The Great Courses

Logic is intellectual self-defense against such assaults on reason and also a method of quality control for checking the validity of your own views. But beyond these very practical benefits, informal logic—the kind we apply in daily life—is the gateway to an elegant and fascinating branch of philosophy known as formal logic, which is philosophy’s equivalent to calculus. Formal logic is a breathtakingly versatile tool. Much like a Swiss army...

The quest to understand human behavior inspired researchers to study the mind. Investigate the theories of Sigmund Freud, who gave the world a new vocabulary, including concepts like ego, id, and superego. Learn how Freud's legacy has been especially enduring in the horror film genre.

As you trace the diverse career of Jodi Cobb-who has photographed everyone from famous musicians to the highly shrouded women of Saudi Arabia and geisha of Japan-discover how rewarding it can be to photograph people, particularly when you get behind the public persona. Conclude with a heart-wrenching photo essay on human trafficking.

Professor Goldsby introduces you to the hottest topic in modern business: risk management. How can you overcome perilous situations, or dampen their effects? What are common internal and external risks to an organization? And how will tools like the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis help you identify and prioritize them?

Imagine a place where steam is so acidic that it can burn lungs, where flaming, liquid sulfur condenses from that steam, and a turquoise-colored lake is filled with the equivalent of battery acid. This hellish place is the crater lake of Kawah Ijen on the island of Java in Indonesia.

Return to Boreray, the Callanish Stones, the Isle of Muck, and other locations Mr. Richardson took you to in the previous lesson, so you can go behind the scenes to learn the "messy" process of how his remarkable landscapes were made. Also, get advice for preventing a "sedentary" feel in your work.

Now explore some of the most significant early witnesses to the Arthurian legend. In Latin texts by the chroniclers Gildas (6th century) and Nennius (9th century) and in the Welsh Annales Cambriae, study accounts of Arthur's exploits and death in battle. Learn how 11th- and 12th-century texts later embellished the legend, elevating Arthur as a godlike hero.

Travel to the Roman province of Judea, where a humble carpenter has entered Jerusalem during the Passover. The city is seething with political and religious discontent, and Jesus is seen as a troublemaker. Witness his arrest and interrogation by the priests and Pontius Pilate, and consider Pilate's decision to put Jesus to death.

Thin shells are unique structural elements that use curvature: cylindrical, dome-like, or saddle-like: to attain strength and stiffness. See these three types of thin shells used creatively in buildings ranging from St. Paul's Cathedral in London to the Zeiss planetarium in Germany to the Trans World Flight Center at New York's JFK Airport.

The fun continues in this episode with determining the day of the week of any date in the past or in the future. What day of the week was July 4, 2000? How about February 12, 1809? You'd be surprised at how easy it is for you to grasp the simple mathematics behind this handy skill.