In this course we will examine the history of philosophical pessimism and how its proponents viewed the human condition. Always in a minority, philosophical pessimists have dared humanity to face the worst!
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We will examine the history of pessimism as a stream of human thought from the Bible, the Greeks, through the Medieval era up until our own age through the lens of a number of key thinkers and themes.
What will we cover?
We will look at pessimistic concerns with time, entropy, the weakness of human character and the often bloody history of humanity. Thinkers discussed will include amongst others Ecclesiastes, Herodotus, Thucydides, Schopenhauer, Kojeve and EM Cioran.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
Have an understanding of the key themes of philosophical pessimism and its persistence in western thought.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
No prior knowledge is needed. An open mind and a willingness to listen and respond respectfully to views with which you may not always agree are more important than specific levels of skill.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Classroom lectures, discussion and online material will be used. There is no work outside of class.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Pen, paper and an open mind!
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Please check the 'philosophy, religion and ideas' area of the City Lit website in Culture, history and humanities for up-to-date details of forthcoming history of ideas courses.
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.
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/history-of-ideas-pessimism-and-its-philosophers3006292History of ideas: pessimism and its philosophershttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/philosophy-literature-HP105-1024.jpg149149GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Philosophy, religion, & ideas/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Philosophy, religion, & ideas/The history of ideas22851177140414231228511771404<p>In this course we will examine the history of philosophical pessimism and how its proponents viewed the human condition. Always in a minority, philosophical pessimists have dared humanity to face the worst!</p>003006277History of ideas: pessimism and its philosophers149149https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/philosophy-literature-HP105-1024.jpgInStockEveningMonKeeley StreetAvailable courses5-10 weeksWeekday2026-06-15T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allJun 2026Culture, history & humanitiesHP293149149History of ideas: pessimism and its philosophers11997149Karl Whitehistory-of-ideas-pessimism-and-its-philosophers/hp293-2526<p>In this course we will examine the history of philosophical pessimism and how its proponents viewed the human condition. Always in a minority, philosophical pessimists have dared humanity to face the worst!</p>0000-Available|2026-06-15 00:00:00<p>We will examine the history of pessimism as a stream of human thought from the Bible, the Greeks, through the Medieval era up until our own age through the lens of a number of key thinkers and themes.</p><p>In this course we will examine the history of philosophical pessimism and how its proponents viewed the human condition. Always in a minority, philosophical pessimists have dared humanity to face the worst!</p><p>We will look at pessimistic concerns with time, entropy, the weakness of human character and the often bloody history of humanity. Thinkers discussed will include amongst others Ecclesiastes, Herodotus, Thucydides, Schopenhauer, Kojeve and EM Cioran.</p><p>Have an understanding of the key themes of philosophical pessimism and its persistence in western thought.</p><p>No prior knowledge is needed. An open mind and a willingness to listen and respond respectfully to views with which you may not always agree are more important than specific levels of skill.</p><p>Classroom lectures, discussion and online material will be used. There is no work outside of class.</p><p>Pen, paper and an open mind!</p><p>Please check the 'philosophy, religion and ideas' area of the City Lit website in Culture, history and humanities for up-to-date details of forthcoming history of ideas courses.</p>Philosophy, religion, & ideasThe history of ideasvirtual11914997HP293NONEMon15/06/26 - 13/07/2617:30 - 19:3017:3019:305 sessions (over 5 weeks)55-10 weeksEveningWeekdayKSKeeley StreetKarl WhiteBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allAvailable courses2026-06-15T00:00:00+00:00Jun 2026Culture, history & humanities149149History of ideas: pessimism and its philosophershistory-of-ideas-pessimism-and-its-philosophers/hp293-2526<p>In this course we will examine the history of philosophical pessimism and how its proponents viewed the human condition. Always in a minority, philosophical pessimists have dared humanity to face the worst!</p>0000-Available|2026-06-15 00:00:00<p>We will examine the history of pessimism as a stream of human thought from the Bible, the Greeks, through the Medieval era up until our own age through the lens of a number of key thinkers and themes.</p><p>In this course we will examine the history of philosophical pessimism and how its proponents viewed the human condition. Always in a minority, philosophical pessimists have dared humanity to face the worst!</p><p>We will look at pessimistic concerns with time, entropy, the weakness of human character and the often bloody history of humanity. Thinkers discussed will include amongst others Ecclesiastes, Herodotus, Thucydides, Schopenhauer, Kojeve and EM Cioran.</p><p>Have an understanding of the key themes of philosophical pessimism and its persistence in western thought.</p><p>No prior knowledge is needed. An open mind and a willingness to listen and respond respectfully to views with which you may not always agree are more important than specific levels of skill.</p><p>Classroom lectures, discussion and online material will be used. There is no work outside of class.</p><p>Pen, paper and an open mind!</p><p>Please check the 'philosophy, religion and ideas' area of the City Lit website in Culture, history and humanities for up-to-date details of forthcoming history of ideas courses.</p>Philosophy, religion, & ideasThe history of ideasconfigurable
14231404The history of ideashttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/philosophy-religion-belief/the-history-of-ideas1/2/285/1177/1404/14231/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Philosophy, religion, & ideas/The history of ideas
