TV Schedule

'School of Life': Artists, writers and intellectuals launch open London 'university'

  2. News and Politics
    Art and Style
  3. JanaPokana
  4. related topics
Image...
A new 'university' was launched in London, designed to help busy people appreciate the finer things in life, like art, books and travel.

The 'School of Life' is led by a group of artists, writers and intellectuals and based in a small shop in Bloomsbury, central London. It describes itself as a "chemist for the mind" that plans to dispense "cultural solutions to everyday ailments".

"The School of Life is open to everyone seeking intellectual and personal adventure," the school says on its website. "Our audiences, like our faculty, are characterized by curiosity, sociability, open-mindedness and an appetite for life."

The school has a large freelance faculty, including philosopher Alain de Botton and Sophie Howarth, a former curator at London's Tate Modern gallery. Faculty members are "willing to meet with you for an hour of chat in exchange for a small fee," the website explains.

Later this year, first six-week courses will be offered. These include instruction in life, love, work, family and politics. "We draw on ideas from philosophy, psychoanalysis, literature and art. We discover what the likes of Plato, Shakespeare, Tolstoy and Freud had to say about compassion, empathy and self-love," the instructors promise. Each course costs 195 pounds ($390).

Are you ready to join the School of Life or do you think this is just nonsense?
JanaPokana

8 responses // 'School of Life': Artists, writers and intellectuals launch open London 'university'

  •  

    Sounds like a profit machine.
    If they were really interested in bettering lives it seems like they would make it feasible for all income brackets to attend. I couldn't pay that much for a course outside of college.

    Kiri
  •  

    The courses are not THAT expensive, but the culture vulture can always go to the countless free museums and events in London.

    And doesn't the name "School of Life" sound a bit pretentious?

    saverio
  •  

    Sounds like they'd teach a bit of rhetoric. I like it, it reminds me of the mystery schools in the old days. A reasonable price is mandatory of course, considering there is no social advancement gained aside from a shinier resume.

    philosolapis
  •  

    Its a little unfortunate that people need a class to help them get in touch with the finer points of life, especially in a culturally rich city like london

    mookster_07
  •  

    i like the Raphael pic . london is not athens , and the stated purpose of this thing sounds like more dumbed down new-age shit . sorry . i've met a few curators from the Tate , and most were just as nerdy and air-headed as any other moron , anywhere , with no love life worth speaking of .

    malathion
  •  

    What you call new age "shit" is actually older than any religion out there, is universal, completely natural, and has been around in every civilization and age. The physical is temporary. This would be wise to absorb. Also, my wife loves it when i talk about things like that. ;)

    philosolapis
  •  

    lapis philosophorum - do beware of the whole "mono-myth " Joseph Campbell school of thought mate - there is a good bit of ethnography which gets looked over as everyone's making up meta-narratives (mono-myths ) which they hope will neatly sum up "universals" ( name your variety ) . the symbol does not stand alone .

    malathion
  •  

    everyone and anyone always misses out on a lesson of fine art, or on intellectuals.....
    now-a-days there's more and more less morals due to that....
    'art' as many call it now-a-days, for me, is dying .....
    i think its a great idea!
    and money? i think it should be free as well
    everyone SHOULD learn about our past creators

    ines

Add your response

Login/Registration is required to add a response