Philosophy & Literature Courses
Residential
An Introduction to Chinese Philosophy
Monday 3rd
until Wednesday 5th July 2023.
[Taunton, Somerset]
Focusing on the two main schools of Chinese philosophy, Confucianism and Taoism, this course will explore their foundations, their key thinkers, including Lao Tzu and Zhuang Zhou, as well as Confucius, and Mencius, and then consider the possibility of their ethical application to Western society today.
The Lazy Philosopher's Guide to Simone de Beauvoir
Thursday 13th
and Friday 14th July 2023. [Corbridge, Northumberland]
“Self-knowledge is no guarantee of happiness, but it is on the side of happiness and can supply the courage to fight for it.” This encapsulates de Beauvoir’s life of academic and authorial excellence, authentic living, as well as political and feminist activism. In this course, with the aid of Skye Cleary’s recent book, How to be You: Simone de Beauvoir and the Art of Authentic Living, we will explore what de Beauvoir can teach us today.
Freedom, Franchise & Femininity in Virginia Woolf
Thursday 24th
until Sunday 27th August 2023. [Cockermouth, Cumbria]
What is Freedom? Is Freedom having a ‘room of one’s own’? Are there several forms of Freedom? Is ‘Political Freedom’ and franchise the most valuable? Using Woolf’s novel Mrs Dalloway, as well as her essay A Room of One’s Own, this course will explore the concepts of Freedom, Franchise and Femininity.