Threads

In February 2017, the School’s doors will have been open for 50 years. This is a remarkable achievement for a not-for-profit, volunteer organisation working in this sector. For fifty years, we have been running courses, seminars, workshops and retreats for anyone who wants to find freedom, self-reliance and purpose in their life and work. Over…

Natural philosophy used to be a specialised area of philosophical inquiry: how things worked and why they worked the way they did. But philosophical wonder is the birthright of every human being. This 4-minute animation illustrates the mathematic principles that are reflected in nature. The subject matter as well as the artistry of filmmaker Cristóbal…

Scientific American writer John Horgan gives a light-hearted overview of one of the most prevailing inquiries in philosophy – the nature of the relationship between mind and body. He writes: “Some philosophers, notably Colin McGinn, argue that the mind-body problem is unsolvable. Just as rats aren’t smart enough to do arithmetic, McGinn suggests, we’re not smart enough…

“The spiritual pillar for me has become the School of Practical Philosophy. I’m a regular attendee there and I suppose that has become my church.”

The School of Practical Philosophy appears to have had a profound influence on Jackman. He has attended a class every week for 20 years, wherever he is in the world. Its influence is palpable in his conversation, especially in his desire to see concrete change in world poverty.

Just as a mountain-top can provide an overview of a vast landscape, so detachment can provide the practical philosopher with a clear view of himself, his world and his relationship with the world.

Photographs of the earth from space have stimulated our questions about our place in the universe since the first earth-rise photograph was taken by an Apollo 8 astronaut in December 1968.