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Utopia and Terror in the 20th Century
- Narrated by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins
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Publisher's summary
From the trenches of World War I to Nazi Germany to Saddam Hussein's Iraq, the 20th century was a time of unprecedented violence. Yet while such monumental violence seems senseless, it is not inexplicable. If we can understand the origins of violence, we may prevent even greater horrors in the century to come.
These 24 necessary lectures trace the violent history of the 20th century, beginning with its early roots in the American and, especially, the French revolutions. With each passing lecture, you will see how the 20th century's-violence was the result of specific historical developments that eventually combined, with explosive results.
You'll see how
- the French Revolution proved that ideological movements could mobilize the public and, through violence, transform society;
- the Industrial Revolution and subsequent technology created vastly more powerful weapons; and
- Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection was perverted into Social Darwinism and eugenics.
The most sinister development of all, however, was the notion that utopia was not just a perfect paradise to look forward to in the afterlife. Instead, utopia could be built right now, in this life. Such 20th-century ideologies as Marxism, Nazism, Communism, and Fascism embraced this idea willingly - even enthusiastically - and used terror to implement it.
You'll see how leaders of totalitarian governments act as mobsters, and how regimes create fear and command allegiance through the use of bureaucratic "machines," such as the cult of the leader, secret police, and the media. In the final lectures, Professor Liulevicius considers recent figures such as Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden and assesses terrorism in the contemporary world.PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
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A book of grudges
- By Axel D. Magnuson on 05-09-23
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
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War in the Modern World
- By: David R. Stone, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: David R. Stone
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
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Great powers no longer fight great wars. But how exactly did countries like the United States go from confronting powerful adversaries in 1914 and 1939 Europe to waging lengthy counterinsurgency campaigns in places like Iraq and Afghanistan? The answer lies in the profound geopolitical and technological changes that came in between.
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General Overview of Conflicts Post World War 2
- By Jeffrey F Korpics Jr on 06-20-22
By: David R. Stone, and others
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Communism in Decline: From Sputnik to Gorbachev
- By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
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In Communism in Decline: From Sputnik to Gorbachev, Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius reveals the internal and external forces that ripped apart the grand communist experiment. What were the mistakes made by the Soviet leaders who believed too deeply in their own propaganda? And why were they not able to see the many ironies in their own poor decisions? In 12 fascinating lectures, you will learn how the Soviet Union went from winning the space race against the United States in 1957 to Gorbachev’s resignation and the dissolution of the great experiment in 1991.
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
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The Foundations of Western Civilization
- By: Thomas F. X. Noble, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Thomas F. X. Noble
- Length: 24 hrs and 51 mins
- Original Recording
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What is Western Civilization? According to Professor Noble, it is "much more than human and political geography," encompassing myriad forms of political and institutional structures - from monarchies to participatory republics - and its own traditions of political discourse. It involves choices about who gets to participate in any given society and the ways in which societies have resolved the tension between individual self-interest and the common good.
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Not Engaging or Very Interesting
- By Tommy D'Angelo on 03-05-17
By: Thomas F. X. Noble, and others
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The American Civil War
- By: Gary W. Gallagher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary W. Gallagher
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
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Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.
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Excellent Series
- By Rodney on 07-09-13
By: Gary W. Gallagher, and others
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The Rise of Communism: From Marx to Lenin
- By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
- Original Recording
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How did communism become such a pervasive economic and political philosophy? Why did it first take root in early 20th-century Russia? These and other questions are part of a fascinating story whose drama has few equals in terms of sheer scale, scope, or human suffering and belief. These 12 lectures invite you to go inside communism’s journey from a collection of political and economic theories to a revolutionary movement that rocked the world.
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Disappointing, simplistic, biased
- By Proteus_Undead on 11-09-19
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
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Communism in Power
- From Stalin to Mao
- By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
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Trace the growth of communism from Stalin’s consolidation of power to the establishment of communist regimes in Eastern Europe, China, Korea, Vietnam, and elsewhere in Communism in Power: From Stalin to Mao. These 12 half-hour lessons shed intriguing light on a revolutionary movement that played an outsized role in the 20th century and continues to shape 21st-century geopolitics.
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A book of grudges
- By Axel D. Magnuson on 05-09-23
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
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War in the Modern World
- By: David R. Stone, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: David R. Stone
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Great powers no longer fight great wars. But how exactly did countries like the United States go from confronting powerful adversaries in 1914 and 1939 Europe to waging lengthy counterinsurgency campaigns in places like Iraq and Afghanistan? The answer lies in the profound geopolitical and technological changes that came in between.
