Ideas that have shaped human history as expressed in poetry, speeches, myth and documents

Allan Anforth
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  • Philosophy

This podcast program is my personal effort to address ideas that have shaped human history as expressed in poetry, speeches, myths and documents. The programs will be posted weekly or more frequently depending on their content and the work involved Mostly, but not always, the topics deal with what some people might describe as serious issues, which some might find depressing, unduly taxing on their concentration or offensive to their present world view. Such people are probably better to give this program a miss.   The program necessarily addresses existential, political, historical, philosophical, sociological and scientific issues of my choosing and no doubt, loaded with my personal biases. The purpose of is to encourage or facilitate people to think about the issues presented, for which I offer no apology for those who are offended. Some of the literatures (poems, speeches, myths and documents) are also very long, which makes the oral presentation difficult and causes errors. It also can tax the concentration and interest of readers. For that reason, I have sometimes read only part of the relevant literature and summarised the content of the excised parts.

Episodes

  1. Jul 26

    The poetry of A.B. Patterson

    A. B. Patterson was an early Austrlaian poet who wrote on Ausstralian society with a heavy emphasis on a new found sense of nationalism following the federation of states in Australia to form one country in 1901. Any constructive comments to ideasthatshapehumanhistory@gmail.com Hard copy to download

  2. Jul 23

    Program 8: Glorifiying war

    This episode contains poetry and speeches whose purpose is the adulation of the warrior class and the glorification of war. Any constructive comments can be emailed to ideasthatshapehumanhistory@gmail.com Hard copy to download

  3. Jul 13

    Program 7: Finding meaning in life among its mundanities

    This episode followings on the previous prgrams about the shortness  off life and the inevitability of death. It reviews the poetry and writings of people who have had to grapple with the boring and the routine that consumes so much of our short lives Hard copy to download Any constructive comments or feedback can be directed to: ideasthatshapehumanhistory@gmail.com

  4. Jul 13

    Program 5: Poetry on trains

    This program contains the poetry on trains. Hard copy to download Any constructive comments or feedback can be directed to: ideasthatshapehumanhistory@gmail.com

  5. Jul 13

    Program 6: The American Declaration of Independence, Gettysburg address and Mandela's Presidental speech

    This program contains the above speeches in full, to allow people to  contrast the aspirational to the historical relaity. Hard copy to download Any constructive comments or feedback can be directed to: ideasthatshapehumanhistory@gmail.com

  6. Jul 13

    Program 4: Earth living on borrowed time

    This program is about the inevitability of the demise of the Earth as a whole and all that sail upon unless they become space faring species before that fate befalls the Earth. Hard copy to download Any constructive comments or feedback can be directed to: ideasthatshapehumanhistory@gmail.com

  7. Jul 13

    Program 3: The ruthlessness of Darwinian evolution

    This program focusses on Darwinian evolution as the essential driver of human violence and war. Hard copy to dowload Any constructive comments or feedback can be directed to: ideasthatshapehumanhistory@gmail.com

  8. Jul 13

    Program 2: Reflections on the grave

    This program follows from the prevous one on the shortness of life and the inevitabioity of death. It is poetry of people reflecting on the grave and its contents. Hard copy to download Any constructive comments or feedback can be directed to: ideasthatshapehumanhistory@gmail.com

  9. Jul 11

    Program 1: The shortness of life and the inevitability of death

    This program is about the shortness of human life and the inevitaiblity of our death. It contains the poetry of people over the centuries that have addressed the issue and so that have been forced to do so due to the immanancy of their death. Hard copy to download Any constructive comments or feedback can be directed to: ideasthatshapehumanhistory@gmail.com

  10. Episode 1

    Introduction Episode

    This is an introductory preview to the podcast. Hard copy to download Any constructive comments or feedback can be directed to: ideasthatshapehumanhistory@gmail.com

Trailer

About

This podcast program is my personal effort to address ideas that have shaped human history as expressed in poetry, speeches, myths and documents. The programs will be posted weekly or more frequently depending on their content and the work involved Mostly, but not always, the topics deal with what some people might describe as serious issues, which some might find depressing, unduly taxing on their concentration or offensive to their present world view. Such people are probably better to give this program a miss.   The program necessarily addresses existential, political, historical, philosophical, sociological and scientific issues of my choosing and no doubt, loaded with my personal biases. The purpose of is to encourage or facilitate people to think about the issues presented, for which I offer no apology for those who are offended. Some of the literatures (poems, speeches, myths and documents) are also very long, which makes the oral presentation difficult and causes errors. It also can tax the concentration and interest of readers. For that reason, I have sometimes read only part of the relevant literature and summarised the content of the excised parts.

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