WHO WE ARE

OUR
MISSION

The School of Practical Philosophy in California is a center of spiritual and practical knowledge and enquiry. Our aim is to help individuals lead a fuller, richer and more useful life and to evolve the spiritual aspect of their being in accordance with natural laws.

The courses treat philosophy as a personal and practical attitude to life and its opportunities, enabling us to develop a more profound understanding of ourselves. We offer a systematic curriculum, which is experiential and not academic, and is inspired by the universal teachings of great thinkers from both the East and West.

Charter

The School of Practical Philosophy, a non-profit educational corporation chartered by the Regents of the University of the State of New York, enjoys tax-exempt status as a Section 501(c)3 organization pursuant to the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.

We welcome students of all races and national or ethnic origins.

The school was originally founded in London in 1937 and now has over seventy affiliate centers worldwide.

The School of Practical Philosophy in California is affiliated to the School of Practical Philosophy in New York City. The California branch started in 2004 and is a member of a global family of schools dedicated to the study of profound principles for a deeper experience of life.

Our primary aim is to provide a systematic curriculum and practical guidance for anyone who wishes to embark on the journey toward self-realization, awareness and contentment.

Watch the video A SEARCH FOR TRUTH

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Inspired by the universal teachings of the East and West

The school’s curriculum is inspired by the great universal teachings of the East and West, in particular: Advaita Vedanta (the philosophy of non-duality), the works of Plato and his Florentine follower Marsilio Ficino, American transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson, Shakespeare, Rumi and all thinkers who speak of an underlying unity and joy in all things.

Practical Philosophy courses have been offered in the US since 1964.

The School of Practical Philosophy opened its first United States center in 1964 in New York City. Today there are also branches in Boston, Rochester, New Jersey, Albany, Arizona, California and Florida.

Practical Philosophy courses are offered multiple times a year in all of our centers.

For those students who choose to continue their study beyond the first few terms, a simple system of meditation is offered to promote inner peace and stillness of mind.

OUR TUTORS

The school is staffed and cared for by our own students on a purely voluntary basis, without remuneration. Our tutors are all students of the school who have studied their subject for many years.