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General Overview of Conflicts Post World War 2
- By Jeffrey F Korpics Jr on 06-20-22
By: David R. Stone, and others
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Communism in Decline: From Sputnik to Gorbachev
- By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
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Story
In Communism in Decline: From Sputnik to Gorbachev, Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius reveals the internal and external forces that ripped apart the grand communist experiment. What were the mistakes made by the Soviet leaders who believed too deeply in their own propaganda? And why were they not able to see the many ironies in their own poor decisions? In 12 fascinating lectures, you will learn how the Soviet Union went from winning the space race against the United States in 1957 to Gorbachev’s resignation and the dissolution of the great experiment in 1991.
By: Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius, and others
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The Foundations of Western Civilization
- By: Thomas F. X. Noble, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Thomas F. X. Noble
- Length: 24 hrs and 51 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
What is Western Civilization? According to Professor Noble, it is "much more than human and political geography," encompassing myriad forms of political and institutional structures - from monarchies to participatory republics - and its own traditions of political discourse. It involves choices about who gets to participate in any given society and the ways in which societies have resolved the tension between individual self-interest and the common good.
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Not Engaging or Very Interesting
- By Tommy D'Angelo on 03-05-17
By: Thomas F. X. Noble, and others
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The Iliad of Homer
- By: Elizabeth Vandiver, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Vandiver
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
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For thousands of years, Homer's ancient epic poem the
Iliad has enchanted readers from around the world. When you join Professor Vandiver for this lecture series on the Iliad, you'll come to understand what has enthralled and gripped so many people. Her compelling 12-lecture look at this literary masterpiece -whether it's the work of many authors or the "vision" of a single blind poet - makes it vividly clear why, after almost 3,000 years, the
Iliad remains not only among the greatest adventure stories ever told but also one of the most compelling meditations on the human condition ever written.
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Vandiver never disappoints
- By Machteacher on 07-23-13
By: Elizabeth Vandiver, and others
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The Italians before Italy: Conflict and Competition in the Mediterranean
- By: Kenneth R. Bartlett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Kenneth R. Bartlett
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Original Recording
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Take a riveting tour of the Italian peninsula, from the glittering canals of Venice to the lavish papal apartments and ancient ruins of Rome. In these 24 lectures, Professor Bartlett traces the development of the Italian city-states of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, showing how the modern nation of Italy was forged out of the rivalries, allegiances, and traditions of a vibrant and diverse people.
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A useful survey, just what I wanted
- By Adeliese Baumann on 11-07-16
By: Kenneth R. Bartlett, and others
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History's Great Military Blunders and the Lessons They Teach
- By: The Great Courses, Gregory S. Aldrete
- Narrated by: Gregory S. Aldrete
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Original Recording
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Military history often highlights successes and suggests a sense of inevitability about victory, but there is so much that can be gleaned from considering failures. Study these crucibles of history to gain a better understanding of why a civilization took - or didn't take - a particular path.
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Martial Chaos
- By Cynthia on 08-16-16
By: The Great Courses, and others
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The New Testament
- By: Bart D. Ehrman, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Bart D. Ehrman
- Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins
- Original Recording
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Whether taken as a book of faith or a cultural artifact, the New Testament is among the most significant writings the world has ever known, its web of meaning relied upon by virtually every major writer in the last 2,000 years. Yet the New Testament is not only one of Western civilization’s most believed books, but also one of its most widely disputed, often maligned, and least clearly understood, with a vast number of people unaware of how it was written and transmitted.
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If you want a balanced overview this is not it
- By Amazon Customer on 02-27-16
By: Bart D. Ehrman, and others
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The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World
- By: Robert Garland, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert Garland
- Length: 24 hrs and 28 mins
- Original Recording
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Look beyond the abstract dates and figures, kings and queens, and battles and wars that make up so many historical accounts. Over the course of 48 richly detailed lectures, Professor Garland covers the breadth and depth of human history from the perspective of the so-called ordinary people, from its earliest beginnings through the Middle Ages.
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Tantalizing time trip
- By Mark on 08-21-13
By: Robert Garland, and others
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No Excuses: Existentialism and the Meaning of Life
- By: Robert C. Solomon, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert C. Solomon
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Original Recording
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What is life? What is my place in it? What choices do these questions obligate me to make? More than a half-century after it burst upon the intellectual scene - with roots that extend to the mid-19th century - Existentialism's quest to answer these most fundamental questions of individual responsibility, morality, and personal freedom, life has continued to exert a profound attraction.
