1: Seneca-"On Providence"
In this introductory lecture, Professor Fears explains how wisdom enables us to take information and apply it to our lives. You begin with the Roman Empire and Seneca's "On Providence," which asserts that evil cannot befall a truly good man because, if a man believes that God is good, then there is no real evil....
2: The Gospel of John
Learn how the Gospel of John differs from the other synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) in both its majestic language and the ways it reveals Jesus's character. This text can teach you that the message of a single teacher can be more powerful than the rule of a massive empire....
3: Boethius, Martin Luther King-Conscience
See how Boethius's On the Consolation of Philosophy instructs us on how true wisdom resides in recognizing the harm caused by returning evil with evil. Also, see Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" as a profound testimony to our ability to change the world....
4: Dostoevsky-The Brothers Karamazov
Evil, suffering, and death have important purposes that we oftentimes can't understand, according to Professor Fears. In this lecture, see how Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov explores the depths of the Russian soul and teaches us about the very meaning of human existence....
5: Elie Wiesel-Night
Elie Wiesel's Night shows us how we can triumph as individuals in the face of great evil. In this lecture, you examine Wiesel's life and family before the Holocaust and witness how he survived the worst genocide in history. Both Wiesel's life and his novel are testaments to the unconquerable human spirit....
6: Schweitzer-Out of My Life and Thought
Albert Schweitzer was one of the greatest humanitarians of his time. His autobiography, Out of My Life and Thought, is a fascinating study of his spiritual journey bringing modern medicine to Africa. Learn how this work teaches us that our very humanity rests on our reverence for all life....
7: Goethe-The Sufferings of Young Werther
Discover how Goethe advises us to move on with our lives rather than succumb to the tragic fate of lovesickness in The Sufferings of Young Werther. The most famous literary figure of his day, Goethe based the work on his own near-tragic experience with unrequited love....
11: Cicero-"On Old Age"
The Roman answer to Plato, Cicero achieved a successful legal career before entering the tumultuous world of politics. Investigate Cicero's "On Old Age" and his beliefs that older people are beneficial to society because of their experience, wisdom, and good judgment-despite what young people may say....
12: Isaac Bashevis Singer-The Penitent
The Penitent, written by Nobel Prize winner Isaac Singer, is a powerful tale of a Jewish man who achieves worldly success in New York City but soon realizes how hollow that success is. The Penitentteaches us the lesson that the only reason to live a long life is to continue growing and developing....
13: Euripides-Alcestis
What do we mean when we talk about true love? Greek tragedies like Euripides' Alcestis teach us that anything taken to excess-even something good-leads to destruction. In Alcestis's self-sacrifice for her husband's immortality, you find the higher ideal of love that leads us to put others before ourselves....
15: Von Strasburg-Tristan and Isolde
Tristan and Isolde teaches us about the overwhelming power of love to make people abandon codes of honor and betray those to whom they owe the most. In this lecture, consider how the tragedy also instructs us on the medieval ideal of human passion as an allegory for the love of God....
16: Shakespeare-Antony and Cleopatra
Explore yet another side of the power of love in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. In this tragedy, learn how a man of enormous talent and opportunity can throw away world rule for the love of a woman. What makes this lesson all the more effective? Its basis in historical fact....
17: Shakespeare-Macbeth
Like his Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare's Macbeth depicts the use of love as a tool for achieving power. You see how Lady Macbeth uses her husband as a surrogate for authority and fuels his decisions with her misguided love-a plan that contributes to the play's tragic outcome....
18: Aldous Huxley-Brave New World
In contrast to earlier works that deal with the theme of love, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World takes you to a society devoid of love-one where sex and reproduction happen outside the world of affection and relationships. Professor Fears emphasizes how this futuristic satire is a warning about the perils of technology for humanity....
22: Nibelungenlied-Chivalric Romance
Composed around A.D. 1200, the Nibelungenlied is a masterpiece of medieval literature. Examine how this Great Book brings together a number of themes from the course, including the creative and destructive power of love and how to courageously find one's destiny....
