With modern philosophy somewhat understood, it's time to pivot and see how logic developed during this time period. First, in the early part of this period, Pascal's wager was an important development, which was followed by the Port...

In Irish folklore, Cú Chulainn was one of the greatest warriors ever to live. From his first battle against a vicious hound at the age of 6 to his last against an entire army just two decades later, Cú Chulainn lived a legendary, but...

Discover the strange genetic condition of sun sneezing and its potential medical significance.

The earliest thinker in the Western tradition whose ideas about influence and persuasion come down to us was Aristotle. He asserted that we need three things to build a persuasive argument: ethos, logos, and pathos. In English, these...

This video explores the resurgence of energy-based healing practices like Reiki and healing touch, highlighting their potential benefits in relieving stress, pain, and emotional distress. It contrasts Western culture's historical lack of...

With rationalism covered, let's investigate the other important movement in early modern philosophy, empiricism. In its earliest formulation, this included figures like Francis Bacon and Thomas Hobbes, and contrary to rationalism, which...

We've covered early medieval philosophy, so let's move forward to the later part of this era, which is called the Scholastic period. This is marked by a strong Aristotelian influence, as well as the rise of universities as we know them...

Having covered medieval philosophy, let's also investigate the status of logic at this time. Some of the figures we discussed, like Abelard and Boethius, made contributions to logic that are worth discussing in some detail. Let's get a...

With ancient philosophy covered, it's time to move into medieval philosophy. This era is dominated by a strong link with theology, and all the most significant contributors to philosophy in this era were largely commenting on religious...

Classicist and political theorist Josiah Ober (Stanford) looks back to Aristotle's view of human flourishing to appreciate the benefits of democracy.

Philosopher of science James Robert Brown, University of Toronto, describes how the common view that we have of Galileo ushering in the Scientific Revolution by dropping balls from the leaning tower of Pisa is profoundly incorrect, and...

UC Berkeley historian and Byzantine specialist Maria Mavroudi describes how the standard view of the Middle Ages science fails to take into account the creative process of systematizing and building upon prior views.

Philosopher Susan Wolf (UNC Chapel Hill) gives us a sense of Aristotle's famous endoxic method, an approach which seems as relevant today as it was in ancient Athens.

Classicist and political theorist Josiah Ober (Stanford) explores the idea of adapting classical Athenian principles of government to our modern world using technology. He considers Aristotle's belief that the city-state was the ideal...

Historian Maria Mavroudi (UC Berkeley) reveals how a careful study of Arab-Greek bilingualism can shed important light on a wealth of societal values, including the very foundations of their systems of knowledge.

Previously we outlined Aristotle's enormous contributions in establishing logic as a formal field of inquiry. So what happened after that? How did the minds that followed, many directly in his lineage, develop this field further? What is...

Having made our way through Classical Greece, it's time to enter the subsequent Hellenistic and Roman periods. These were dominated by schools of thought that were influenced by the great classical thinkers, though they took their...

Would you save a boy who is drowning in front of your eyes? And thinking about this question, do you base your answer on the character you strive to become, on the behavior you want to see in the world, a costs and benefit analysis, your...

We just learned a bit about Aristotle and his philosophy, but he was also the first figure to truly establish logic as a field unto itself, and he developed many of the formalities this field still uses today. Types of sentences,...

We've covered two figures out of the great trifecta of Classical Greek philosophy, those being Socrates and Plato, so let's move forward and discuss Aristotle, arguably one of the most important thinkers in the history of mankind, and...

Understanding the different types of relationships can be a game changer. It can help you make sense of your interactions and connections and improve the way you relate to others. This episode of In Control - Connected focuses on...

A short summary of the big three Greek philosophers.

There are many strange and fascinating facts buried in the long, bizarre history of the Olympics. The Summer Olympics of 2016 look almost nothing like those from a century ago, and it’s not just the slick presentation and technological...

I did promise that this playlist would include logic in addition to philosophy, so it's time to get rolling with that. How did logic emerge, and how did it evolve over time? Let's focus first on its origins and its status leading up to...