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Good for even a non-existentialist
- By Gary on 07-24-15
By: Robert C. Solomon, and others
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Holy Land Revealed
- By: Jodi Magness, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jodi Magness
- Length: 18 hrs and 35 mins
- Original Recording
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As the birthplace of Judaism and Christianity, the Holy Land (in and around modern-day Israel) is one of the most important regions in the world and the setting for defining events in religious history. Comb through this evidence for yourself with The Holy Land Revealed, which will add new dimensions to your understanding of this dynamic place. Delivered by archaeologist and award-winning Professor Jodi Magness of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, these 36 lectures give you an insider’s look at how archaeology helps us relive this period of civilization.
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The MAJOR disappointment
- By Mark W on 06-10-21
By: Jodi Magness, and others
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The Power of Thought Experiments
- By: Daniel Breyer, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Daniel Breyer
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Original Recording
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Thought experiments are “what if” scenarios that invite us to look carefully at how we think and view the world. They’ve been used throughout history by philosophers and other thinkers to explore our intuitions and ways of reasoning, to find solutions to problems, and to expand our knowledge of ourselves and the world. In these 24 eye-opening lectures, Professor Breyer takes you deeply into the historical tradition of thought experiments, shining a light on both the purpose and the outcomes of these compelling mental voyages.
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Real Life Pholosophy
- By Dennis on 07-19-23
By: Daniel Breyer, and others
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Einstein's Relativity and the Quantum Revolution: Modern Physics for Non-Scientists, 2nd Edition
- By: Richard Wolfson, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Richard Wolfson
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
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"It doesn't take an Einstein to understand modern physics," says Professor Wolfson at the outset of these 24 lectures on what may be the most important subjects in the universe: relativity and quantum physics. Both have reputations for complexity. But the basic ideas behind them are, in fact, simple and comprehensible by anyone. These dynamic and illuminating lectures begin with a brief overview of theories of physical reality starting with Aristotle and culminating in Newtonian or "classical" physics.
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Great primer for hard SF fans and physics laymen
- By David on 01-05-15
By: Richard Wolfson, and others
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Understanding the Old Testament
- By: Professor Robert D. Miller II, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Robert D. Miller II
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
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The Old Testament is one of the foundational texts of Western civilization, and is among the most impactful and widely read books in world history. In 24 enthralling lectures, Professor Miller guides you through a core selection of the major books of the Old Testament, inviting you to probe their meaning and relevance in incisive and thought-provoking commentary. In Understanding the Old Testament, you’ll take a revelatory look at this epically impactful document, finding its deeper historical and religious meanings, as well as its sublime literary treasures.
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This is not what I was hoping for...
- By A person healing on 05-09-20
By: Professor Robert D. Miller II, and others
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The Life and Writings of C. S. Lewis
- By: Louis Markos, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Louis Markos
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
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What can we still learn from C.S. Lewis? Find out in these 12 insightful lectures that cover the author's spiritual autobiography, novels, and his scholarly writings that reflect on pain and grief, love and friendship, prophecy and miracles, and education and mythology.
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Basically a collection of sermons
- By Richard on 11-20-13
By: Louis Markos, and others
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The Vietnam War
- By: John C. McManus, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: John C. McManus
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Original Recording
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In The Vietnam War, you will learn about the causes and consequences of the war in Vietnam. You will explore the scope of American intervention from air campaigns to large-scale military operations on the ground. You will survey the history of Vietnam from colonial Indochina onward, getting to know the homegrown ideas, personalities, and politics that would come to shape the conflict. You will reconstruct major military operations like the Tet Offensive and Rolling Thunder.
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information
- By boznremtp on 12-22-22
By: John C. McManus, and others
What listeners say about Utopia and Terror in the 20th Century
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Eddie Antoine
- 05-02-22
A little off the mark
I the beginning of the book is true to the title of the lecture, but beyond that it goes in depth into the different movements. I wasnt able to connect the idea of utopia to the regimes discussed. For one thing, I don't understand what elements of Utopia the citizens of Rwanda and Nazi Germany were expecting to achieve.
