Philosophy Classes in NYC, New York

Forgiveness and the Unforgivable: Religion, Literature, Philosophy What constitutes an apology? Are certain kinds of acts unforgivable—and, if so, why? Who, indeed, has the power to forgive? In this course, we’ll set these questions in historical context, beginning with Bishop Joseph Butler’s eighteenth-century sermons, then exploring discussions...

Jacques Lacan always insisted that he was a thoroughgoing Freudian—perhaps the most orthodox Freudian of them all. A larger-than-life provocateur, Lacan’s oracular lectures and clinical innovations (including the notorious “short session”) ultimately led to his excommunication from the International Psychoanalytic Association. Yet, despite...

“For the philosopher,” writes Walter Benjamin in The Arcades Project, “the most interesting thing about fashion is its extraordinary anticipations.” In other words, fashion is, in itself, an avant-garde: it shows us what the world will be like before that world has fully arrived. Its uncanny relation to the new is by no means the only...

A unique learning experience with the goal of creating and supporting a community ready to embrace end of life with intelligence, warmth, and humor. The Long Before The End Book Group is a moderated discussion gathering where members explore death as the protagonist, minor actor, or overarching plotline in contemporary fictional narratives. We do...

Explore the philosophy and history of the organic method, the biological principles upon which it is based, and the practical techniques used to implement it. This course will cover a broad number of topics including how to build and maintain soil health, encourage biodiversity, use resources such as water and energy responsibly, and avoid using chemicals....

China’s 2025 technology program and One Belt, One Road initiative underscores her ambitions for hegemony.  Yet, as China takes its place in the modern world, it faces immense difficulties: a growing inequality gap, widespread corruption and rampant pollution, all of which provoke mounting calls for political reform. The presentation will...

Balance your mood and boost your morale with the help of practical tips and yogic philosophy for mood elevation and regaining purpose, perspective, and more peace in your work, relationships, and recreation.

This course is an introduction to social responsibility and its relationship to environmental responsibility, sustainability, transparency, accountability and human rights.  Explore the challenges, risks, and successes of company corporate social responsibility departments and the key stakeholders for responsible manufacturing. Learn how to...

The Anarchist Emma Goldman said, “If I can’t dance to it, it’s not my revolution.” Kick up your heels and join us for a tour of the neighborhood that shaped her freewheeling philosophy. As we wind our way between 14th Street and Houston Street, we’ll uncover the area’s rebellious past. Along the way, we’ll meet the Rebel Girl and the...

To mark the centennial of the start of the Harlem Renaissance, the flowering of creativity that transformed African-American arts and culture in the 1920s and '30s, Jeffrey C. Stewart discusses The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke, his Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Alain LeRoy Locke (1885-1954). Known as the "father" of the Harlem Renaissance,...

The Core Mat I program is the foundation of the Power Pilates method. Each subsequent program builds upon the information learned during this course. During this weekend you will learn to teach the 18 beginner level mat exercises and be introduced to Power Pilates teaching tools, philosophy, and teaching formula.  Every student new to Power Pilates...

In the Latin edition of Baruch Spinoza’s magnum opus, the Ethics, he writes, “That eternal and infinite being we call God, or Nature, acts from the same necessity from which he exists.” This formula – Deus sive Natura, God or Nature – is the cornerstone of a radical new philosophy that Spinoza fashioned in the wake of Descartes’ mind-body...

The tarot is a powerful symbolic system whose images express mystical ideas from the Platonic, Pythagorean, and Hermetic traditions. Once one grasps the tarot’s philosophy and structure, the cards can be used as an intuitive device to connect with one’s inner wisdom.  In this class we will study the symbolism of the tarot as its Italian Renaissance...

German Idealism was one of the most fruitful, prolific and influential periods in the history of western philosophy, the rival of Athens in the 4th century BC. Driven by a group of young intellectuals—philosophers, theologians, poets—inspired by both the political revolution in France and the philosophical revolution of Kant’s “transcendental...

You will learn the Shorinji Kempo techniques that are rationally designed to exploit the principles of body mechanics, physiology, and psychology so that anyone can do them. Shorinji Kempo is a method of self-defense that anyone, regardless of gender or age, can learn. The syllabus of Shorinji Kempo is divided into two main parts: Goho (hard system)...