People have often asked me why I quit Academia. Below is an excerpt from my first lecture of the Philosophy as the Art of Living course that explains some of it: In 2021 I quit my academic position at a university in London. I had had enough of seeing young students come in with great aspirations, with deep existential questions about life and the metaphysics of the universe only to see them either quit studying philosophy altogether or be turned into academic automata. Ironically, one course...
3 days ago • 3 min read
When I conceptualised Philosophy as the Art of Living I wanted to create a course that is true philosophy. The kind of philosophy you'd expect beyond scholarly jargon and fruitless academic debates. The kind of philosophy that is life-affirming and embellishing. But don't take my word for it. Here is what one of my students says: "I'm throughly enjoying this course, aside from the extremely generous pricing, it's a great way to engage with philosophy in a pressure free way when I need a break...
4 days ago • 1 min read
Hi there, Sorry for the mishap. We sent out an email that included links that didn't work. This should be the correct link https://halkyonacademy.com/p/philosophy-as-the-art-of-living to the course enrolment page. Hope to see you inside! The day is come my friends. My new course Philosophy as the Art of Living is now open for enrolment! Here is the link to enrol. In the making for many years the time felt right to complete the lectures and record them in Florence, the capital of the...
10 days ago • 1 min read
The day is come my friends. My new course Philosophy as the Art of Living is now open for enrolment! Here is the link to enrol. In the making for many years the time felt right to complete the lectures and record them in Florence, the capital of the Renaissance. The course brings together some of the greatest minds of 2500 years of European history of ideas guided by one question: how can we live the good life? The result is seven lectures that playfully introduce you not only to some of the...
10 days ago • 1 min read
There seems to be great interest in my new course Philosophy as the Art of Living. Hundreds have downloaded the course syllabus. And many of you have emailed me to inquire when the course will be available for enrolment. I'm happy to share that I can now confirm the course will open for enrolment next week. The title of the course is inspired by Cicero who refers to philosophy as ars vitae: The art of life. Philosophy concerns all of life and especially ethics, how we live together well. In...
11 days ago • 1 min read
I notice that Autumn is more the season of the soul than of nature. - Friedrich Nietzsche The Halkyon Gates Are Closing As the year draws to a close we are preparing the launch of our new course Philosophy as the Art of Living. The course will be out in a couple of weeks. At around the same time, all our other courses will close for enrolment. Every year, autumn invites us to reflect and end the year so that in winter can open something new can begin to grow. This is the old rhythm of study:...
17 days ago • 1 min read
I just returned from a weekend in Florence where I recorded the lectures for my new course on Philosophy as the Art of Living. I had been thinking about a course like this at least since my days at a London university where I taught a course of that same name, but where, alas!, the curriculum did not teach students how to live the good life. The course was just another broad introductory course to the history of philosophy with a fancier title. The curriculum was set by the department. But...
18 days ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, This is a final note to let you know that registration for Heidegger’s Thinking Path bundle concludes this weekend. Heidegger famously wrote that "every thing has its time." In a culture that defaults to noise, technical efficiency, and endless distraction, taking the time to step back and examine the foundations of our existence remains a rare and essential pursuit. If you wish to deepen your understanding of Heidegger's core insights—from the question of Being and the critique...
22 days ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, A brief note to let you know that the current enrollment window for Heidegger’s Thinking Path bundle closes this weekend. If you have been intending to join us, this is the remaining opportunity to access the entire 5-course collection at the bundled rate—saving over 50% compared to individual enrollment. The Complete Collection Includes: Heidegger on Being and Death — An exploration of Dasein, mortality, and the question of Being. Being and Time Masterclass — A comprehensive...
23 days ago • 1 min read