23: Lewis and Clark-Journals
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark lived one of the greatest adventures in history: the exploration of the Louisiana Purchase. This scientific and diplomatic mission was detailed in The Journals of Lewis and Clark, which you consider as a way to get valuable lessons on both friendship and personal destiny....
24: T. E. Lawrence-Seven Pillars of Wisdom
T. E. Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, lived a life of grand adventure. His life story, recorded in Seven Pillars of Wisdom, provides you with the perfect image of a man of destiny-one whose imprint is still left on the map of the Middle East and in the hearts of anyone longing for personal challenge....
25: Aristophanes-Comedies
Laughter is a universal human action. In the first of a series of lectures about lessons of laughter and irony, you investigate the comedies of Aristophanes-including Acharnians, Peace, and Lysistrata-and how they reflected the mood of the Athenian people during the Peloponnesian War....
26: Menander-The Grouch
Menander's The Grouch tells a humorous tale of love hindered by a grumpy old man who is protective of his daughter and who is rescued from a well into which he has fallen by her would-be suitor. An important lesson you glean from this Great Book is that making happiness your ultimate goal leads to true happiness....
31: Josephus-History of the Jewish War
Focus now on the final universal theme of the course: patriotism. Come to see History of the Jewish War by the historian Flavius Josephus as a moving lesson in the human love of freedom. To fight and die in the noble cause of freedom, you learn, should never be considered a defeat....
32: Joseph Addison-Cato
Although not commonly read today, Joseph Addison's Cato was one of the most influential intellectual models for the American Revolution. This 1713 play-about the struggle of the Roman Cato the Younger under the tyranny of Julius Caesar-has much to teach us about the ideals of our nation....
33: George Washington-Farewell Address
As a general and a president, George Washington was a great model of civic virtue and patriotism. His farewell address, an open letter to the American people, addresses national issues still with us today, including party division, foreign policy, and fiscal responsibility....
34: Abraham Lincoln, George Patton-War
Explore the many ways in which war defines what it means to be patriotic by looking at two great wartime leaders: Abraham Lincoln and George S. Patton. Lincoln's 1864 letter to Mrs. Lydia Bixby teaches us about the costs of personal sacrifice, while Patton's life and career as told in War as I Knew It teach us about valor in the midst of battle....
35: Theodore Roosevelt-An Autobiography
Chronicle the development of Theodore Roosevelt's ideas and his rise to political fame, as detailed in An Autobiography. Roosevelt's travels into and exploration of the American frontier helped him-and can help you-understand what makes a political leader truly great....
36: The Wisdom of Great Books
Professor Fears concludes the course by reminding you about the tried-and-true lessons to be found in the pages of Great Books. Although the world has changed throughout the course of human history, themes such as love, courage, and patriotism have always been-and will continue to be-part of our lives....
We are no wiser than the Athenians of the 5th century B.C., no wiser than Sophocles for our science of today has shown us the overwhelming power of genes, of DNA.
ALMA MATER
INSTITUTION
About J. Rufus Fears
Dr. J. Rufus Fears was David Ross Boyd Professor of Classics at the University of Oklahoma, where he held the G. T. and Libby Blankenship Chair in the History of Liberty. He also served as David and Ann Brown Distinguished Fellow of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. He earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University. Before joining the faculty at the University of Oklahoma, Professor Fears was Professor of History and Distinguished Faculty Research Lecturer at Indiana University, and Professor of Classical Studies at Boston University. An acclaimed teacher and scholar with more than 25 awards for teaching excellence, Professor Fears was chosen Professor of the Year on three occasions by students at the University of Oklahoma. His other accolades included the Medal for Excellence in College and University Teaching from the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, the University Continuing Education Association (UCEA) Great Plains Region Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the UCEA's National Award for Teaching Excellence. Professor Fears's books and monographs include The Cult of Jupiter and Roman Imperial Ideology and The Theology of Victory at Rome. He edited a three-volume edition of Selected Writings of Lord Acton. His discussions of the Great Books have appeared in newspapers across the country and have aired on national television and radio programs. Professor Fears passed away in October 2012.
