You updated your password.

Enjoy this course and thousands of other programs with a Wondrium membership

Wondrium is the premier service for people who love to learn. It gives you hundreds of great college-level courses from The Great Courses and hundreds of high-quality documentaries and series made for lifelong learners like you.

Learn More
Start Your FREE Trial

Enjoy Anywhere!

Reset Password

Enter the email address you used to create your account. We will email you instructions on how to reset your password.

Forgot Your Email Address? Contact Us

Reset Your Password

SHOW
SHOW

Storytelling and the Human Condition

Once upon a time: the power of stories.
Storytelling and the Human Condition is rated 3.7 out of 5 by 20.
  • y_2023, m_3, d_23, h_22
  • bvseo_bulk, prod_bvrr, vn_bulk_3.0.34
  • cp_1, bvpage1
  • co_hasreviews, tv_1, tr_19
  • loc_en_CA, sid_20080, prod, sort_[SortEntry(order=SUBMISSION_TIME, direction=DESCENDING)]
  • clientName_teachco
  • bvseo_sdk, p_sdk, 3.2.1
  • CLOUD, getAggregateRating, 4.91ms
  • REVIEWS, PRODUCT
Rated 3 out of 5 by from Not what it says on the package I looked forward to this series on the hope that it would provide information on story-telling skills; unfortunately the speaker's particular view of the human condition -- greatly biased towards "Christian" beliefs -- was the thrust of the lectures. Well, that, and her self-promotion of her website, mentioned in every lecture at least once. Yes, she referred to other traditional parables, but repeatedly brought them back to a comparison (usually to their detriment) to biblical stories and injunctions. Her speaking style was overly glossy (probably teleprompter focused) and while I did complete all of the talks, in hope that things would improve, I was disappointed overall.
Date published: 2023-03-21
Rated 5 out of 5 by from Very enjoyable Wonderful overview of how stories are an integral part of cultures all over the world throughout history.
Date published: 2023-03-20
Rated 3 out of 5 by from Should be Classified as Philosophy & Religion Literature plays only a supporting role to contrast the topical positions regarding the human condition being presented and espoused..
Date published: 2023-03-20
Rated 1 out of 5 by from Not good She is not a scholar and it shows. Suggest watch The Meaning of Life by Jay L. Garfield instead.
Date published: 2023-03-17
Rated 3 out of 5 by from First course and Introduction to Wondrium Unfortunately, I was not taken with this course. I appreciate the instructors effort, poise, and attempt but found the content lopsided, off scale, and a bit too self/personalized. For my first course, it was a gentle walk into a subject I am very fond of.
Date published: 2023-03-17
Rated 5 out of 5 by from One the best Great Courses course I have taken Just completed this course and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have been retired and pursuing serious lifelong learning for my entire adult life. The central role of storytelling is something I have recognized in my own readings and contemplations. The course is rich in references to all sorts of storytelling from throughout history and across disciplines such as literature, religion and philosophy. A worthwhile pursuit for anyone wishing to start a dedicated pursuit to understand the role of storytelling and the human condition.
Date published: 2023-03-16
Rated 3 out of 5 by from Good Good and interesting information but, in my opinion, it felt biased. Also she spoils every story she can, books, series, etc.
Date published: 2023-03-16
Rated 2 out of 5 by from Mids Not a very compelling or thorough course on storytelling at all. Reminds me of my 9th grade Enlgish class...watch The Power of Myth with Joseph Campbell instead if you are looking for something compelling
Date published: 2023-03-15
  • y_2023, m_3, d_23, h_22
  • bvseo_bulk, prod_bvrr, vn_bulk_3.0.34
  • cp_1, bvpage1
  • co_hasreviews, tv_1, tr_19
  • loc_en_CA, sid_20080, prod, sort_[SortEntry(order=SUBMISSION_TIME, direction=DESCENDING)]
  • clientName_teachco
  • bvseo_sdk, p_sdk, 3.2.1
  • CLOUD, getReviews, 4.81ms
  • REVIEWS, PRODUCT

Overview

In the 12 lectures of Storytelling and the Human Condition, you will examine the connection between the storytelling impulse and our drive to understand who we are and what our place is in the world around us. You will go on a globe-spanning, time-jumping, media-traversing tour of the human narrative tradition. Your guide is author, journalist, and storyteller Alexandra Hudson, founder of Civic Renaissance, a community for lifelong learners, which she invites you to join at Civic-Renaissance.com. She will illuminate how stories shape our lives throughout history and across cultures in ways that—much like human nature itself—are a complicated mix of the “good,” the “bad,” and everything in between.

About

Alexandra Hudson
Alexandra Hudson

Storytelling is the language of the subconscious mind. It can help us understand truths that facts and maxims alone cannot communicate.

