute and Nietzsche

The ancient Greeks believed that gods were very similar to people; in the Middle Ages, God turned into the Absolute, and in modern times he completely “died.” How and why did the concept of God change in different eras? We'll figure it out in the webinar. We’ll also find out:

What is the difference between apophatic and cataphatic
What are Thomas Aquinas's 5 Proofs of God?
When was the idea of ​​God as an architect born?
How Nietzsche “killed” God

lecture 4
How does a just society work?
Democracy, utopia and the war of ideologies

How to create an ideal state? How can you make everyone around you feel good? And what should this “good” be? We'll figure it out in the webinar. We will find out what the ancient Greeks thought about different forms of government, we will understand how the idea of ​​a social contract and the theory of Marx appeared.
We’ll also find out:

Why Aristotle disliked democracy
How does the “City of the Sun” work?
Why did the Stoics suggest accepting the blows of fate?
How 20th-century thinkers interpreted the Cold War

lecture 5
What is truth?
Maieutics, empiricism and the unity of apperception

How do we get information? What do we think? And how to obtain true knowledge? At the webinar we will learn how great thinkers answered all these questions, and we will understand epistemology - the science of knowledge. And let's also understand:

What is a syllogism
What do midwifery and thinking have in common?
Why Kant made a revolution
How discoveries in neuroscience influenced philosophy

lecture 6
What is beauty?
Harmony, catharsis and the aimlessness of aesthetics

Pythagoras saw beauty in harmony and even tried to calculate its formula; in the Middle Ages, beauty was divine, but in modern times it became subjective. At the webinar we will understand what beauty is and understand how great philosophers looked at art. We’ll also find out:

What is "divine spark"
Why is it impossible to see beauty without ugliness?
How Romanticism brought play and irony to art
Why did Kant believe that beauty is expedient without purpose?