Philosophies of East & West 16-week course

PHILOSOPHIES OF EAST & WEST

16-WEEK COURSE

Opening Dates:
Thursday 1st October, 7pm
Wednesday 21st October, 7pm

The introductory evening will be via Zoom, but the course will be held in person at our premises in Islington, subject to government restrictions.
In the event of a local lockdown, the classes would temporarily continue on Zoom.

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Course Topics

Timeless & Universal Philosophy • India • Tibet • Buddhism • China • Egypt • Greece •
Rome • The Neoplatonic School • Philosophy of History • The Human Being & the Universe • The Hermetic Tradition

Timeless and Universal Philosophy: The value of philosophy in relation to science, politics, religion and art. The seven principles in nature and the human being according to Eastern philosophy.

Tibet: Selected passages from the original Tibetan text “The Voice of the Silence”. Connecting with our inner voice. Stages on the inward journey. The importance of compassion and the need to develop concentration.

Buddhism: Buddha’s life as a parable of the human journey. Essential concepts of Buddhist teachings: the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path as a way of becoming free from pain and suffering. The Dhammapada.

India: The Bhagavad-Gita: the awakening of consciousness and the inner battle. Essential concepts of Eastern philosophy: karma, dharma and reincarnation. Different types of Yoga. The doctrine of ‘avatars’.

Egypt: Ideas about life and the afterlife. The pyramid as a symbol of the human being and society. Moral teachings of Ptahotep, Ani and other ancient Egyptian sages.

China: The teachings of Confucius and their relevance today. Ethics as the foundation of social order and good relationships in society. The ideal of the junzi – the noble human being.

Greece: The classical concepts of Individual, Society and State. The idea of Justice. Plato’s Republic: the Allegory of the Cave and the idea of the philosopher king. The five types of government.

Rome: Essential concepts of Stoic philosophy - courage and strength in the face of adversity, inner freedom and power over oneself. Selected passages from Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius.

The Neoplatonic School: The fertile meeting of Eastern and Western traditions. Key ideas of Plotinus. The three approaches to wisdom through the love of: beauty, music and philosophy.

The Human Being and the Universe. Macrocosm and Microcosm: The interconnectedness of all things. The cosmovision of traditional societies. Sacred space and sacred time. The inner quality of the seasons and how to be in tune with them.

Philosophy of History: The concept of time. Are there cycles and patterns in history and nature? Myth and history. Astrology and history. The Age of Aquarius.

The Hermetic Tradition: The perennial philosophy and its exponents in history. The ancient sciences of astrology, alchemy and yoga.

Info & Fees

Fees for the 16-week course are £190, (£130 concessions) inclusive of all hand-outs and printed material.

*First evening free*
In order to give as many people as possible the opportunity to attend this taster evening, the introductory evening will be held via Zoom. However, the remainder of the course will be held at our premises.

*Enrolment*
For those wanting to enrol on the full course, payment can either be in advance or after the introductory evening. Attendance will be restricted to 12 people on a first-come, first-served basis.

The course evenings start at 7pm and finish at 9.30pm, with a break in the middle.

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Philosophy means love of wisdom (philo-sophia) and it is essentially an active attitude of awareness towards life. In this sense, we are all born philosophers, with an innate need to ask questions and with the intuition that there are answers to be found.

Every civilisation has passed on to us its experience and understanding of life. However, most of us have only a basic knowledge of philosophy and have had little opportunity to learn about the vast heritage of ideas that have inspired and guided humanity throughout history.

This 16-week course will introduce you to the major concepts of Eastern and Western Philosophy and explore their relevance and practical application for our lives.

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"Science is organised knowledge.
Wisdom is organised life."

IMMANUEL KANT

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