Foundations of Western Political Thought

New lecture series on Thucydides, author of The History of the Peloponnesian War. In part one, we will explore why many academics view Thucydides as the first scientific historian, owing, chiefly, to his empirical, historical method of evaluating and scrutinizing primary sources and mining for data and evidence. In this video, we contrast Thucydides with another great historian, Herodotus. Herodotus wrote on the Greco-Persian Wars; Thucydides wrote on the epic conflict between Athens (the Delian League) and Sparta and her allies (the Peloponnesian League). Timecodes: 0:00 - Intro 3:42 - Historical Method 16:13 - Herodotus _______________________________________ If enjoy this channel and would like to support: https://patreon.com/professorbarth Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Professor_Barth Buy my book! The Currency of Empire: Money and Power in English America, released June 2021 with Cornell University Press. Order your copy now. https://www.amazon.com/Currency-Empire-Seventeenth-Century-English-America/dp/1501755773/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1611158577&sr=8-1 _______________________________________ Dr. Jonathan Barth received his PhD in history from George Mason University in 2014. He specializes in the history of money and banking in the early modern period, with corollary interests in early modern politics, empire, culture, and ideas. Barth is Associate Professor of History at Arizona State University and Associate Director of the Center for American Institutions at Arizona State University. _______________________________________ Visit my website https://www.professorbarth.com/ _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this channel are my own and do not reflect the views of Arizona State University, nor are any of the views endorsed by Arizona State University.

A continuation of our new lecture series on Thucydides, author of The History of the Peloponnesian War, between Athens (the Delian League) and Sparta and her allies (the Peloponnesian League). In part one, we examined Thucydides' historical method. For part two we examine Thucydides' view of human nature, and in particular his account of the civil war in Corcyra and his view of democracy. Timecodes: 0:00 - Intro 1:03 - Man is innately good? 3:38 - Man is innately vicious 7:32 - Thucydides and human nature 8:46 - Civil war in Corcyra 20:31 - Paul's epistle to the Romans 22:31 - Political realism / realpolitik 24:50 - Problems with democracy _______________________________________ If enjoy this channel and would like to support: https://patreon.com/professorbarth Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Professor_Barth Buy my book! The Currency of Empire: Money and Power in English America, released June 2021 with Cornell University Press. Order your copy now. https://www.amazon.com/Currency-Empire-Seventeenth-Century-English-America/dp/1501755773/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1611158577&sr=8-1 _______________________________________ Dr. Jonathan Barth received his PhD in history from George Mason University in 2014. He specializes in the history of money and banking in the early modern period, with corollary interests in early modern politics, empire, culture, and ideas. Barth is Associate Professor of History at Arizona State University and Associate Director of the Center for American Institutions at Arizona State University. _______________________________________ Visit my website https://www.professorbarth.com/ _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this channel are my own and do not reflect the views of Arizona State University, nor are any of the views endorsed by Arizona State University.

A continuation of our lecture series on Thucydides, author of The History of the Peloponnesian War, this one on Athens (the Delian League) versus Sparta (the Peloponnesian League) - two radically different visions of political economy. We examine Athenian democracy, headed by Pericles, its navy (the trireme) and the Golden Age of Athens in general exemplified in the glorious structures of the Acropolis, namely the Parthenon, and Greek art, literature, culture, learning, and philosophy - the era of Socrates. We then examine Sparta, also known as Lacedaemon. The Spartans / Lacedaemonians created a land-based oligarchy focused almost exclusively on military might and strength, founded, according to legend, on a constitution of laws formulated by Lycurgus. Sparta dominated the Peloponnese, and allied with Corinth and Thebes for the purposes of taking down Athenian naval power. Timecodes: 0:00 - Intro 2:08 - Golden Age of Athens 6:56 - Athenian Democracy 15:03 - Sparta _______________________________________ If enjoy this channel and would like to support: https://patreon.com/professorbarth Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Professor_Barth Buy my book! The Currency of Empire: Money and Power in English America, released June 2021 with Cornell University Press. Order your copy now. https://www.amazon.com/Currency-Empire-Seventeenth-Century-English-America/dp/1501755773/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1611158577&sr=8-1 _______________________________________ Dr. Jonathan Barth received his PhD in history from George Mason University in 2014. He specializes in the history of money and banking in the early modern period, with corollary interests in early modern politics, empire, culture, and ideas. Barth is Associate Professor of History at Arizona State University and Associate Director of the Center for American Institutions at Arizona State University. _______________________________________ Visit my website https://www.professorbarth.com/ _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this channel are my own and do not reflect the views of Arizona State University, nor are any of the views endorsed by Arizona State University.

