Well worth the download!

I suspect I will have the same thing to say about all of the books in this series, as they are all narrated by Charlton Heston and are similar in quality. The recording is also excellent. These books are a lot of fun as they are concise, easy to understand, clear on the main points, and masterfully read. Although my political leanings kept me from being excited about downloading a book read by Charlton Heston, I have to admit that he has a style and flair that make the books very listenable. The "European" accented readings of other philosophers by other actors are a little cheesy at first, but do help with the atmosphere.

8 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

A Fine Introduction...

to Kant and his line of reason. I have read Kant and can recommend this book as a good introduction to difficult work for someone who is less acquainted with philosophy. Kant is not at all easy, and reading this book first will make one familiar with the basic premises with which he will be dealing.

4 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Why the goofy accents?

Great intro to Kant, good job by Chuck Heston. Hated the cheesy accents for the quoted material.

3 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Wonderful

Sooo sad to not have already spent more time with Kant. Wonderful gift of thought

Mazvyde

Very unnecessary and horrible voice interpretation that made a book listening very unoleasant and narrative hard to understand

Great summary of Kant’s profound philosophy

The narrator does an excellent job of distilling Kant’s dense and seemingly inaccessible philosophy (try reading Critique of Pure Reason and you’ll see what I mean). After listening to this two hour audiobook, not only do I better understand Kant’s philosophy, but I have learned philosophical principles that give clarity to life. I’d say the two “jaw dropping” gems of knowledge from Kant that this audio book explains in a simple and gratifying way are as follows:
(1) Objects must conform to our cognition. In other words, we can never understand the true nature of the worlds outside ourselves because anything we attempt to understand is subject to our categories of understanding (for example, in order to “know” anything, we apply the concepts of space and time to it—space and time is not a thing in itself, it is a human construct used to make sense of experience).
(2) An ethical choice should not be decided based on whether it makes us happy (utilitarianism) or its end (what the choice results in), but rather on whether it’s based on a universal moral law that commands us to do or not to do (i.e., we make a more choice because it is our duty). Kant calls defines this universal moral law as the Categorical Imperative: “Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law”.

Ick, meh

The only meaningful parts are narrated by a guy with an accent, ostensibly to bring Kant’s words “to life,” but the accent is so bad it’s distracting and you can’t really parse the words. I thought maybe Heston would be entertaining, but now I realize his forceful, slightly aggressive style actually just triggers my patriarchal trauma. To be fair I thought this would be an actual reading of Kant’s work, not a biography, so if you’re thinking what I was thinking, look elsewhere.

Kant presented with fakey foreign accent,

What three words best describe Charlton Heston’s voice?

Great reading voice. Wish he hadn't used accented English for Kant's quotations.

Any additional comments?

Heston gives "foreign accents" to Kant and other philosophers. This is VERY DISTRACTING. He presents Kant, and in at least one instance, Rousseau, as speaking in heavily accented English. Would hate to hear him doing the German Idealists.

Theatrical accents don’t help

I have enjoyed this series, but the overblown German accents in this particular episode detract from the experience.

Charlton Heston is fantastic

I love his movies, but old Heston is an even better narrator. plus Kant is amazing of course