Ben Franklin and the World of the Enlightenment

by Stanford Continuing Studies Program
35

Printer, journalist, postmaster, scientist, inventor, diplomat, patriot, and tireless founder of civic institutions, Benjamin Franklin was the most versatile of the Founders—even more so than Jefferson. He was as famous as Washington in his day and his classic autobiography, with its celebration of the bourgeois virtues, is the only American autobiography of the 18th century that is still widely read today. Even the French loved him. But this master of self-presentation remains elusive; both his many pseudonyms and his bubbly wit helped him to maintain his distance from his contemporaries.

This course will examine the complexity of Franklin’s personality and the diversity of his achievements. In particular, it will explore Franklin’s place in the transatlantic cultural world of the 18th century, focusing on what the Enlightenment meant to Franklin, and what Franklin meant to the Enlightenment.

Presented by the Stanford Continuing Studies Program.

More
Recent Episodes
Episodes loading...
Recent Reviews
  • Chessgye1
    Wish the volume was louder
    One of the best I had discovered on iTunes U that is now defunct. I wanted to revisit this lecture and finally found it on the Apple Podcasts. My only criticism is that the volume is very low on a few of the lectures and I wish it was actually longer!
  • stickmanman
    Excellent course.
    The professor understand franklin and his greatness and his complexity. An easy and accessible way to learn about one of the greatest civic innovators to ever live.
  • Tony Millionaire
    Too many ums
    I didn’t make it ten minutes. You said “um” so often I had to quit.
  • Toe Stubber
    Do you listen?
    Wow. Can you listen to paint dry?
  • Mattadolphus
    You spelled “Enlightenment” wrong.
    I haven’t started this yet, but the misspelling in the title graphic is REALLY off-putting and does not inspire confidence.
  • Tennisplayer2691
    Wonderful lecture
    I loved listening to this! Funny and just the right pace of information. Can understand with or without a background of ben Franklin. It's great!
  • Whitelabel1972
    Painful
    One of the worst lecturers in the catalog and this lecture is his uhhhhhhhh...masterpiece. This lecture works better than Ambien.
  • Miki monster
    I want more!
    I absolutely loved this course. I had read the reviews stating that the teacher's speech was distracting, but after listening to the entire course I found their critiques ridiculous. I found him to be very knowledgable, easy to listen to, and almost a bit charming in his manner of speech. He spoke of Benjamin Franklin as if he were a friend which made the information seem familiar and easy to retain. I have searched this professor's name for more courses, but have yet to find any.
  • Jtr434
    Difficult to listen to ...
    The "um"'s and "uh"'s are Ridiculous! I can't comment on coverage or knowledge of the subject. After the first 5 minutes, the professor has literally said only 6-8 sentences; over half that time is either silence, an "uh", or an "um".
  • Gone for now
    "uhm"
    I was very disapointed in this class. If you can not give a lecture at this level without saying "uhm" every other word you should not be teaching a a university level course. I expect better from Stanford.
  • greenlantrn
    Excellent
    Lecturer has nice presentation. Thoughtful overview of franklins importance in American history. Better than most iTunes u history courses.
Similar Podcasts
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork on this page are property of the podcast owner, and not endorsed by UP.audio.