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Have you ever wondered what philosophy is? What do philosophers talk about? Can they tell you the meaning of life or is it just jargon and navel gazing? Come along and find out.
Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
The course is designed for those who wish to learn about the philosophical manner of thinking, and how to use philosophical texts. We explore how philosophy is used to analyse concepts such as justice, freedom, and anything else that the would-be philosopher has in mind.
What will we cover?
What is it that philosophers do? A simple examination of the relation between thinking, concepts and reality. How to think about a concept such as 'justice' or 'freedom'. Consider what a philosophical argument is with some examples of philosophical arguments taken from diverse philosophical writings.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Analyse a concept in a philosophical fashion - Construct a simple philosophical argument on a topic of your own interest.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This is a general introductory course and no prior knowledge is required.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
The course will run in a 'seminar' format with short tutor presentations followed by Q&A and open discussion. No outside work is required.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
None. Handouts of relevant texts will be provided. Bring pen/pencil and notebook.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
This taster course is a good preparation for our term-long Introduction to Philosophy course beginnning in September (HP004). Please check the website (www.citylit.ac.uk) for further details.
Karl White completed a Ph.D on the Romanian-French philosopher EM Cioran at King’s College London, having originally been educated at University College Cork. He has tutored students of all ages at university level in various areas such as Philosophy and Literature, Philosophy and Film, and Classical Civilisation. He has published work on Samuel Beckett and written educational works on Shakespeare. He believes in making philosophy accessible to people of all backgrounds and educational levels and promoting lively and open discussion in the shared journey of learning.
From reading Philosophy at a young age to the formal study of Cognitive Science, Philosophy & Psychology at the Universities of London and Sussex - after a prior career in video-arts - John Goff has been presenting philosophy courses to adults since the early 2000s. He uses a cross-disciplinary, seminar-based approach in his courses, drawing on Philosophy, Psychology and the wider Humanities & Social Sciences with an emphasis on the intersection of contemporary and classical European and Asian philosophical thought. He is the author of several works of philosophical fiction concerning artificial minds and organisms and alternative-human worlds including the novel 'The Last Days of the Most Hidden Man' and the novellas 'Eidopolis', 'Agents of Erasure', 'Jupiter|Saturn' and 'Sleep|Nothing|Asylum'. His academic writings can be found on his academia.edu page at 'https://independentscholar.academia.edu/JohnGoff'.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
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https://www.citylit.ac.uk/a-taste-of-philosophy135924A taste of philosophyhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/a/-/a-taste-of-philosophy-hp056_1.jpg1919GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Philosophy, religion, & ideas/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Philosophy, religion, & ideas/Philosophy/Courses/Taster courses/Courses/Taster courses/Humanities tasters/Courses/vm/Courses under £69/Courses/Top rated courses228511771404157918031809135511662122851177140418031653Have you ever wondered what philosophy is? What do philosophers talk about? Can they tell you the meaning of life or is it just jargon and navel gazing? Come along and find out. <div data-content-type="html" data-appearance="default" data-element="main">The course is designed for those who wish to learn about the philosophical manner of thinking, and how to use philosophical texts. We will explore how philosophy is used to analyse concepts such as justice, freedom, and anything else that the would-be philosopher has in mind. <br />
<br />
This is a live online course. You will need:<br />
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.<br />
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.<br />
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.<br />
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.</div>124.7341153A taste of philosophy1919https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/a/-/a-taste-of-philosophy-hp056_1_16.jpgInStockDaytimeSatOnlineAvailable coursesOne-off onlyWeekend2025-07-26T00:00:00+00:00BeginnersJul 2025Culture, history & humanitiesHP0651919A taste of philosophy191919Karl Whitea-taste-of-philosophy/hp065-2425Have you ever wondered what philosophy is? What do philosophers talk about? Can they tell you the meaning of life or is it just jargon and navel gazing? Come along and find out.0000-Available|2025-07-26 00:00:00virtual1438024A taste of philosophy1919https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/a/-/a-taste-of-philosophy-hp056_1_55.jpgInStockDaytimeSatKeeley StreetAvailable coursesOne-off onlyWeekend2025-09-13T00:00:00+00:00BeginnersSep 2025Culture, history & humanitiesHP0511919A taste of philosophy151219John Goffa-taste-of-philosophy/hp051-2526Have you ever wondered what philosophy is? What do philosophers talk about? Can they tell you the meaning of life or is it just jargon and navel gazing? Come along and find out.0000-Available|2025-09-13 00:00:00virtual1438039A taste of philosophy1919https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/a/-/a-taste-of-philosophy-hp056_1_56.jpgInStockDaytimeSatOnlineAvailable coursesOne-off onlyWeekend2025-12-06T00:00:00+00:00BeginnersDec 2025Culture, history & humanitiesHP1611919A taste of philosophy151219Karl Whitea-taste-of-philosophy/hp161-2526Have you ever wondered what philosophy is? What do philosophers talk about? Can they tell you the meaning of life or is it just jargon and navel gazing? Come along and find out.0000-Available|2025-12-06 00:00:00virtual2629506A taste of philosophy1919https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/a/-/a-taste-of-philosophy-hp056_1_57.jpgInStockDaytimeSatKeeley StreetAvailable coursesOne-off onlyWeekend2026-01-10T00:00:00+00:00BeginnersJan 2026Culture, history & humanitiesHP0561919A taste of philosophy151219John Goffa-taste-of-philosophy/hp056-2526Have you ever wondered what philosophy is? What do philosophers talk about? Can they tell you the meaning of life or is it just jargon and navel gazing? Come along and find out.0000-Available|2026-01-10 00:00:00virtual19,151919,12HP065,HP051,HP161,HP056NONESat26/07/2510:30 - 12:3010:3012:301 session1One-off onlyWeekendOnlineOnline,Keeley StreetKarl White,John GoffBeginnersAvailable courses2025-07-26T00:00:00+00:00,2025-09-13T00:00:00+00:00,2025-12-06T00:00:00+00:00,2026-01-10T00:00:00+00:00DaytimeJul 2025,Sep 2025,Dec 2025,Jan 2026Culture, history & humanities1919A taste of philosophya-taste-of-philosophy/hp065-2425,a-taste-of-philosophy/hp051-2526,a-taste-of-philosophy/hp161-2526,a-taste-of-philosophy/hp056-2526Have you ever wondered what philosophy is? What do philosophers talk about? Can they tell you the meaning of life or is it just jargon and navel gazing? Come along and find out.0000-Available|2025-07-26 00:00:00configurable
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