10 week courses in Edinburgh & Glasgow
Practical Philosophy
Discover the wisdom within yourself
Discover Your Inner Philosopher
The School of Philosophy for those seeking answers to life’s big questions, we share knowledge and practical tools to help you to lead a satisfying, happy life. Classes are offered in Edinburgh and Glasgow commencing in September 2024.
Local Course
Local face-to-face courses available in Edinburgh & Glasgow.
Peace of Mind
Following all Health & Safety guidelines for your complete peace of mind.
Practical Wisdom
Courses in practical wisdom for everyday living. Meet with like minded individuals.
Offer from only £20
Introductory offer – 10 week in person course only £20. (Normally £85). Limited spaces.
This popular course is practical rather than academic and draws on sources of wisdom from East and West, past and present.
Explore Life To The Full…
The Edinburgh and Glasgow courses offer a practical means to discover fully who we are, understand how to relate to the world we live in 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.
10 weekly sessions
The ten weekly sessions explore central human questions through discussion, practical observation, conversation and reflection in good company.
Self-enquiry through practical philosophy
Themes included in the course:
click each title below for more details
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.
You can download or listen to the Awareness Exercise, introduced in week one here. To download, right-click, choose ‘Save link as…’ and save the MP3 wherever you want.
You can also download a PDF of the Awareness Exercise
Who or what am I?
What is my potential?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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’.
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.
Start Dates & Times for September 2024.
Edinburgh
- Tuesdays from 24th September 2024
- Time: 7.30pm - 9.30pm
Glasgow
- Thursdays from 26th September 2024
- Time: 7.30pm - 9.30pm
Location
- EDINBURGH: 18 Chester Street, Edinburgh EH3 7RA
-
GLASGOW: Park House, Bellahouston Park,
Glasgow G52 1EQ
- All Health & Safety guidelines followed
- There will be a refreshment break
- Limited Spaces
- Introductory Offer only £20 (Normally £85)
How to Enrol
- Step 1 - Click 'Enrol Today'
- Step 2 - Enter your details
- Step 3 - Pay the course fee
- (Nothing more to pay)
- Step 4 - Receive your receipt and
- course details by email.
Edinburgh Course
Glasgow Course
Frequently asked questions
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.
Online or by emailing us at [email protected].
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.
Yes, we have a local venues in Glasgow and Edinburgh. There are also many other local venues in other parts of the UK where you can attend the course face-to-face.
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.
Face-to-face meetings will be held safely following all the latest COVID-19 & Omicron guidelines for your complete peace of mind.
In the event that the Government impose new social distancing / travelling restrictions or a potential new lockdown we will respond to that promptly with everyone’s safety in mind.
If at any point in time new restrictions arise that point towards putting a hold on social gatherings, we will make sure you still have live access to this course by delivering it to you online via Zoom group meetings until any and all restrictions are lifted so that safe face-to-face meetings can reconvene.
First you need to enrol on a course. The in-person courses are available in Glasgow and Edinburgh and at many other local venues up and down the UK. A local map can be found on this page.
If you have any questions simply email us: [email protected]
What some of our students say...
“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."
