AWAKEN YOUR INNER WISDOM

Deepen your sense of meaning and purpose by attending a course that explores the practical benefits of philosophy.

Practical Philosophy Australia (est. 1967) is a not-for-profit school offering both in-person and online courses in an interactive environment.

Our lively courses examine how wisdom teachings of the East and West can provide you with real-world solutions to some of life’s challenges, as well as practical tools and techniques for experiencing a more sustainable happiness.

To get started, enrol in our FREE introductory course The Wisdom Within

FIND OUT MORE

EVER WONDERED...

How life became so complicated?
If happiness lies beyond the seeking of material possessions?
If there is something more to life?
If it is time for a new way of thinking?

"I'm perpetually curious and interested in what it means to live deeply, meaningfully, graciously and lovingly; and I seek out ways to expand my understanding and practice of living well. I saw 'The Wisdom Within' on Instagram and followed through."

- Student of Wisdom Within 2022

WOULD YOU LIKE TO...

  Simplify and clarify your decision-making?

  Free yourself from habitual thinking and action?

  Learn practices that bring your mind to stillness?

  Better deal with stress and overwhelm?

  Join a group to consider the deeper questions in life?

  Strengthen your fortitude and conviction?

At the School of Practical Philosophy we seek to inspire the community to engage with the wisdom of philosophy as a way of living a true and happy life.

Our courses will help you explore the practical benefits of philosophy and ignite a different way of thinking about the world you live in, about how you approach the challenges and appreciate the joys that come your way, and about your relationships with the people around you.

We invite you to test out history’s great philosophical teachings in the context of your own life experience, through course material that's been refined over 50 years.

ENROL NOW

"This is the single most important thing I have done for my development since university. Do it when the time is right."

- Student of Wisdom Within 2022

OUR INTRODUCTORY COURSE

START YOUR JOURNEY BY ENROLING IN "THE WISDOM WITHIN", OUR FREE, 10-WEEK INTRODUCTORY COURSE AVAILABLE BOTH IN PERSON OR ONLINE.

'The Wisdom Within' makes philosophy relevant and practical to our modern lives by introducing you to time-honoured philosophical concepts, developing them into techniques and real-world solutions to counter life’s seemingly endless challenges.

The course explores where true wisdom is found and asks what holds us back? What sets us free? It aims to guide you to a greater understanding of yourself, your states of awareness and how justice is relevant to a meaningful life.

You will be introduced to practices that will improve your ability to be present to everyday moments with an increased sense of purpose.

TERM COMMENCES 29 MAY 2023

ENROL NOW

JOIN A COURSE AND TAKE TIME OUT FOR YOURSELF TO EXPLORE
TOPICS LIKE HAPPINESS, LOVE, WISDOM, FREEDOM, AND JUSTICE.

VIEW ONLINE OR FACE-TO-FACE OPTIONS

"Studying philosophy gives me a time each week to focus on me and making my experience of this life more fulfilling and meaningful."

- Student of Wisdom Within 2022

IT'S PHILOSOPHY FOR EVERYONE

DESIGNED FOR ALL, THE APPROACH IS PRACTICAL RATHER THAN ACADEMIC. THERE ARE NO PRE-REQUISITES AND NO EXAMS TO PASS.

All that is needed is a thoughtful approach to life, a desire to know more, to experience greater happiness and to discover the practical means to fulfillment.

Philosophical enquiry and study in the School is directed towards the understanding of the unity that underlies everyone and everything. This philosophy is known as Advaita Vedanta.

As companions on this exploration, we discuss concepts and ideas put forward by some of the greatest minds including Socrates, Plato, Confucius, Buddha, Epicurus, Emerson, Vivekananda and a modern exponent of the philosophy of Unity, Shantananda Saraswati.

COST: $150.00 PER PERSON

Attend all 10 sessions over 10 weeks for just $150.00 per person this coming term.

Our schools around Australia operate as not-for-profit organisations, as such we do not operate under the principal of generating profit and exist to serve the community. As a result, we are able to offer our introductory course The Wisdom Within at this very reasonable fee.