A continuation of our lecture series on Thucydides, author of The History of the Peloponnesian War. In this video we read excerpts from two of Pericles' most famous speeches, as recorded by Thucydides: the Funeral Oration and his Last Speech, which took place in context of a great plague that struck Athens. The Peloponnesian War was fought between Athens (the Delian League) and Sparta (the Peloponnesian League, which included Corinth). Certain timeless themes crop up in these speeches: liberty, democracy, the rule of law, patriotism, and masculine virtues of courage, discipline, duty, honor, strength, action, decisiveness, wisdom and knowledge. Enjoy these speeches from the greatest Athenian general and statesmen. Timecodes: 0:00 Intro 2:53 Thucydides Trap 13:25 Pericles' Funeral Oration 23:06 Plague of Athens (430 BC) 32:43 Political realism/ Realpolitik 41:30 Thucydides' Judgment of Pericles _______________________________________ If enjoy this channel and would like to support: https://patreon.com/professorbarth Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Professor_Barth Buy my book! The Currency of Empire: Money and Power in English America, released June 2021 with Cornell University Press. Order your copy now. https://www.amazon.com/Currency-Empire-Seventeenth-Century-English-America/dp/1501755773/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1611158577&sr=8-1 _______________________________________ Dr. Jonathan Barth received his PhD in history from George Mason University in 2014. He specializes in the history of money and banking in the early modern period, with corollary interests in early modern politics, empire, culture, and ideas. Barth is Associate Professor of History at Arizona State University and Associate Director of the Center for American Institutions at Arizona State University. _______________________________________ Visit my website https://www.professorbarth.com/ _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this channel are my own and do not reflect the views of Arizona State University, nor are any of the views endorsed by Arizona State University.

The fifth and final installment of our lecture series on Thucydides, author of The History of the Peloponnesian War. In this video we examine the tension between realism and idealism by reading excerpts from a great dialogue between Athens and the leaders of the free island of Melos. _______________________________________ If enjoy this channel and would like to support: https://patreon.com/professorbarth Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Professor_Barth Buy my book! The Currency of Empire: Money and Power in English America, released June 2021 with Cornell University Press. Order your copy now. https://www.amazon.com/Currency-Empire-Seventeenth-Century-English-America/dp/1501755773/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1611158577&sr=8-1 _______________________________________ Dr. Jonathan Barth received his PhD in history from George Mason University in 2014. He specializes in the history of money and banking in the early modern period, with corollary interests in early modern politics, empire, culture, and ideas. Barth is Associate Professor of History at Arizona State University and Associate Director of the Center for American Institutions at Arizona State University. _______________________________________ Visit my website https://www.professorbarth.com/ _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this channel are my own and do not reflect the views of Arizona State University, nor are any of the views endorsed by Arizona State University.

New section of the lecture series, Foundations of Western Political Thought -- this time on Niccolò Machiavelli, writer on statecraft during the Italian Renaissance. Machiavelli is so famous (or notorious) that an entire approach toward politics is named after him: Machiavellian. His most famous work is The Prince, as well as his Discourses on Livy. A citizen of Florence, Machiavelli embodied a new era of secular humanism in his approach toward politics. Timecodes: 0:00 - Intro 6:44 - Machiavellian Politics and Statecraft 16:14 - Italian Renaissance 23:26 - Discourses on Livy 36:54 - The Prince _______________________________________ If enjoy this channel and would like to support: https://patreon.com/professorbarth Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Professor_Barth Buy my book! The Currency of Empire: Money and Power in English America, released June 2021 with Cornell University Press. Order your copy now. https://www.amazon.com/Currency-Empire-Seventeenth-Century-English-America/dp/1501755773/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1611158577&sr=8-1 _______________________________________ Dr. Jonathan Barth received his PhD in history from George Mason University in 2014. He specializes in the history of money and banking in the early modern period, with corollary interests in early modern politics, empire, culture, and ideas. Barth is Associate Professor of History at Arizona State University and Associate Director of the Center for American Institutions at Arizona State University. _______________________________________ Visit my website https://www.professorbarth.com/ _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this channel are my own and do not reflect the views of Arizona State University, nor are any of the views endorsed by Arizona State University.

