The Two Greatest Ideas: How Our Grasp of the Universe and Our Minds Changed Everything (Soochow University Lectures in Philosophy, 1)

**Highly Recommend** In /The Two Greatest Ideas/ Zagzebski has managed to write a truly enriching and deep philosophical text, while at the same time keeping it interesting and accessible for those without a philosophy background. All readers will gain insight into the human mind, the universe, and the relationship between the two.

I have lost patience with Author's trying to subordinate the world's history to what amounts to their 'tag-lines,' lines coined to market their product. This author takes 2 simplistic notions -- The World According to Us & Us According to Us -- & then scouts intellectual history to shove everything into this simplistic billfold to support her pitch.I'm sorry I wasted the money, &, more importantly, the time.I have gained no wisdom nor new insight.

Few scholars working on the history of ideas dare to describe big changes and arcs of development over long periods of time (micro-studied rule the genre). Zagzebski organizes her account, based on a vast wealth of historical knowledge, into two large paradigms that shed light on the emergence of science, monotheistic religions, and ethics with a cosmic basis in the ancient world, and equally on the birth of modern sciences, ideas concerning moral and personal autonomy, and changes in metaphysical beliefs involved in the "Copernican revolution" in the wide sense. What is most impressive is the way the author compares developments in science with examples in ethics and art as well. There are also five helpful "vignettes" focusing on fascinating particular cases in each era and field. While the history of ideas can always be explained in somewhat differing ways, Zagzebski's account will give historians much to think about, while also being very accessible for non-experts. Highly recommended for general readers, college students, and scholars alike.

This is a lovely book - accessible and engaging. A great example of philosophy in action, revealing how key Big Ideas have shaped our world.