ENROL NOW

"A big thank you for offering the Wisdom Within course online for free - I look forward to my sessions each week, have built a network with fellow students and I look forward to continuing my study with the School"

- Student of Wisdom Within 2022

COURSE OVERVIEW

The Wisdom Within - Our Free Introductory Course

  10 week course

  Attend Face-to-Face or Online

  Meet once a week for 90 minutes (online) or 2.5hrs (Face-to-Face)

  Guided by a dedicated tutor

  Just $150.00 per person this term

  Term commences 29 May 2023

The classes are not lectures. During each session you'll have the opportunity to interact with the tutor as well as your fellow students.

You will be in the good company of like-minded people from diverse backgrounds.

You will leave each class with time-tested principles and practices to apply in daily living and a toolbox of skills informed by the wisdom of the great philosophers.

ENROL NOW

INTAKE DATES

Courses commence 3 times a year:

Term 1 - 6 February 2023

Term 2 - 29 May 2023

Term 3 - 11 September 2023

"It's a wonderful introduction to a new way of thinking. Provides time and space to reflect and learn about yourself and your life."

- Student of Wisdom Within 2021

COURSE CONTENT

What is practical philosophy?
‘What would a wise person do here?’
Philosophy means the love of wisdom.

Who or what am I? What is my potential? Who am I, really? My body? My emotions? My strongly held beliefs? My soul? Possibly all of these? Possibly none?

What is our state of awareness?
Why does it fluctuate during the day?
Often the most notable quality of wise people is their alertness to the subtleties of a situation.

We review our own experience of attention through a model featuring attention centred, captured, open and scattered, and how these each relate to the past, present and future.

Plato’s views on justice. What does it mean to live justly? According to Plato, justice and injustice do not start ‘out there’. They begin within us.

What is energy? Can it be created and conserved? We consider the Vedic model of three fundamental substances or energies.

What is reason? How can it enrich our lives? We look at the philosopher Shankara’s notion that reason is the ability to discern the transient from the eternal, the changing from the unchanging.

What is beauty? Is there such a thing as absolute beauty?
Beauty has the capacity to open the heart and bring delight. In this session we discuss our direct experience of beauty in its different forms.

Is there a common thread running through all things? What is the effect of finding unity? When we look around at nature, we see diversity beyond imagination.

Practical philosophy is about discovering the truth of things – not theoretically, but in our own experience. In this final session we look back and ask ourselves how our search for truth has fared as the term has progressed.

DOWNLOAD COURSE OUTLINE

"The course supports a deep exploration of self and our place in the world and helps in our understanding of the self and to journey towards being the best version of ourselves."

- Student of Wisdom Within 2020

HOW TO ENROL

CHOOSE ONLINE OR FACE-TO-FACE.

ALL OUR COURSES ARE LIVE, INTERACTIVE AND CONDUCTED BY A DEDICATED TUTOR FOR THE DURATION OF THE COURSE.

FACE-TO-FACE LOCATIONS

Our bricks and mortar schools in each state, whilst all being affiliated to our global network, are all independently operated. Course pricing for the face-to-face courses may vary from school to school. Please see the individual school websites via the links below for course pricing at your local school.

PPA_LocationsMahratta

NSW / ACT

Tuesdays 6:30pm - Sydney CBD
Wednesdays 6:15pm - Sydney CBD
Wednesdays 9:30am - Wahroonga
Thursdays 7:00pm - Wahroonga

ACT
Wednesdays 7:00pm - Deakin

Term commences the week beginning May 29

Follow this link to enrol

QUEENSLAND

Wednesdays 7:00 pm - Milton
Thursdays 7:00 pm - Milton

Term commences the week beginning May 29

Follow this link to enrol

PPA_LocationsBrisbane
PPA_LocationsCurrambine

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

The entire 10 week course is being offered free and also includes a morning weekend workshop. Each session goes for approximately 2.5 hours, including a break for refreshments.

Tuesdays 7:00pm - South Perth
Saturdays 9:00am - Burswood

Term commences the week beginning May 29

Follow this link to enrol

VICTORIA

Please visit the Melbourne School website for further information about face to face courses.

