Philosophy, religion, & ideas

Explore Philosophy, Religion & Belief

From the meaning of life to moral dilemmas: explore the questions philosophers and thinkers have pondered for centuries. Our daytime, evening and weekend courses cover a wide range of subjects. Join a class to encounter ethics and existentialism, memory and the mind, or discover the paradoxes and politics of the modern world.

Expert tutors

Our classes are taught by experienced, professional tutors with a wide range of specialisms in philosophy, from ethics to political philosophy, and from Eastern philosophies to psychoanalysis to name just a few. Many of our tutors also teach at London universities and bring their expertise from other academic disciplines, for example art, literature and politics. Please refer to specific course outlines for individual tutor biographies.

Studying at City Lit

Philosophy courses are offered in a range of formats and lengths - from a single day to a twelve-week course, during the day, in the evening and at weekends. Courses can be studied singly or in combination with other courses as your interests and learning develop in new directions. A number of our past philosophy students have gone on to study philosophy at university at degree and masters level.

Find a course

Browse our range of philosophy courses in London and online below to choose your perfect option: both complete beginners and returning students are equally welcome at City Lit.   

Courses available both in-person and online

We offer a range of long and short courses allowing you to choose between in-person and online learning.

Learn in the centre of London with our in-person courses. Our purpose-built facilities in Covent Garden mean we are ideally located and easy to get to. 

See our guide to online learning for more information about accessing our live online courses.

All our courses are live, interactive, and taught by expert tutors. No matter how you prefer to learn, we've got the class for you.

Items 1-15 of 25

Page
per page
Set Descending Direction
  1. Existentialism and the arts
    Last Few Places
    Course start date:  Mon 22 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  John Goff
    Existentialist themes of anxiety, anguish, dread, freedom, melancholy, loneliness, death and absurdity pervade the arts from the era of Romanticism onwards. What is the cultural significance and consequence of giving expression to such concerns?



    NB: no classes on 6th and 27th May.
    Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £175.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  2. Women in Philosophy
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 22 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Jessica Feely
    This course examines the work of five women philosophers and their contribution to social and political philosophy in the twentieth and twenty first century. The thinkers covered are: Agnes Heller (1929 – 2019), Julia Kristeva (1941), Gayarti Chakrabarty Spivak (1942), Angela Davies (1944) and Nancy Fraser (1947).



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £97.00
  3. Philosophy and the self
    Evening
    Course start date:  Tue 23 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Ariel Kernberg
    Who am I? Is there such a thing as “my true self”? These and related questions will be looked at from various philosophical perspectives.



    NB There will be no class on 28/05/24.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £155.00
  4. The power of wellbeing from Aristotle to Buddha: a journey of self-discovery
    Last Few Places
    Course start date:  Tue 23 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Cristina Paterno
    Join us on an incredible journey of self-discovery as we explore the concept of well-being, from Aristotle's ancient wisdom to Buddha's enlightening perspectives. We will connect these ideas with today's world, giving you plenty of chances to debate and reflect on your own thoughts.
    Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00
  5. Philosophy Reading Group
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 24 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Kate Banks
    Descartes’ Discourse on Method, one of the foundational texts of modern philosophy, begins with the audacious claim that all minds could agree were they to apply the same rational method of thinking.







    Reading it together, we will assess this method and whether it leads us to share Descartes’ conclusions.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00
  6. African philosophy
    Course start date:  Wed 24 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Ovett Nwosimiri
    This course is an introduction to African philosophy. We will analyse the various positions and contestations regarding the nature, and trends in African philosophy, debate on communitarianism and personhood, African ethics, ubuntu, and decolonisation of knowledge.
    Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00
  7. An introduction to paradox
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 25 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Oliver Josiah
    A paradox is an apparently absurd conclusion derived from seemingly uncontroversial premises through supposedly valid reasoning. This course will introduce you to six major philosophical paradoxes and some of the attempts to solve them.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £64.00
  8. The death of God
    Course start date:  Wed 1 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Over the past five hundred years in the West belief in God has declined. This course will examine why this has happened and consider the meaning and significance of what has taken place.



    Please note: There will be no class on 20/05/24.
    Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00
  9. Philosophy and tyranny
    Course start date:  Thu 2 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Karl White
    What is the relationship between Philosophy and Tyranny? Have philosophers supported tyrannical rule throughout history? Have they spoken truth to power or have they instead colluded and strengthened its grip?
    Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00
  10. Love Across the British Empire
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 11 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Angela Platt
    In this course, we explore the meaning of ‘love’ in the British Empire from the eighteenth to the early twentieth century by looking through varied sources from film, literature, personal correspondence and more.
    Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00
  11. Reasoning and God: an introduction to theology
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 11 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Edgar Ter-Danielyan
    This course is an introduction to theology – reasoned discourse on the Christian understanding of God, his nature, and his relationship with human beings and the created order.
    Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00
  12. Philosophy and the meaning of life
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 13 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Karl White
    The search for a meaning to life has consumed human beings since time immemorial. What is the purpose of our being here? How are we supposed to live our lives? Is there a God or are we just products of nature, and depending on our answer, what does that tell us about the way we should conduct ourselves? What do we even mean by meaning?! If these questions intrigue or puzzle you, then look no further! While we cannot guarantee any answers, the quest for meaning and the exploration of the topic lead to some of philosophy’s greatest thinkers and their reflections on this most pressing of issues.



    NB: No classes on 06/05/24 and 27/05/24.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £269.00 Concession £175.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  13. Spinoza and Leibniz: making sense of the world
    Course start date:  Wed 15 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Spinoza and Leibniz both looked to human reason to make sense of the world, but we will see that they gave strikingly different accounts of the existence of our world, and the purpose of human life.
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00
  14. Full fee £110.00 Senior fee £110.00 Concession £72.00
Page
per page
Set Descending Direction

Can't see a course you want?

Add this category to your waiting list to set up alerts and we will update you when new courses are released online.

Add me to waiting list