The Hi, I'm Peter Adamson, and you're listening to the History of Philosophy podcast, brought to you with the support of Kings College London and the

LMU in Munich, online at www. History of Philosophy.net. Today's episode, After Math, philosophy and science in the Mongol age.

What comes from Central Asia arrives on horseback, kills everyone in sight, eventually toppling one of the world's great civilizations,

and has a leader whose name will be borrowed by a German pop band from the 1970s.

If you said the Hans, you're almost right. They did help cause the fall of the Roman Empire by unleashing

chaos among barbarian tribes.

But as far as I know, there has never been a German pop band named Attila. Whereas the German entry in the 1979 Eurovision

song contest was in fact a group called Shingis Khan. They came forth with their eponymous hit, the classic Jingis Khan, which has a beat almost as

irresistible as the Mongol hordes and better lyrics.

For instance,

Eze like to see the kinder in Aina nacht, and

Uber sign E finde, hare no gelacht, which I suggest translating,

he fathered seven children in a single night

and just laughed when his enemies came into sight.

And then there's the admirably candid line,

Las Noc Vodka holen, Denver sin Mongolin,

meaning, get some more vodka because we are Mongols.

I almost feel like stopping the episode right there, quite literally on a high note,

but I really want to tell you about the real Mongols,

this super tribal group once led by Genghis Khan, and their surprising

role in the history of philosophy.

Surprising because it was not entirely negative.

...