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.
- African Ethics - Philosophical Foundations and Contemporary IssuesCourse start date: Wed 18 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ovett NwosimiriThis course provides an exploration of African ethical thought, examining both its foundational principles and contemporary debates. Students will engage with African value systems, moral philosophies, and the evolving discourses in African ethics.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00 - Assisted dying: religion, ethics and the lawCourse start date: Sat 21 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Andrew GreyExplore key ethical concepts through religious and philosophical approaches to assisted dying. With a focus on Christianity, the course also introduces ideas from world religions and non-religious approaches.
Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00 - Exploring Kant: the concept of freedomCourse start date: Mon 23 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Gabriel Olumide ApataKant is one of the greatest thinkers in Western philosophy. He wrote on many subjects from knowledge to morals and aesthetics. In almost all his writings he emphasised the idea of freedom.
Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00 - History of ideas: the concept of freedomCourse start date: Thu 26 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Denis BosseauEverybody is ‘for’ liberty and freedom, but what exactly does it involve? How might our understanding and appreciation of it changed over time? Is freedom something we ‘have’ or is it something that is contingently exercised? To what extent does the freedom of others affect my own? How might one conceive of a ‘free’ society? In this course, you will be introduced and invited to think critically about the idea of freedom and its conceptualisation in western thought, focusing particularly on the impact of liberalism and how it shaped our understanding of what it means to be free and live in a (un–) free society.
Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £97.00 - Purposeful minds: philosophy for social changeCourse start date: Sun 1 Mar 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vina TheodorakopoulouEmbark on a transformational journey. Uncover the deep-rooted connection between philosophy, individual and collective purpose, and social impact in this interactive 5-hour course.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Philosophy reading group: Descartes's Discourse on MethodCourse start date: Wed 4 Mar 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Karl WhiteDescartes’ 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.
Please note: No class on 11/03/2026.
Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £51.00 - The philosophy of DostoyevskyCourse start date: Thu 5 Mar 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Karl WhiteDostoyevsky’s novels are regarded by many as some of the greatest fiction ever written. In this course, we will explore the Russia that gave rise to his novels and worldview, and hopefully make our reading of Dostoyevsky more multi-dimensional and enjoyable as a result.
Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Four outstanding women philosophers of the 20th centuryCourse start date: Sat 7 Mar 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Edgar Ter-DanielyanThis course is an introduction to four outstanding women philosophers of the 20th century and some of their most important works: Mary Midgley (1919-2018), Elizabeth Anscombe (1919-2001), Philippa Foot (1920-2010), and Iris Murdoch (1919-1999).Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - The art of burialCourse start date: Sun 8 Mar 2026
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Marilyn GreeneExplore the V&A’s collections and discover amazing objects associated with burial practices in world faiths from ancient Chinese and Buddhist burial practices, to more recent objects associated with Christianity and Islam,
NB: This course will take place at the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - History of ideas: shame and its sistersCourse start date: Mon 9 Mar 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Anita KasabovaWhat is shame and how is it seen in different historical and cultural contexts? This course by Anita Kasabova explores various aspects of shame and its family of feelings across different cultures and languages
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - Paganism: an introductionCourse start date: Sat 21 Mar 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ethan Doyle-WhiteToday, hundreds of thousands of people across the world follow modern Pagan religions – this course explores these traditions and the long history behind the concept of paganism itself.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - History of ideas: Descent and renewal in mythology and psychologyCourse start date: Mon 23 Mar 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Anita KasabovaDescent and renewal are recurrent themes in mythology and usually involve a journey into the underworld to bring about profound changes. We look into the myth of Demeter and Persephone, mystic rituals of transformation and Jungian interpretations of feminine archetypes
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - Chinese philosophers: how does Zhuangzi help us live?Course start date: Sat 28 Mar 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Louis TsangJoin this one-day course to discover insights and wisdom from Chuang Tzu, one of the great founders of Taoism.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - The Quakers: an introductionCourse start date: Sat 28 Mar 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Bruce JohnsonQuaker 'discernment' is used by big business for consensus decision-making, while Quakers are often invited to areas of conflict as mediators and peace-builders. This introduction to Quakers tries to explain why.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Philosophy and emotional intelligence
Course start date: Mon 13 Apr 2026Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Cristina PaternoJoin this course to explore the concept of Emotional Intelligence - the ability to recognise, understand, and manage our own emotions and the emotions of others - from a philosophical perspective.
Please note: there will be no classes on 4th, 18th and 25th May.
Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £142.00
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