The professor does does a great job of describing the regimes and the leaders, but I still dont see why regular people went along with this
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- BF Palo Alto
- 01-29-17
Good, but not as outstanding as his other courses
I am a YUUUUGE fan of Prof. L. His other two courses are exceptional. This one was not. Although his delivery and fairness are outstanding, the structure doesn't make sense to me. Most of these events are not really related. "Greatest Hits of Modern Atrocity."
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1 person found this helpful
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- Nica Lorber
- 01-18-23
Not bad
I liked the beginning and end but felt that the middle felt a bit general. I did learn a few things though. The overall premise of terror being linked to utopian ideals is very compelling.
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- David Cohen
- 12-22-15
Informative
Professor is well spoken and unbiased. Good overview of communism, Islamist and nazism. Would recommend.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Christopher
- 09-07-16
Excellent course!
What was one of the most memorable moments of Utopia and Terror in the 20th Century?
The consistency across various totalitarian regimes that I had heard about but before this course did not have much knowledge about.
Any additional comments?
This definitely increased my understanding of how totalitarian regimes come to be, and the importance of both being an active citizen as well as recognizing the dignity of each human being.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Patricia
- 08-13-20
Awesome Lectures
Awesome, as one would expect from the great courses, although not without its arguable points. Well presented and worth the read.
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- Orange Monkey
- 08-10-19
Listening to ONE book this decade? PICK THIS!
HIGHLY RELEVANT for the current politico-socio-economic issues we're facing in the US today.
Now and then a book comes along that manages to arrange threads from different (artificially separated) areas into a whole fabric in a profoundly meaningful way. Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius does this, and I think this is The Most Important book/course currently given its perfectly broad, yet limited scope, accessibility and clarity that can make dangers of today very visible.
This books shed an important 'hidden' layer of seemingly well-meaning ideas and ideologies and potentially well-intentioned actions, mobilizing hostile masses into super-drones towards a future we don't want, but if it goes too far we might not be able to stop causes set in motion. We can learn about the dangers of the kind of ideas we're heralding as 'good', with an increased focus on collectivistic solutions, hostility and calls for violence, reinforcing negative stereotypes through a new modern technology: social media, that can mobilize the masses at an unprecedented rate today. We need to get these kind of group-identity-politics out of our ideological make-up - cutting in ALL directions - but I see a growing use of exactly the recipe that have lead to brutal murder of certain groups based on what they ARE, multiple, multiple times during the 19th century. There is more talk about groups than individual freedoms and rights, based on universal human rights, than ever before, and a demonizing of others.
Past horrors have been committed, and we would be wise, in trying to correct for these, not to create an even more horrific future by creating scape-goats and create solutions based on groups with immutable characteristics. The best path towards the future for EVERYONE would be to keep up strong institutions protecting individual freedoms and human rights, improve equal opportunities such as education and health care - not engineer special solutions, as it WILL bite back in the future. It might seem slow and not 'revolutionary' enough, and not empathic with past sins, I wish there was a faster and better way, but I don't think there is, and I fear for the current political and societal climate here in the US, with clear signs of what's outlined here. I fear the worst.
I wish more people would listen to this course, so at least mutually respectful, educated solution-oriented discussions (without historical amnesia) could be held in public. I feel as though the 'terror' has already begun. I wish we could be wiser and avoid the horrific future that might await ourselves, our children and grandchildren, and create a future for everyone based on individual universal human rights.
This books is highly important for today. I wish it could be discussed in mainstream media etc, to broaden our thinking as a society about ideological roots etc, and through which means horrors have been created, and how good - far from perfect - societies have been created, and how we can choose this path forward, as a society, with no one left behind.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Melinda
- 12-22-18
Engrossing
The best nonfiction book I’ve read in 10 years. Absolutely recommend it for anybody interested in being a human.
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- C. E. Vandenelzen
- 02-26-23
A Most Excellent Course!
Dr. L's courses are most excellent. He combines a wealth of knowledge, excellent structure / organization, and superb delivery to deliver thought-provoking, informative, and enjoyable courses.
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- Ben Chen
- 04-28-23
Quite good, more euro-centric than I was hoping
I've quite enjoyed all of Liulevicious's lectures, but this was more a recap of WWI, WWII, and the Cold War with a focus on the dictators than a broader exploration of utopia and terror, I felt. Like, there were multiple chapters dedicated to WWII and Hitler but just two for all history outside of Europe/Russia. Maybe I just misunderstood the scope of the thesis, or Europe is basically all there is to talk about in this area? Anyway, still enjoyable and worth listening to for sure!
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