Courses & Events > Practical Philosophy > Part 1 Details
Practical Philosophy
Part 1 Details
Week 1. The importance and meaning of philosophy. What is wisdom? How can it be expressed in practice? What are the qualities of a wise person? Exercises to develop inner poise and efficiency in action.
Week 2. Self-knowledge as the basis for good living. The unchangeable in the changeable. The importance of clear observation. Viewing the world with an open mind.
Week 3. Different levels of awareness; the qualities of higher consciousness. Plato on the immortality of the soul. Consideration of universal principles.
Week 4. Seeing the unity underlying everything. Inner stillness as the basis for developing full potential. Platonic justice, injustice and wisdom; the discrimination of this in everyday life.
Week 5. The great power of reason; its ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ uses. Finding strength and efficiency through inner stillness.
Week 6. Raising one’s level of consciousness. Beauty – inner and outer – of form, thought and character. Absolute beauty as the basis of all. Connecting with the present moment; expressing our finest inner qualities in life.
Week 7. What am I? The characteristics of the human being; body, mind, heart and the unchanging observer. Developing the power of attention.
Week 8. Identification with the changing, and its effects. Remembering the unchanging observer and understanding the four states of attention
Week 9. The ancient wisdom of India. The three primordial forces in creation; how they operate in the world. Recognising our true self; rising above pleasure and pain.
Week 10. The effect of the three forces on body, mind and heart; their wise use. The power of attention in practice.
Week 11. The three states of love. The three types of speech. Using attention in the proper way
Week 12. Review of term’s work. Background to the development of philosophy in the school – what is truth, the essence of our being, inner stillness.