Part Two of our series on Niccolò Machiavelli, itself part of a larger series, Foundations of Western Political Thought. In this video we explore the political world in which Machiavel operated. In Florentine politics, we see the domination of the Medici dynasty - Cosimo de' Medici and Lorenzo de' Medici - followed by the lackluster Piero the Unfortunate, a French invasion from King Charles VIII, the short-lived ruler of friar Girolamo Savonarola, the re-establisment of the Florentine republic - during which Machiavelli served as a diplomat - and then the restoration of Medici rule in 1512. A lively array of characters appear in this video, including King Louis XII, Rodrigo de Borja, turned Pope Alexander VI, Cesare Borgia, Ramiro d'Orco, and Giuliano della Rovere, who became Pope Julius II, the Warrior Pope. Machiavelli lived out the rest of his years in exile, during which time he published The Prince, The Art of War, and Discourses on Livy. Timecodes: 0:00 - Intro 2:18 - House of Medici 5:26 - Italian Wars 11:38 - Savonarola 15:40 - Diplomatic career of Machiavelli 18:40 - Cesare Borgia 32:18 - Pope Julius II 38:44 - Restoration of the Medici 41:16 - Machiavelli in exile _______________________________________ If enjoy this channel and would like to support: https://patreon.com/professorbarth Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Professor_Barth Buy my book! The Currency of Empire: Money and Power in English America, released June 2021 with Cornell University Press. Order your copy now. https://www.amazon.com/Currency-Empire-Seventeenth-Century-English-America/dp/1501755773/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1611158577&sr=8-1 _______________________________________ Dr. Jonathan Barth received his PhD in history from George Mason University in 2014. He specializes in the history of money and banking in the early modern period, with corollary interests in early modern politics, empire, culture, and ideas. Barth is Associate Professor of History at Arizona State University and Associate Director of the Center for American Institutions at Arizona State University. _______________________________________ Visit my website https://www.professorbarth.com/ _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this channel are my own and do not reflect the views of Arizona State University, nor are any of the views endorsed by Arizona State University.

Part Three of our series on Niccolò Machiavelli, part of a larger series, Foundations of Western Political Thought. In this video we explore the Machiavellian analysis of virtue and vice Machiavel operated in Renaissance Italy, in Florence, a city dominated for much of his lifetime by the Medici dynasty. _______________________________________ If enjoy this channel and would like to support: https://patreon.com/professorbarth Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Professor_Barth Buy my book! The Currency of Empire: Money and Power in English America, released June 2021 with Cornell University Press. Order your copy now. https://www.amazon.com/Currency-Empire-Seventeenth-Century-English-America/dp/1501755773/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1611158577&sr=8-1 _______________________________________ Dr. Jonathan Barth received his PhD in history from George Mason University in 2014. He specializes in the history of money and banking in the early modern period, with corollary interests in early modern politics, empire, culture, and ideas. Barth is Associate Professor of History at Arizona State University and Associate Director of the Center for American Institutions at Arizona State University. _______________________________________ Visit my website https://www.professorbarth.com/ _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this channel are my own and do not reflect the views of Arizona State University, nor are any of the views endorsed by Arizona State University.

Part Four of our series on Niccolò Machiavelli, part of a larger series, Foundations of Western Political Thought. In this video we explore the Machiavellian question of whether it is better to be feared or loved? Machiavel operated in Renaissance Italy, in Florence, a city dominated for much of his lifetime by the Medici dynasty. _______________________________________ If enjoy this channel and would like to support: https://patreon.com/professorbarth Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Professor_Barth Buy my book! The Currency of Empire: Money and Power in English America, released June 2021 with Cornell University Press. Order your copy now. https://www.amazon.com/Currency-Empire-Seventeenth-Century-English-America/dp/1501755773/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1611158577&sr=8-1 _______________________________________ Dr. Jonathan Barth received his PhD in history from George Mason University in 2014. He specializes in the history of money and banking in the early modern period, with corollary interests in early modern politics, empire, culture, and ideas. Barth is Associate Professor of History at Arizona State University and Associate Director of the Center for American Institutions at Arizona State University. _______________________________________ Visit my website https://www.professorbarth.com/ _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this channel are my own and do not reflect the views of Arizona State University, nor are any of the views endorsed by Arizona State University.

Part Five of our series on Niccolò Machiavelli, part of a larger series, Foundations of Western Political Thought. In this video we explore the Machiavellian significance of reputation, greatness, honor, dignity, and luck. Machiavel was a writer and diplomat in Renaissance Florence, in Italy, a city dominated for much of his lifetime by the Medici dynasty. _______________________________________ If enjoy this channel and would like to support: https://patreon.com/professorbarth Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Professor_Barth Buy my book! The Currency of Empire: Money and Power in English America, released June 2021 with Cornell University Press. Order your copy now. https://www.amazon.com/Currency-Empire-Seventeenth-Century-English-America/dp/1501755773/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1611158577&sr=8-1 _______________________________________ Dr. Jonathan Barth received his PhD in history from George Mason University in 2014. He specializes in the history of money and banking in the early modern period, with corollary interests in early modern politics, empire, culture, and ideas. Barth is Associate Professor of History at Arizona State University and Associate Director of the Center for American Institutions at Arizona State University. _______________________________________ Visit my website https://www.professorbarth.com/ _______________________________________ Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this channel are my own and do not reflect the views of Arizona State University, nor are any of the views endorsed by Arizona State University.