Introductory Course : Tues 21 of October - 7 PM

Introductory Evening: Philosophies of East & West 18-week Course

This ticket is to the Introductory Evening for Philosophies of East & West 18-week Course and gives the opportunity to see if the course is what you are looking for. On the course places will limited to around 12 per group so if you are interested in enrolling in advance you can find out more and fill out an application form here.

Explore the timeless ideas that have inspired and guided humanity throughout history and discover the importance of finding greater wisdom in our lives through the practice of a living philosophy.

Philosophy means the love of wisdom, and being a philosopher essentially means having an active attitude and awareness towards life.We are all born philosophers, with a natural need to ask questions and with the intuition that there are answers to be found. Every civilisation has tried to pass on its wisdom, leaving us a vast heritage of useful knowledge and experiences to rediscover.

Explore the timeless ideas that have inspired and guided humanity throughout history and discover the importance of finding greater wisdom in our lives through the practice of a living philosophy.

The course is organised in 3 parts, covering key concepts of Eastern and Western Philosophy.

PART ONE: THE PATH OF SELF KNOWLEDGE

The first part of the course Ethics explores questions about the nature of the human being, moral principles and how to discover a positive and helpful 'inner attitude'.  It is also related to happiness and the ability to connect with the best and most noble aspects of ourselves especially when facing the inevitable difficulties of life.

PART TWO: LIVING TOGETHER IN HARMONY

The second part of the course Sociopolitics focuses on discovering the conditions for harmonious co-existence with each other and the natural world. Looking for principles where everyone can flourish, we discuss roles in society, the importance of education and what the ancients understood about justice.

| Ancient Egyptian ideas about justice, life & the afterlife
| Plato’s Republic & the Myth of the Cave
| Aristotle's ideas on happiness and virtue
| Essential concepts of Stoic philosophy
| ​The Neoplatonic school and the encounter between Eastern & Western traditions 

PART THREE: BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE

In the third and final part of the course called Philosophy of History we reflect how we are all both a product of history and also all creating history. We discuss concepts of time, the cycles of history and how myths and symbols can be a form of history. We consider our potential for becoming conscious agents of history. 

Dates:

Group 1 Introductory evening - Thursday 9th October

Group 2 Introductory evening - Wednesday 15th October

Group 3 Introductory evening - Tuesday 21st October

Location: 18 Compton Terrace N1 2UN, next door to Union Chapel.