
What we’re about
New Acropolis is an educational charity working in the fields of philosophy, culture and volunteering. Its aim is to revive the practical and timeless aspect of philosophy as a means of individual and collective renewal and transformation. Philosophy, in its original meaning is the love of wisdom and the quest to understand the underlying principles of life. In this sense, we are all philosophers, we all have questions and we all have the intuition that there are answers to be found. Get inspired by the great philosophical ideas that have stood the test of time. Every civilization has passed on to us its knowledge and experience of the essential laws of life. A systematic and comparative study of this vast heritage enables us to discover the universal and timeless wisdom that has formed characters, shaped visions of the future and enabled men and women to meet the challenges of their time. Philosophy as a way of life is an education for head, heart and hands. It develops both the higher human potential as well as the practical skills needed to meet the challenges of today and to create a better society for the next generation.
Upcoming events (4)
See all- Seminar: Practical Philosophy for Navigating Difficult TimesNew Acropolis cultural Association , London
This is a ticketed event, advance tickets can be purchased via eventbrite here.
When we are faced with rapid changes, uncertainty and great challenges, the pursuit of philosophy can feel like a luxury we don't have time for. But it is precisely in difficult times that philosophy rises to its oldest purpose/function - as the art of living wisely amid hardship. Humanity has passed through many times of hardship and accumulated an enormous treasure of wisdom along the way. The comparative study of Eastern and Western philosophies enables us to extract the timeless wisdom that can help us make wise choices, act with integrity and find sustainable solutions to our current problems.
For this seminar, we have distilled some key concepts of the philosophies of East and West into the three 'paths' of the hero, the citizen and the sage. These three archetypes are three models for living well and each archetype provides a crucial lens through which to face both personal and collective difficulties.
- The Inner Hero embodies the courage needed for action.
- The Inner Citizen represents our responsibility to the community.
- The Inner Sage offers the wisdom to gain perspective.
Practical philosophy acts like a bridge, connecting these three archetypes with the topics of ethics, sociopolitics and philosophy of history. By integrating these three roles, we can become more resilient, responsible and wise.
Admission: £35 (£20 concessions), light refreshments included
- Introductory Evening: Philosophies of East & West 18-week CourseNew Acropolis cultural Association , London
Introductory Evening for 'Philosophies of East & West 18-week Course' which gives the opportunity to see if the course is what you are looking for before enrolling (providing places are still available). This is evening is priced £10 and tickets available via eventbrite here.
On the course places will limited to around 12 per group so if you are interested in enrolling in advance you can find out more via philosophiesofeastandwest.org and fill out an application form here.
Explore the timeless ideas that have inspired and guided humanity throughout history and discover the importance of finding greater wisdom in our lives through the practice of a living philosophy.
Philosophy means the love of wisdom, and being a philosopher essentially means having an active attitude and awareness towards life.We are all born philosophers, with a natural need to ask questions and with the intuition that there are answers to be found. Every civilisation has tried to pass on its wisdom, leaving us a vast heritage of useful knowledge and experiences to rediscover.
The course is organised in 3 parts, covering key concepts of Eastern and Western Philosophy.
### PART ONE: THE PATH OF SELF KNOWLEDGE
The first part of the course Ethics explores questions about the nature of the human being, moral principles and how to discover a positive and helpful 'inner attitude'. It is also related to happiness and the ability to connect with the best and most noble aspects of ourselves especially when facing the inevitable difficulties of life.
| Sevenfold constitution of the Human Being
| The Bhagavad-Gita and the awakening of consciousness through the inner battle
| Selected passages from the Tibetan text 'The Voice of the Silence'
| Essential concepts of Buddhist teachings
/ The teachings of Confucius and their relevance today### PART TWO: LIVING TOGETHER IN HARMONY
The second part of the course Sociopolitics focuses on discovering the conditions for harmonious co-existence with each other and the natural world. Looking for principles where everyone can flourish, we discuss roles in society, the importance of education and what the ancients understood about justice.
| Ancient Egyptian ideas about justice, life & the afterlife
| Plato’s Republic & the Myth of the Cave
| Aristotle's ideas on happiness and virtue
| Essential concepts of Stoic philosophy
| The Neoplatonic school and the encounter between Eastern & Western traditions### PART THREE: BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE
In the third and final part of the course called Philosophy of History we reflect how we are all both a product of history and also all creating history. We discuss concepts of time, the cycles of history and how myths and symbols can be a form of history. We consider our potential for becoming conscious agents of history.
| Gods of Time: Chronos & Kairos
| Memory, Identity & Objectivity
| Myths and Symbols as a form of history
| Destiny & Freedom
/ Hermetic Sciences; Astrology & AlchemyDates:
Group 1 Introductory evening - Thursday 9th October
Group 2 Introductory evening - Wednesday 15th October
Group 3 Introductory evening - Tuesday 21st October - Introductory Evening: Philosophies of East & West 18-week CourseNew Acropolis cultural Association , London
Introductory Evening for 'Philosophies of East & West 18-week Course' which gives the opportunity to see if the course is what you are looking for before enrolling (providing places are still available). This is evening is priced £10 and tickets available via eventbrite here.
