History of ideas: believing and belonging 1 - formations of the heart and mind
We shall consider how we come to hold beliefs that matter to us, how we sometimes change our beliefs and the different ways in which we can feel ourselves to belong and not belong.
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- Start Date: 09 Oct 2025End Date: 27 Nov 2025Thu (Daytime): 10:40 - 12:40In PersonFull fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £142.00
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What is the course about?
In the first five classes we shall consider what is involved in holding beliefs that are important to us, how we come to hold such beliefs and how, at times, we change what these are. We shall see how, with the development of psychology, these questions have come to be considered in new ways. One class will be devoted to a consideration of the role language plays in making some beliefs more available to us than others.
In the second part of the course we shall consider what it has meant to belong in different times and places, how belonging is important in so many ways both for the individual and for different types of community and collective. We shall ask whether there are outer limits to the human capacity to belong. Was Theresa May correct when she commented about Diogenes that his ‘citizen of the world’ is a citizen of nowhere? More than ever today, both online and in person, people affiliate, associate and make a wide range of choices about where and with whom they belong. We shall ask is this a healthy form of liberalism, a tolerant pluralism or a series of discontinuities that are ultimately alienating
What will we cover?
We shall consider how we come to hold beliefs that are important to us, how these sometimes change and what it means to hold beliefs. We shall also consider how to think about the testimonies of others, on what grounds a person or institution can be considered an authority in some respect and how to think well when the testimonies of different authorities conflict.
We shall examine William James’s essay The Will To Believe. James (brother of Henry James) was a philosopher and a psychologist at the turn of the twentieth century. Through a consideration of his work we can see something of a historical transition in how belief has come to be understood as well as some thought-provoking arguments about the attitudes we should perhaps take towards how we hold our beliefs within our own mind as well as in dialogue with others.
In examining the issue of belonging we shall first look at how the self has been understood in relation to belonging. Is to belong part of what it means to be a self and how far are our affiliations and associations really a matter of choice? We shall also consider some types of belonging including tribal belonging, national belonging and religious belonging and glimpse some of the complexities involved in these ideas as we begin to unpack them.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
Better understand some of the variety of what has been said about the character and role of believing and belonging in human life.
Form a clearer understanding of what is involved in believing and belonging while also grappling with some of the complexities and disagreements that are part of this understanding.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
Course level:
This class assumes no background knowledge in philosophy or psychology. Where a text or an argument is unclear it is my job as a teacher to make issues as accessible and clear as possible.
Skills Needed:
An open mind and a willingness to listen to and think about views with which you do not always agree are more important than specific levels of skills.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
This will be an eight-week course.
A variety of teaching methods will be used. There will be some short lectures including the use of powerpoint slides, plenty of discussion with lots of opportunity to ask questions, some pair work, small groups work and some reading and discussion of texts.
I will provide reading suggestions so that you can explore the questions and issues we shall consider in further depth. There is, however, no required reading before any class.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Please bring a pen and paper or laptop to make notes. All handouts will be provided in class
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
You might be interested in John's follow-on course, History of ideas: believing and belonging 2 - from religion to spirituality (HP261), which starts in January 2026.
John studied philosophy and theology at King’s College, London and went on to teach philosophy and religious studies in schools for many years taking on a number of management roles before going on to lecture in further education. In 2019 his book Judging Religion A Dialogue for Our Time was published by Silverwood Books. He has had several articles about religion and philosophy published. Most recently his article Wondering in Uzbekistan was published in a journal for RE teachers, REToday. It reflects John’s keen interests in travel and inter-cultural dialogue. John’s subject interests include; philosophy of mind, political philosophy, philosophy of religion, multiculturalism, secularisation and the ethical character of religions, most especially Islam and Christianity. John believes in the classroom as a place where our lives can be made richer through our struggles and passions to understand difficult subjects that engage with questions about who we are, who we have been and who we might become.
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.
