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Tel Aviv University

HOPE: What Makes Us Human

Tel Aviv University via edX

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Overview

Why breathe? Why breed? Why bleed? What justifies continuing, creating, and killing lives? Seeking answers to these thorny questions, Princeton University and Tel Aviv University have joined hands to create HOPE, a unique online journey into the heart of humanity – at both its brightest and its darkest, in private and in public. Turning to existentialism for guidance, HOPE (Human Odyssey to Political Existentialism) explores a dozen themes: Human/nature, identity & authenticity, freedom & liberty, reflection, happiness, death & dread, meaning, morality, truth & trust, God & religion, alienation & love, and finally – hope.

HOPE is driven by alarm – and aspiration. Alarm about a daily crime against humanity we all commit: Seeing people as puppets, pushed and pulled by forces that leave them “no choice.” Never have we been more powerful, and more prone to lose what made us so. We are an endangered species. Pandemics, climate change, environmental degradation, AI, nuclear weapons are some of the existential risks we face. But what is the point of saving human beings if we forget and forgo what it means to be human?

HOPE is a reminder, a wake-up call, and a guide, to what sets us apart and brings us together, as humans – seeking purpose for our special species. HOPE spans 44 short talks with numerous interactive, educational, tasks. It is the most media-rich online course today, including thousands of works of art, meticulously curated and with copyrights secured, including paintings, photographs, songs, as well as brief segments from tv shows and films. HOPE further introduces original animations, music clips, and videotaped interviews and panels. HOPE is profoundly interdisciplinary and requires no previous professional or academic knowledge – just curiosity about our humanity. It is suited to all ages and levels of education, and anyone can enroll. The course is offered, free of charge, in English, with captions in English, Hebrew and Arabic, and soon French and Spanish as well.

Launched in 2018, HOPE received instant global acclaim, awarded the best online course. Since then, HOPE consistently tops rankings of online courses, worldwide; it’s an all-time #1 online course in political science and philosophy, leading the social sciences and the humanities (among over 5000 courses). Tens of thousands of daily learners, academic (including leading universities) and non-academic, spanning all ages, from over 140 countries, partake in HOPE. You are very welcome to join them and begin your own journey.

Taught by

Uriel Abulof

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Reviews

4.9 rating, based on 308 Class Central reviews

Start your review of HOPE: What Makes Us Human

  • Anonymous
    The best ever! LOVE it.
    From Tel Aviv university
    The content is very officiant and clear.
    I really enjoyed the process.
    Thank you so much.
  • Anonymous
    An amazing course, it will change the way you see the world in many profound ways! Don't just take my word for it, take it today.
  • Anonymous
    The course evokes deep thinking about who I am and who we are. I enjoyed the questions along the way. I highly recommend it.
  • Anonymous
    I truly enjoyed the class. Some thoughtful ideas exchanged and insightful views revealed. However, some lessons were biased.