On the course places will limited to around 12 per group so if you are interested in enrolling in advance you can find out more via philosophiesofeastandwest.org and fill out an application form here.
Explore the timeless ideas that have inspired and guided humanity throughout history and discover the importance of finding greater wisdom in our lives through the practice of a living philosophy.
Philosophy means the love of wisdom, and being a philosopher essentially means having an active attitude and awareness towards life.We are all born philosophers, with a natural need to ask questions and with the intuition that there are answers to be found. Every civilisation has tried to pass on its wisdom, leaving us a vast heritage of useful knowledge and experiences to rediscover.
The course is organised in 3 parts, covering key concepts of Eastern and Western Philosophy.
### PART ONE: THE PATH OF SELF KNOWLEDGE
The first part of the course Ethics explores questions about the nature of the human being, moral principles and how to discover a positive and helpful 'inner attitude'. It is also related to happiness and the ability to connect with the best and most noble aspects of ourselves especially when facing the inevitable difficulties of life.
| Sevenfold constitution of the Human Being
| The Bhagavad-Gita and the awakening of consciousness through the inner battle
| Selected passages from the Tibetan text 'The Voice of the Silence'
| Essential concepts of Buddhist teachings
/ The teachings of Confucius and their relevance today### PART TWO: LIVING TOGETHER IN HARMONY
The second part of the course Sociopolitics focuses on discovering the conditions for harmonious co-existence with each other and the natural world. Looking for principles where everyone can flourish, we discuss roles in society, the importance of education and what the ancients understood about justice.
| Ancient Egyptian ideas about justice, life & the afterlife
| Plato’s Republic & the Myth of the Cave
| Aristotle's ideas on happiness and virtue
| Essential concepts of Stoic philosophy
| The Neoplatonic school and the encounter between Eastern & Western traditions### PART THREE: BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE
In the third and final part of the course called Philosophy of History we reflect how we are all both a product of history and also all creating history. We discuss concepts of time, the cycles of history and how myths and symbols can be a form of history. We consider our potential for becoming conscious agents of history.
| Gods of Time: Chronos & Kairos
| Memory, Identity & Objectivity
| Myths and Symbols as a form of history
| Destiny & Freedom
/ Hermetic Sciences; Astrology & AlchemyDates:
Group 1 Introductory evening - Thursday 9th October
Group 2 Introductory evening - Wednesday 15th October
Group 3 Introductory evening - Tuesday 21st October - Introductory Evening: Philosophies of East & West 18-week CourseNew Acropolis cultural Association , London
Introductory Evening for 'Philosophies of East & West 18-week Course' which gives the opportunity to see if the course is what you are looking for before enrolling (providing places are still available). This is evening is priced £10 and tickets available via eventbrite here.
On the course places will limited to around 12 per group so if you are interested in enrolling in advance you can find out more via philosophiesofeastandwest.org and fill out an application form here.
Explore the timeless ideas that have inspired and guided humanity throughout history and discover the importance of finding greater wisdom in our lives through the practice of a living philosophy.
Philosophy means the love of wisdom, and being a philosopher essentially means having an active attitude and awareness towards life.We are all born philosophers, with a natural need to ask questions and with the intuition that there are answers to be found. Every civilisation has tried to pass on its wisdom, leaving us a vast heritage of useful knowledge and experiences to rediscover.
The course is organised in 3 parts, covering key concepts of Eastern and Western Philosophy.
### PART ONE: THE PATH OF SELF KNOWLEDGE
The first part of the course Ethics explores questions about the nature of the human being, moral principles and how to discover a positive and helpful 'inner attitude'. It is also related to happiness and the ability to connect with the best and most noble aspects of ourselves especially when facing the inevitable difficulties of life.
| Sevenfold constitution of the Human Being
| The Bhagavad-Gita and the awakening of consciousness through the inner battle
| Selected passages from the Tibetan text 'The Voice of the Silence'
| Essential concepts of Buddhist teachings
/ The teachings of Confucius and their relevance today### PART TWO: LIVING TOGETHER IN HARMONY
The second part of the course Sociopolitics focuses on discovering the conditions for harmonious co-existence with each other and the natural world. Looking for principles where everyone can flourish, we discuss roles in society, the importance of education and what the ancients understood about justice.
| Ancient Egyptian ideas about justice, life & the afterlife
| Plato’s Republic & the Myth of the Cave
| Aristotle's ideas on happiness and virtue
| Essential concepts of Stoic philosophy
| The Neoplatonic school and the encounter between Eastern & Western traditions### PART THREE: BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE
In the third and final part of the course called Philosophy of History we reflect how we are all both a product of history and also all creating history. We discuss concepts of time, the cycles of history and how myths and symbols can be a form of history. We consider our potential for becoming conscious agents of history.
| Gods of Time: Chronos & Kairos
| Memory, Identity & Objectivity
| Myths and Symbols as a form of history
| Destiny & Freedom
/ Hermetic Sciences; Astrology & AlchemyDates:
Group 1 Introductory evening - Thursday 9th October
Group 2 Introductory evening - Wednesday 15th October
Group 3 Introductory evening - Tuesday 21st October