INSTITUTION

Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy

Alexandra Hudson is an author, journalist, and storyteller as well as an adjunct faculty member at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. A recipient of the Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship award, she writes for The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, TIME, POLITICO, and Newsweek, and she has appeared on CBS and Fox News. She is the founder of Civic Renaissance, an intellectual community and newsletter dedicated to personal and cultural renewal. An appointment at the US Department of Education is one highlight of her service at the local, state, and federal levels of government.

By This Expert

Storytelling and the Human Condition
853
Storytelling and the Human Condition

Trailer

The Power of Stories

01: The Power of Stories

Begin your journey by considering the universal appeal and power of storytelling. Here, you will meet your expert, Alexandra, and consider the thesis of this course: The human condition is defined by both the greatness and wretchedness of mankind, and that stories help us better understand and thrive within this duality of our nature.

31 min
Origins and the Meaning of Life

02: Origins and the Meaning of Life

Who are we? Why are we here? What does it mean to be human? These are questions that virtually every human society has asked—and answered—through story. Examine several of the earliest creation stories, such as the Babylonian Enuma Elish or the creation story from the Book of Genesis, and put them in conversation with one another to see how these stories reveal how these cultures view the nature and purpose of humanity.

29 min
The Meaning of Suffering

03: The Meaning of Suffering

As you will see here, storytelling has been a way that people across time and place have coped with the reality of human misery and have dealt with the question of why we suffer. Here, Alexandra puts into dialogue two different kinds of stories and perspectives on suffering: the poem-made-song “Strange Fruit” and the famous tale of Job.

30 min
Guilt and Blame

04: Guilt and Blame

Look at famous stories told by St. Augustine, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Shakespeare, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and Friedrich Nietzsche to explore the ways guilt is presented in the stories we tell. As you will see, some prefer stories that convict and help them own up to wrong doing, while others prefer stories that exonerate. Despite this difference, the human struggle with these concepts is universal.

28 min
Civilization and Barbarism

05: Civilization and Barbarism

Stories can unite us—but they can also help create and maintain division. Engage with several works of art spanning the centuries that offer reflections on why people have weaponized the language of civilization and barbarism to oppress marginalized groups and people. And, consider how we might tell better stories in our own lives and world today that unite and affirm our shared moral status as members of the human community.

32 min
Building Character

06: Building Character

We have long used stories to define and illuminate moral ideals and virtues, help form character, and give people a definition of excellence to strive for. Start this lecture with a look at the ambiguous relationship between myth and history, and then dive into several works and storytelling traditions that demonstrate how fiction can help us communicate important moral lessons.

32 min
Love and Sex

07: Love and Sex

Explore stories of love and its many dimensions. From the letters of Abélard and Héloïse in the 12th century to later works like Madame Bovary, you will look at the ways disordered love—disproportionate or selfish love—makes for tragic stories that serve as warnings. As you will see, the human heart is built to love, but we sometimes fail to love people and things in their proper order.

34 min
Materialism and Earthly Attachments

08: Materialism and Earthly Attachments

It is part of the human condition to become overly attached to the things of this world, and that overattachment can cause great suffering. Here, you will consider another facet of disordered love: over-attachment to possessions and power. Begin with a look at the life story of the Buddha and then see how it connects to other stories of greed, power, and selfish desire.

33 min
Pride before Destruction

09: Pride before Destruction

Unpack a foundational pitfall of the human condition: pride. Here, you will look at some of history’s most famous and memorable stories concerning hubris and the troubles it can cause, including tales of Anansi from West African mythology, John Milton’s Paradise Lost, and Aesop’s fables. Along the way, consider why we often delight in stories of other people’s humiliation.

34 min
Adversity and Humor

10: Adversity and Humor

Tragedy is a reality of the human experience. Yet, humor is how people across time and place have grappled with the absurdity and pain of life. Consider why we laugh in the face of darkness and suffering, and how we determine whether we are laughing at or laughing with others. With a look at two very different stories told centuries apart, we see how stories can confront adversity with irony and humor.

32 min
Death and the Afterlife

11: Death and the Afterlife

Death is one of the few certainties of the human condition. Explore how people across history and through stories have answered questions about the process and nature of death. From Dante’s Divine Comedy to a contemporary sitcom about the afterlife, consider the many ways we view death and what may lie beyond.

32 min
Freedom and Self-Determination

12: Freedom and Self-Determination

Bringing the course to a close, look at the meaning of freedom and consider how we can transform tragedy into triumph. Through the poetry of Phyllis Wheatley and the writings of Holocaust survivors Hannah Arendt and Viktor Frankl, you will see how we can each have a role in harnessing the power of storytelling to make the world a better place.

35 min

This program is restricted from being viewed in your country. This is due to restrictions from the creator of the program.

Please choose another of our wide variety of programs to enjoy!