  • Anonymous
    Very interesting, I would recommend anyone i know to take this course. Uriel is a great lecturer, thank you so so much
  • Anonymous
    I had a fun and interactive experience with this course. I'm glad it's free!
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  • Anonymous
    Such an amazing course!
    It made me think very deeply into the meaning of so many occasions!
    Love it and recommend it!
  • Anonymous
    I really enjoyed the course and learned a lot. The huge collection of relevant art and modern music included was entertaining and thought-provoking, and it was a privilege to have so much philosophy set in the context of cultural and political dev…
  • Anonymous
    Bravo! Highly informative AND entertaining entry-level philosophy course. Creative use of media, especially video. I learned a great deal shout existentialism, and myself. I've recommended HOPE to many friends. I encourage Uriel to continue down t…
  • Profile image for Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama , Kankhal
    Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama , Kankhal
    Samar from India, Am a student now done my Online course “HOPE” from the University of Princeton UK. Earlier to this completed quite a few on EDx platform, they were all different like Corporate Finance, Quantum Mechanics of Molecular Structures,…
  • Anonymous
    It has been more than 40 years since I was in grad school, and admit that I was apprehensive... could I still do it? I'm gratified that I can. The course design and content were well-prepared and presented. I had a little trouble with the UX of th…
  • Anonymous
    This course could not have been more relevant to the changes I'm going through right now. each week I felt connected to the content and it made me question and reflect deeper into my life and the meaning of what I'm going through. in a way, I feel t…
  • Anonymous
    I really enjoyed the class. Because I was already quite familiar with the material it was a little downside for me, but I don't think it is a downside of the course. I liked the combination of very serious philosophical theories with materials from…
  • Anonymous
    Excellent course for both content and delivery. The course contains a tremendous amount of material, which draws on numerous sources over an extended time frame. I have listened to all the lectures and answered all the quiz questions, and still have much to learn from the material. The presentation also effectively integrates lectures, readings, visual arts, and music to provide the participants with a memorable experience. I found that some of the survey questions provided introspective challenges. Before the course, I would not have associated Existentialism with hope, but the lecturer and his support team made a convincing argument. I want to thank everyone involved in developing and presenting the material.
  • Anonymous
    I really enjoyed this course. I come from a very different field (I study physics), and maybe therefore really enjoyed it. I think that the course is very interesting and deals with a very important and relevant things to each and every human. This course exposed me to a world of knowledge that I didn't know of its existence. The material is transferred in a relatable manner. It was clear, confusing, and fascinating at the same time. I think this course helps to see the big picture and discusses the big questions of life. I had to choose a side course that isn't related to my major in order to get first degree and I am happy that I chose this course. thank you for your huge investment in this course. It was wonderful!
  • Anonymous
    I would recommend this course to anyone who is interested in philosophy, politics, the human experience or anyone who is searching for meaning in life. The course covers a wide range of topics from; identity, power, religion, love and of course hope. A wide range of source material is used including, paintings, music, TV shows and movies, philosophical texts and political speeches. This course is very engaging and makes you think about things you have probably never given much thought to. Uriel Abulof is a knowledgeable and engaging lecturer who presents in a very professional manner. I can't praise this course enough!!!! If you are looking for something to study choose this course, you won't regret it!
  • Anonymous
    it was the second online course that I took and at first I hesitated because the first one was a total disaster, it was boring with long videos and dull backgrounds and nothing but a lecturer who stood there and did nothing but read from a piece of paper, this course now changed my perspective and proved my hesitations wrong, it was awesome! the videos were not that long and were divided perfectly, the incorporated songs, stories, movies clips and paintings made the experience even more exciting, and the material was easy to catch on with the help of all what I mentioned above. can't wait for other courses like this one!
    Tank you for making this experience possible and best of luck with works to come
  • Anonymous
    This is by far the most interesting , fascinating course I have ever had in my entire 18 years of my life. As a IB diploma student, our curriculum have a somewhat similar course called TOK (theory of knowledge), but HOPE transcend knowledge, and guided us towards something greater. Truth, power, love, freedom, liberty, morality, trust, and of course hope itself, these are what made us human, what we are living for, and what makes life so complex. Mr. Uriel Abulof is the best teacher/professor i never had, as I’m planning to apply to Princeton next year, I hope I will finally have the chance to do research with him, learn from him, not through screens, but face to face, human to human. I love this course!
  • Profile image for Naga Radhika Govindan
    Naga Radhika Govindan
    I thoroughly enjoyed the course. It was thought provoking and extremely relevant to the lives that we live. Through the course I have learnt a lot about myself. It seemed to me as much a journey of self discovery as it was a journey of humaness of humanity over the ages.

    The course was also challenging and the instructor was clear. The assignments were interesting and though I could have finished the course much earlier, I took my time, over six months as I picked a calm and serene time to listen to the lectures to give them my undivided attention.

    I have also downloaded the videos as I see myself going to them again and again, as it has a wealth of information and insight.
  • Lisbeth Nickie
    The HOPE course on the Human Odyssey to Political Existentialism is one of the best courses I have taken since I first started taking courses online. I have taken 6 courses - 4 for credit and 2 just for my own learning.

    I had no idea that the course would be so intense and cover so very many of the world's famous existential philosophers and their positions. I found that it was fun to do so much writing and especially writing about the lyrics of well known songs, by the Who and others.

    The quizzes were tough - you really had to do the reading - but it was good that you were given a second chance.

    Overall, I would give the course a score of 98 out of 100.

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