Philosophy & Literature Courses
On-line
The Golden Century of German Philosophy [seven week course]
11th January
until 22nd
March 2022.
Tuesdays 7pm until 8.30pm GMT [19:00 until 20:30 UTC]
A flowering in philosophy occurred between the 1790s and the 1880s in the German-speaking world, equal in the apex of thought to that of the ancient Greeks. This began with Kant’s ‘Copernican Revolution’, was augmented by Schopenhauer, before Nietzsche assailed the whole of existing morality. Focusing on a few of their most important works, this course will explore the wealth of ideas produced by these philosophers.
The Age of Reason [six week course]
13th January
until 17th
March 2022.
Thursdays 1pm until 2.30pm GMT [13:00 until 14:30 UTC]
The ‘Age of Reason’ gave birth to the scientific age. The victory of rational, scientific discovery over dogma once again disinterred the possibilities of philosophy, and such thinkers as Descartes, Hume and Kant emerged. This course will investigate these thinkers and some of their most important works.
Philosophy and the Art of Living: Stoicism [workshop]
Saturday 19th February 2022.
10am until 12noon GMT [10:00 until 12:00 UTC]
Stoicism is often misunderstood as languishing through life without complaint. In this short introductory workshop we will see how thinkers such as Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius confronted one of the key questions of the ancient world:'How should we live?' and supplied us with pragmatic ways in which to flourish. This will be lecture based with times for reflection, curiosity and comment. All welcome to join this journey of intellectual discovery.
A Crash Course in Global Philosophy [six week course]
2nd March
until 13th
April 2022.
Wednesdays 7pm until 8.30pm GMT [19:00 until 20:30 UTC]
Much of the world’s philosophy has historically been ignored by the West. Yet, if philosophy is a love of wisdom, there is no doubt that the philosophy of other cultures can only enrich our understanding of the nature of reality, the purpose of existence and how to live. This course will explore some of the philosophical contributions from the rest of the globe, including India and the Bhagavad Gita, China and the Tao Te Ching, as well as one of the greatest thinkers of the Islamic World, Ibn Sina.
A Crash Course in Global Philosophy [four week course]
7th until 28th
March 2022.
Mondays 6.30pm until 8.00pm GMT [18:30 until 20:00 UTC]
Much of the world’s philosophy has historically been ignored by the West. Yet, if philosophy is a love of wisdom, there is no doubt that the philosophy of cultures from all locations and times can enrich us. This course will explore some of the philosophical contributions from the rest of the globe, focusing on India, China, and the Muslim world.
Right and Wrong in the Real World [five week course]
19th April
until 24th
May 2022.
Tuesdays 7pm until 8.30pm BST [18:00 until 19:30 UTC]
The branch of philosophy that deals with right and wrong is known as ethics. In this course we will examine various ethical theories and apply them to some of the most prominent problems of the modern world. Our exploration of ethics will be aided by Aristotle, Kant and J.S. Mill. We will then apply their theories to modern issues including free speech and robot ethics.
The Age of Revolution [four week course]
28th April
until 26th
May 2022.
Thursday 1pm until 2.30pm BST [12:00 until 13:30 UTC]
During the ‘Age of Revolution’, philosophy focused increasingly on social and political issues. In Britain, the new utilitarianism dominated and evolved alongside the Industrial Revolution, resulting in, through the efforts of Bentham and Mill, a liberal democracy. The situation in France, however, was less stable...