Please note: Our national bricks and mortar schools are independent organisations, and the fees charged for courses may vary from state to state.

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ONLINE OPTIONS

  • 29
    May

    THE WISDOM WITHIN

    Mondays 7pm AEST (5pm AWST)
    Session information
    Sessions
    Session 1
    Mon 29 May 19:00 - Mon 29 May 20:30
    Zoom online
    Session 2
    Mon 05 Jun 19:00 - Mon 05 Jun 20:30
    Zoom online
    Session 3
    Mon 12 Jun 19:00 - Mon 12 Jun 20:30
    Zoom online
    Session 4
    Mon 19 Jun 19:00 - Mon 19 Jun 20:30
    Zoom online
    Session 5
    Mon 26 Jun 19:00 - Mon 26 Jun 20:30
    Zoom online
    Session 6
    Mon 03 Jul 19:00 - Mon 03 Jul 20:30
    Zoom online
    Session 7
    Mon 10 Jul 19:00 - Mon 10 Jul 20:30
    Zoom online
    Session 8
    Mon 17 Jul 19:00 - Mon 17 Jul 20:30
    Zoom online
    Session 9
    Mon 24 Jul 19:00 - Mon 24 Jul 20:30
    Zoom online
    Session 10
    Mon 31 Jul 19:00 - Mon 31 Jul 20:30
    Zoom online
    • $150.00 incl. GST
    Register
  • 30
    May

    THE WISDOM WITHIN

    Tuesdays 11am AEST (9am AWST)
    Session information
    Sessions
    Session 1
    Tue 30 May 11:00 - Tue 30 May 12:30
    Australia
    Session 2
    Tue 06 Jun 11:00 - Tue 06 Jun 12:30
    Australia
    Session 3
    Tue 13 Jun 11:00 - Tue 13 Jun 12:30
    Australia
    Session 4
    Tue 20 Jun 11:00 - Tue 20 Jun 12:30
    Australia
    Session 5
    Tue 27 Jun 11:00 - Tue 27 Jun 12:30
    Australia
    Session 6
    Tue 04 Jul 11:00 - Tue 04 Jul 12:30
    Australia
    Session 7
    Tue 11 Jul 11:00 - Tue 11 Jul 12:30
    Australia
    Session 8
    Tue 18 Jul 11:00 - Tue 18 Jul 12:30
    Australia
    Session 9
    Tue 25 Jul 11:00 - Tue 25 Jul 12:30
    Australia
    Session 10
    Tue 01 Aug 11:00 - Tue 01 Aug 12:30
    Australia
    • $150.00 incl. GST
    Register
  • 31
    May

    THE WISDOM WITHIN

    Wednesdays 8pm AEST (6pm AWST)
    Session information
    Sessions
    Session 1
    Wed 31 May 20:00 - Wed 31 May 21:30
    Practical Philosophy Australia
    Session 2
    Wed 07 Jun 20:00 - Wed 07 Jun 21:30
    Practical Philosophy Australia
    Session 3
    Wed 14 Jun 20:00 - Wed 14 Jun 21:30
    Practical Philosophy Australia
    Session 4
    Wed 21 Jun 20:00 - Wed 21 Jun 21:30
    Practical Philosophy Australia
    Session 5
    Wed 28 Jun 20:00 - Wed 28 Jun 21:30
    Practical Philosophy Australia
    Session 6
    Wed 05 Jul 20:00 - Wed 05 Jul 21:30
    Practical Philosophy Australia
    Session 7
    Wed 12 Jul 20:00 - Wed 12 Jul 21:30
    Practical Philosophy Australia
    Session 8
    Wed 19 Jul 20:00 - Wed 19 Jul 21:30
    Practical Philosophy Australia
    Session 9
    Wed 26 Jul 20:00 - Wed 26 Jul 21:30
    Practical Philosophy Australia
    Session 10
    Wed 02 Aug 20:00 - Wed 02 Aug 21:30
    Practical Philosophy Australia
    • $150.00 incl. GST
    Register

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