The Late Roman Republic: Its Troubles and Tribulations
The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind
Release Date: 02/02/2025
Thomas Hobbes: A New Vision of Government
The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind
Thomas Hobbes will redefine the way we understand both government and society. Today, Rabbi Rocklin will help us answer the following questions: Why did Hobbes dispense with the Medieval notion of customary rights? According to Hobbes, why is the role of the sovereign to ensure the security of the people? In was sense did Hobbes break from the ancient understanding that government was natural and dedicated to the flourishing of man? Recommended Reading: Hobbes, Thomas. . 1651.
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The Spirit of Liberty: The Enlightenment and Modern Politics
The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind
As the Enlightenment expanded to different areas of Europe, thinkers continued to focus on the liberty of the individual. As we continue our exploration of this era, Rabbi Rocklin will address the following questions: Why was John Locke’s view on property important in the development of the Enlightenment? How did Enlightenment philosophy create conditions for Jews to be able to assimilate into society? In what ways did Rousseau begin to break away from the Enlightenment?
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The Enlightenment: Philosophy Par Excellence?
The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind
Western thought will begin to shift towards universal laws and individual rights with the advent of the Enlightenment. As we unpack that idea, we’ll address the following questions: In what way was the notion of progress emphasized in the Enlightenment? Why did Enlightenment thinkers begin to see all human beings as fundamentally the same? How did the Enlightenment lead to the notion that the purpose of society is the preservation of individual dignity?
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French Drama and Culture: Moliere and Racine
The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind
Out of the seventeenth century would emerge two of France’s greatest playwrights: Moliere and Racine. To help us learn more about them, we’ll address the following questions: How did French Neoclassicism develop in response to the political tension between France and Spain? In what sense did the Neoclassical spirit inspire French drama and distinguish it from English drama? Was Moliere truly the revolutionary that later republicans assumed him to be? Recommended Reading: Aslanov, Cyril. . England: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2019.
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Milton, Selden, and Harington: Scholars of the Hebraic Century
The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind
The work of the major seventeenth century Christian Hebraists led to important advances in the development of the individual. As we learn more about this topic, we’ll address the following questions: How does Milton’s knowledge of Midrash support his retelling of the Biblical stories in Paradise Lost? In what sense were Milton’s views on marriage and divorce informed by his love of the individual? Why did Selden turn to the Talmud to try to and reconcile reason, natural law, and tradition? Grosby, Steven. "" Law & Liberty, July 2013. Haivry, Ofir. . England: Cambridge...
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Donne, Dryden, and Pope: 17th Century English Poets
The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind
The great poets of the seventeenth century are noteworthy in their innovations in engaging with earlier literature to promote their own ideas. As we explore why they are still relevant, we’ll also answer the following questions: How did John Donne’s love poems reflect the inward shift from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance? What was particularly innovative about John Dryden’s translation of Virgil’s Aeneid? How did Alexander Pope use poetry to transform the medieval story of Abelard and Heloise? This week's episode of The Pillars is generously sponsored by Alex Bahary.
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Newton and Leibniz: Of Universal Laws and Geniuses
The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind
Many people know about Isaac Newton and his proverbial apple, but he and his contemporary, Leibniz, were responsible for a much wider array of scientific and mathematical advances. As we learn about these two thinkers, Rabbi Rocklin will help us answer the following questions: How did Isaac Newton build on the newer tradition of inductive reasoning rather than the older, scholastic method of assumptions? According to Newton, how do the universal laws of nature bolster one’s faith in and appreciation of God? In what sense did Leibniz lay the groundwork for modern computers? Recommended...
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Empiricism and Astronomy: Copernicus, Galileo, and Bacon
The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind
There are some figures of the Scientific Revolution who stand out in the annals of history. As we study a few of those monumental figures, we’ll explore the following questions: Why did Copernicus dedicate his scientific book, On the Revolutions, to the pope? How did Galileo mount a religious defense of Copernicus’ heliocentric model of the solar system? According to Bacon, in what sense did logic become a problematic discipline within the study of philosophy? Recommended Reading: Copernicus, Nicholas. . 1543. Galilei, Galileo. . 1610. Galilei, Galileo. . 1615. Bacon, Francis. ....
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From Natures to Nature: The Scientific and Philosophical Revolution
The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind
The Scientific Revolution will change the way humanity understands and relates to the natural world. As we learn more about this period, we’ll uncover answers to the following questions: How did the Scientific Revolution lead to an English sensibility that things ought to be useful? In what sense did Newton’s universal laws lay the groundwork for a decline in religious observance? Why was the Julian calendar replaced with the Gregorian calendar during this period?
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Europe Goes to War: The Shift from French to British Power
The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind
A series of wars in the eighteenth century will eventually lead to a recently-unified Britain as the new, dominant world power. As we move forward in history, Rabbi Rocklin will help us answer the following questions: How did the French and English responses to their respective financial crises pave the way for future English dominance? Why were the wars of the eighteenth century characterized by fewer casualties overall than the wars of both prior and later centuries? How did Maria Theresa manage to successfully raise a multi-ethnic army to defend the Austro-Hungarian Empire?
info_outlineThe great Roman Republic eventually came crashing down in a series of civil wars and revolts. As we learn about its final gasps, we’ll address the following questions:
- How did the Gracchi brothers’ land reforms lay the groundwork for change within the Republic?
- What set off the first civil war?
- How did Julius Caesar and his two fellow generals gain enough power to bring down the Republic?"