Tough Philosophy that stands the test of time. Practical life skills with enough toughness to last a lifetime.
Discover the Wisdom Within
Philosophy aims to set you free. Free from pressures and worries, free from limiting ways of thinking, free to grow and be yourself.
Take your first steps to freedom with our 10 week live course.
The course offers a practical means to discover fully who we are, understand the world us and see what gets in the way of being happy, peaceful and free.
Students are invited to see life as a place to test the words of the wise through practical and mindful exercises that uncover the wisdom within.
Self-enquiry through practical philosophy
10 live weekly classes
The ten live weekly classes explore central human questions through discussion, practical observation, conversation and reflection in good company. Practical exercises to put to the test during the week are included.
Themes included in the course include: The Wisdom Within, Know Thyself, Being awake, The Present moment, Living Justly, The Threefold Energy, The light of Reason, The power of beauty, University in diversity, The Desire for Truth.
click each title below for more details
Live Course
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Live Course
As this course is delivered as live interactive classes each week, the class numbers need to be limited to a maximum of 25 or less. This allows those that wish to join in on the discussion and ask furhter questions or share their own thoughts the opportunity to do so. To find out more about what is included in each of the 10 weeks simply click the tabs on this page.
Week 1
The wisdom within
These opening sessions consider how philosophy can help us enjoy richer, less stressful lives.
What is practical philosophy?
‘What would a wise person do here?’
Philosophy means the love of wisdom. Our course is intended to show how philosophy can help us enjoy richer, less stressful and more useful lives. This opening two sessions consider these aims, and introduces simple exercises in mindfulness and the application of wisdom you can practise in daily life.
Who am I, really? My body? My emotions? My strongly held beliefs? My soul? Possibly all of these? Possibly none?
Such questions have preoccupied philosophers down the ages. We look at practical ways to explore who we really are and how to tap our true potential.
Week 3
Being awake
What is our state of awareness?
Why does it fluctuate during the day?
Often the most notable quality of wise people is their alertness to the subtleties of a situation. They are awake, perceptive and curious.
We look at deeper levels of awareness, and consider how we may become more awake to ourselves, our surroundings, and the events we meet.
Week 4
The present moment
Living in the now, mindfulness.
What is the potential of the present moment?
We review our own experience of attention through a model featuring attention centred, captured, open and scattered, and how these each relate to the past, present and future.
We examine the extraordinary brightness and freedom naturally available in the present moment. A straightforward practice is introduced.
Week 5
Living justly
Plato’s views on justice.
What does it mean to live justly?
According to Plato, justice and injustice do not start ‘out there’. They begin within us. For justice to prevail, Plato suggests that we must learn to avoid being ‘tyrannised’ by our passions and fears to the extent they overrule our reason.
We discuss the practicality of Plato’s ideas on justice in our daily lives.
How it works
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
How it works
A tutor presents philosophical ideas, and leads a discussion based on what arises in the group. Being practical rather than academic, the emphasis is on personal knowledge and experience. Students are encouraged neither to accept nor reject the ideas put forward, but to test them in practice for themselves, in the light of their own experience.
Week 6
The threefold energy
The Vedic model of three fundamental energies.
Sometimes we seem not to have enough energy, or the wrong kind. A wise person can act consistently despite these varying conditions.
We consider how to recognise differing energies, how to gain and conserve them and how to use them wisely.
Week 7
The light of reason
What is reason? How can it enrich our lives? We look at guidelines for Socratic dialogue and how to use them. Developing reason in decision-making and action are also discussed, with practical applications. Obstacles to reason are considered. Everyone has the faculty of reason and we can all use it and develop it.
Week 8
The power of beauty
What is beauty?
Is there such a thing as absolute beauty?
Beauty has the capacity to open the heart and bring delight. In this session we discuss our direct experience of beauty in its different form: of the sensory world, of thought, of feelings, of the inner nature, and of conduct.
We consider Plato’s idea of there being ultimately one beauty – beauty absolute – ‘not knowing birth or death, growth or decay’.
Week 9
University in diversity
Looking for the common thread in life.
What is the effect of finding unity?
When we look around, we see enormous diversity in nature. The wise person looks for the unifying factor: that which allows all this apparent diversity to be seen as part of a single whole.
Seen in this way, life then has the best chance of being led freshly and openly.
Week 10
The desire for truth
What is truth?
How does the desire for truth show itself?
Practical philosophy is about discovering the truth of things – not theoretically, but in our own experience.
In this final session we look back and ask ourselves how our search for truth has fared as the term has progressed. We discuss what has been discovered and how, in our own way, we may continue to develop it in our daily lives.
If you are currently experiencing any financial hardship and want to discuss if any concession pricing options are available simply email us to discuss.
The course is practical in the sense that it takes philosophical ideas and shows how they can be of direct use in our everyday lives. The intention is to stimulate enquiry and through this expand the way we look at the world and ourselves.
First you need to enrol on a course. Our courses will be held online via the Zoom application, which we use to deliver all our online courses. Zoom is easy-to-use and can be accessed through a PC, laptop, smartphone or tablet.
Please follow this link to download Zoom onto your device. It would be beneficial to take some time to familiarise yourself with the app. This link provides guidance on the app and how to join a classroom. We also offer in-person courses at various locations in London and around the rest of the UK.
Online or by calling 020 7034 4000 (while our building is closed, the temporary number is 020 3287 1443).
If you register online, you will receive a confirmation email with your day of attendance. If you register by any means other than online, you will receive a receipt confirming your registration.
For online courses, you will receive an email with your Zoom log-in details a few days before the start of your course.
No, all you need is an open and enquiring mind. The course is intended for everyone, regardless of education, occupation, race, political or religious belief.
Yes, we offer the course as an online interactive course via Zoom. Each live class is limited to 25 people only so there is opportunity for students to ask questions and share thoughts and observations if they choose to do so.
Yes, we have many local venues where you can attend the course face-to-face.
What some of our students say...
"Lovely people with a strong sense of why learning is valuable at any stage in life."
"I started off with the Introduction to Practical Philosophy during the first lockdown and can honestly say it was a lifesaver."
"Have thoroughly enjoyed the introductory course and the daily awareness exercise practice. "
“Absolutely loving the course!! …Really changing how I think about things and life in general.”
“...I am benefiting greatly from the content and the practical nature of it. Thank you, it is enriching my life.”
“The daily awareness exercises … have changed my thinking and I feel more relaxed about situations in the media and other aspects of my daily life.”
"The knowledge and experience that I have gained from the philosophy classes has helped me to discover more about myself and better prepare for dealing with life's daily surprises and challenges."
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The courses have limited spaces and can get fully booked up in advance, so to save disappointment it is advisable to reserve your place on the next course well in advance.
