Explore the distinct philosophical views that have shaped—and continue to shape—the United States of America in this illuminating two-course set.

Underneath our nation's diverse views on religion, education, social equality, democracy, and other vital issues is a long-running intellectual debate about the right ordering of the human, natural, and divine worlds. In their own times, great thinkers such as Jonathan Edwards, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King Jr. engaged in lively and often contentious debate that helped mold America's institutions and attitudes. This immensely stimulating conversation is the subject of The American Mind, 36 lectures that delve deeply into the philosophical underpinnings of the nation. Taught by distinguished historian and Professor Allen C. Guelzo, this course will prove that Americans have a much richer intellectual tradition than is generally imagined.

Continue exploring the unique nature of the American mindset with Cycles of American Political Thought. Over the course of 36 engaging lectures, renowned political scientist and Professor Joseph F. Kobylka explores how our nation has, from its birth, been deeply engaged with the most fundamental questions of political philosophy. You'll learn how, from its earliest days, America has borne the imprint of influential thinkers from the European continent and how their ideas have influenced some of the greatest Americans in history. More important, you'll better understand how our nation has cycled between the variants of a single revolutionary political theory.