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.
- History of ideas: believing and belonging 2 - from religion to spiritualityCourse start date: Thu 22 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: John HolroydIn recent times an interest in spirituality has developed that is independent of mainstream religious institutions and traditions. This course will consider why this has happened and how it is best understood.
Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £142.00 - Greek philosophy: the late ancient periodCourse start date: Thu 22 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: John GoffThe ‘mystical’ philosophy of Plotinus was key to the transition from ancient Greek to early Christian thought. This period gave rise to both modern esotericism and Christian theology. What ideas connect them?Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £97.00 - Philosophical life coachingCourse start date: Sat 24 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Tim LebonPhilosophical life coaching helps you lead a more satisfying and meaningful life by using insights and methods from the great thinkers. This introductory workshop will show you some of the most interesting ways it can be of help. No previous experience required.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Philosophy and colonialismCourse start date: Mon 26 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Jessica FeelyThis course aims to clarify the philosophical concepts that have emerged in relation to colonialism, postcolonialism and decolonisation, while also interrogating philosophy’s entanglement with empire.
Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £116.00 - An introduction to the philosophy of mindCourse start date: Tue 27 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ariel KernbergThe saying 'No Brain, No Pain' is hardly controversial. But is having an experience or—indeed—entertaining a thought nothing else than neural activity? In this course we will look at this and some related philosophical questions.
Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £259.00 Concession £168.00 - Introduction to Islam: historical emergence, current issuesCourse start date: Sat 31 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Farid PanjwaniThe course is about exploring Muslim history: What is Islam? Who is a Muslim? This course explores these questions through a study of the Quran, the Prophet and the socio-political and religious developments in the early history of Muslims. You may discover that there is more than meets the eye.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - History of Ideas in Maths and Engineering
Course start date: Tue 3 Feb 2026Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Ketan VariaJoin this course to explore the intertwined evolution of mathematics and engineering, from the invention of the wheel to the foundational mathematical theories developed up to the 20th century.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £116.00 - History of ideas: what is love?Course start date: Sat 7 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Angela PlattWhat is love in the modern world? Join this course to explore the notion of love in popular culture and media from the 18th to the 20th centuries.
Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00 - Introduction to Marxist philosophyCourse start date: Fri 13 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Daniel WeizmanThis course is intended as an introduction to the philosophy of Karl Marx and later Marxists such as Vladimir Lenin, Eduard Bernstein, and Rosa Luxemburg.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - Philosophy of loveCourse start date: Sat 14 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Louis TsangTo love and to be loved is an integral part of life. But how much do we understand the underlying meaning and problems of love? Studying the philosophy of love can not only help us make sense of love; it can help us make sense of life too.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - 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 - Decolonisation: theory, practice and contemporary debatesCourse start date: Wed 18 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ovett NwosimiriThis course introduces decolonization as a theory and critical discourse and examines its intellectual debates. It critically examines intellectual and global discussions and contemporary efforts to undo colonial legacies. We will delve into the philosophical discussion of what it means to decolonize knowledge.
Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - 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: from religious persecution to tolerationCourse start date: Thu 26 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Joseph StreeterToleration, and religious toleration in particular, is a central liberal value. How did it come to have this status, and should we accord it as much value as we do?
Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £97.00
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