Written by Timonthy Shutt
Read by Timonthy Shutt
Format: MP3
Unabridged

Listening Length: ~ 8 hours

The Odyssey of the West series continues its grand exploration of the literature, revolutionary theories, and feats of intellectual progress that have shaped—and continue to shape—the modern world. In Enlightenment, Revolution, and Renewal, Professor Timothy B. Shutt of Kenyon College is joined by Professors Fred E. Baumann (Kenyon College), Joel F. Richeimer (Kenyon College), and Donald M.G. Sutherland (University of Maryland) for a remarkable distillation of human development in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

In weaving together the varied and interrelated strands of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century discourse and events, this course focuses on the contributions to Western history that bear the most responsibility for shaping the world of today. Among these contributions are such vital, yet markedly different documents as the Federalist Papers and the Communist Manifesto. New styles of art and literature are also given a stunning treatment, as the professors delve into discussions on Romantic trends in both art and literature. But perhaps most important of all is the single most influential event in the last five hundred years—the scientific revolution—which serves as the engine of progress driving much of the social, political, and cultural change seen in this dramatic period.