Our Education programme is centred around residential modules which take place in England. We run two a year and aim to run them at cost. We take a theme or Platonic dialogue to look at. They’re open to anyone and bursaries are available. We also run open monthly sessions on the last Monday of every month in London.
Module Details
Introduction
Before you read about our in person modules below, please have a look at the Education landing page to get an idea of our approach.
On this page you’ll find the practical details of our residential modules but if after reading both pages you had any further questions, please do get in touch via the contacts at the bottom of the page. You can also subscribe to our regular newsletter via the button on this page. All upcoming events, courses and activities can be found on our Events pages.
Our Methods
At present our education programme is based upon a modular approach: we take two subjects for exploration per year – one for the autumn, and one for the spring. Each module has an introductory reading (sometimes a dialogue or text from the writings of the great Platonists, sometimes a modern textbook, and sometimes a specially written paper).
We then have three weekend seminars – the first is used as an initial exploration with particular emphasis on setting up a framework or
overview from which the subject can be expanded. The second weekend, usually around 5 to 6 weeks after the first, is the most intensive weekend – we expect our students to have spent some time at home studying and contemplating the subject for consideration and the bulk of the weekend is spent in group discussions. The third weekend is largely given over to student presentations which act as prompts to further group study. Each weekend, in addition to study sessions, has a period for formal (but relatively short) meditations and devotions, without which philosophy tends towards a merely two-dimensional rationalism rather than a profound and spiritual discipline. We also leave plenty of time for informal activities during which we find that conversations often transform seemingly small observations or questions into significant insights and moments of understanding.
Our tutors are always happy to keep up correspondence with
our students during and after a module should further ideas or questions arise, using our space on Slack.
Each module, as far as is possible, is self-contained allowing potential students to join us at the start of any module. Of course, as the modules are studied and built upon so the students’ appreciation of the subtleties of philosophy grows: we occasionally run separate study groups during our weekends allowing students of differing experience to work at an appropriate speed.
Commitment
The modules we run are our best attempt at maintaining a continuous cycle of study and contemplation on what are, by their very nature, profound subjects. This does mean that attendance at all three weekends is important – to miss one weekend, especially the first or second, will mean that the student will struggle to catch up on the areas missed. We realise that life is never as simple or as predictable as one would like, but we do ask within
reasonable limits that the commitment to a module is seen as one to attend all three weekends, as well as to home study between them. You should also note that our weekends start at 6.45 pm on Friday evenings and end at around 2 pm on Sunday afternoons – we try to make full use of the hours available to us and again wherever possible we ask our students to ensure that they arrive by the scheduled start time.
Finances
Our venue is a retreat house in Purley Chase, Warwickshire: charges for a weekend are £175 inclusive of all costs (accommodation is nominally shared bedrooms, but it is almost certain that in practice nobody will be asked to share) or £198 for single ensuite rooms: this represents only what the Trust pays the retreat house for your accommodation and meals.
The Trust comes from a tradition that does not see wisdom as something to be bought and sold, nor as a possession nor a professional qualification, and our programme is run, as nearly as possible, on a cost basis. The charges payable are set to cover accommodation and food, and our tutors do not charge for their work. Our charges are, therefore, significantly below what is normally charged for similar weekends. Where students may struggle to pay even these charges, we always try and ensure that this is not a barrier to participation, and should you find yourself in such a position, you should have no hesitation in approaching the Treasurer in confidence (treasurer@prometheustrust.co.uk) to ask for a bursary. Where students are in a position to make donations over and above the set fees, we do ask that this is given serious consideration. The Trust works hard to ensure that all donations received are put to the best possible use, and that monies put into the hands of the Trust are placed in the direct service of philosophy. The Trust is a registered charity (registration number 299648) and any gifts made to it by UK taxpayers enable the charity to reclaim tax paid.
Cancellations: fees cannot be refunded on late cancellations.
Copies of papers for each module are free to enrolled students; students may have to purchase books (which if supplied by the Trust, attract a generous discount).
Venue and schedule
We use the Purley Chase Centre for all our weekend seminars:
it is the headquarters of the Swedenborgian Church, and is situated in the
countryside near Mancetter, Warwickshire. Purley Chase Centre is a lovely building, comfortably appointed, and consists of an older building in which the (nominally) shared accommodation is situated, and a large newer extension in which the dining room and the majority of the ensuite rooms are situated. There is a well-stocked cash bar which is opened (on request) on Saturday evening; adjoining the bar is a conservatory. The grounds, where you can walk or just sit, are beautiful.
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Upcoming module
The dates for the next few years for the modules are below:
Winter/Spring 2025
18-19 January 2025
14-16 February 2025
4-6 April 2025
Autumn 2025
5-7 September 2025
24-26 October 2025
5-7 December 2025
Winter/Spring 2026
16-18 January 2026
27 February-1 March 2026
10-12 April 2026
Autumn 2026
11-13 September 2026
16-18 October 2026
4-6 December 2026
The next module starting in January 2025 will look at the Platonic dialogue, the Phaedrus. See “Upcoming Module” on this page or go here for more information. Other upcoming events are also listed below/to the side, but for our full programme, please check out our Event pages.
Upcoming Course
Winter/spring 2025
Phaedrus - the Soul as a Self-Motive Adventurer in the Divine Cosmos
“Whither are you going, my dear Phaedrus, and from whence came you?” With these words Plato opens a dialogue which might be called his manifesto of philosophy: it draws the reader in to a consideration of the fundamental question of human life, touching upon all the primary teachings of the Platonic tradition, and showing how intimately bound love and truth are in the philosophic life of the soul. The Phaedrus is the dialogue which offers Plato’s readers the widest possible frame for viewing the soul as a self-motive adventurer in the divine cosmos, touching as it does the borders of eternity and the strange coils of time.
Our studies will explore the profound ideas that lie behind the dialogue: we will look at the Platonic view of the soul as an immortal creature journeying in the realms of time; the inspirations of Apollo, Dionysus, the Muses, and Eros; our reminiscence of beautiful truths, the experience of divinity as shaping our lives; the path of philosophy as a soul to soul activity, and much more. The dialogue is around sixty pages, so we should have the opportunity to follow it in an unhurried fashion with time to dig into some of the more obscure elements of the story it tells.
Schedule:
The weekends take place 17-19 January, 14-16 February, 4-6 April 2025
Costs:
£200 (ensuite) and £175 (non ensuite) per weekend inclusive of all food/drink and fees. Bursaries are available.
Registration:
Please use the contact emails in the footer if you had more questions after reading this page and the Education landing page. Bookings close 20 December 2024. Please complete a booking form by following this link.
Upcoming Events
Providence, Fate – where does the soul fit? - an advanced online course
Phaedrus - the Soul as a Self-Motive Adventurer in the Divine Cosmos - a residential course