COURSES OVERVIEW
The Adelaide School of Practical Philosophy offers courses across three terms each year, with each 10-week course including a two-week break after week five. Our programs focus on bringing humanity’s great philosophical insights into everyday life, emphasising learning through direct experience, the most powerful teacher of all.
Each term we run our introductory course, The Wisdom Within, which introduces participants to profound philosophical teachings from around the world. The course invites you to explore life and its meaning, understand the world and its causes, and reflect on the timeless question: Who am I? by providing practical tools for a first-hand experience of these insights.
Summer Term
Monday, 2nd February – Sunday, 26th April 2026
Winter Term
Monday, 25th May –
Sunday, 16th August 2026
Spring Term
Monday, 14th September – Sunday, 6th December 2025
Once enrolled, you join a group of diverse people from differing backgrounds and with (often) diverse points of view. A facilitator sits at the front of the group and presents the material, which is themed and progressive. The group discusses the concepts put forward in the spirit of mutual respect.
“It’s often a rare event to have a discussion with only one person speaking at any one time. People were respectful. They would wait for the other person and listen to what they had to say rather interjecting or imposing” Reg – Student.
The facilitator guides the discussion and encourages examples from everyday life to illuminate the concepts under discussion. There is no right answer. The nature of the discourse is dialectic and the object of the discussion is to listen without prejudice and be open to the views of others. The basic tenet of the course is to ‘neither accept nor reject’ what is proposed, but to practice it in your daily life and observe what happens. You are then encouraged to bring back your observations from the week and share with the group.
Students who have completed ‘The Wisdom Within’ course are invited to continue their study with one of our continuation courses. All continuation courses are stand alone, non-sequential and can be studied in any order.
Meditation – as part of practical philosophy
Development of mental clarity and emotional well-being is an important part of Practical Philosophy. To help in this development, traditional mantra meditation is offered after several terms of study. The School has been teaching and supporting students in this form of meditation for over 50 years.
The School continues to make this meditation available, as a fundamental part of Practical Philosophy, for whoever is seeking fullness of life and a deeper understanding of themselves. It is natural, easily learnt and can be practised within the demands of daily living.