Philosophy Courses

School of Philosophy in the Classical Tradition

At the heart of the activities of New Acropolis is its School of Philosophy, which we understand as a way of life, that is, as a means of access to spiritual knowledge and to individual and collective realization.

This School of Philosophy has a Program of Studies which is common to all countries and is taught in successive levels. It provides an updated version of the traditional knowledge of East and West, which, in accordance with classical humanism, combines the study of sciences, arts, religions and philosophies in a comparative way.

Introduction Program

I.O.N.A. offers its program of Introduction to Philosophy through courses aimed at disseminating knowledge about the major schools of philosophy. With its emphasis on the practical application of those teachings, it aims to introduce a new approach, which integrates Eastern and Western thought and all the civilizations of the world and promotes a social commitment to our own times.  

Introduction to the compared Philosophy of East and West

1. Natural Philosophy. Learning the art of living.
2. The Human Being and Cosmos. The seven principles of Nature.
3. The wisdom of ancient India. The Bhagavad-Gita: the awakening of consciousness and the inner battle.
4. Teachings from Tibet. Ancient texts: “The Voice of the Silence” and “The Book of the Golden Precepts”.
5. Buddhist philosophy. Life and teachings of Buddha. The Dhammapada.
6. Chinese wisdom. Confucius: ethics as the foundation of social order. Lao Tse and the achievement of harmony.
7. Egypt. Ideas about life and the afterlife. Texts and teachings of Ptahotep, Ani, etc.
8. Greece, the great philosophers.
   • Plato: Justice and freedom. The myth of the cave.
   • Aristotle: Ethical values and the search for happiness.
9. Rome, Stoic philosophy.
   • Epictetus, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius. Courage and strength in the face of adversity. Inner freedom and power over oneself.
10. The Neoplatonic school. Plotinus. The three approaches to wisdom: beauty, music and philosophy.
11. The human being and society. Factors that promote social harmony.
12. The human being and history. Antiquity of humanity. Historical cycles. Inner youth. Can we change the world?
13. Practical psychology exercises. Attention, memory, imagination.

Advanced Courses

• PSYCHOLOGY. A synthesis of the knowledge about psychology held by the ancient and classical civilizations, gathered from the broad spectrum of philosophy. As love of knowledge, philosophy has always been concerned with the knowledge of the human being.
• EASTERN AND WESTERN WISDOM (two levels). Compendium of subjects revolving around the universe, life and the human being, approached from the traditions of wisdom in East and West, and their implications for the postulates of current science.
• SYMBOLOGY OF CIVILIZATIONS. Comparative study and analysis of the myths and symbols of religions and civilizations.
• APPLIED PHILOSOPHY AND ETHICS. An overview of the major schools of moral philosophy of East and West.
• SOCIOPOLITICS. A philosophical approach to improving our society. ORATORY (two levels) Our aim is to recover the art of public speaking - effective communication through oral expression.
• HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY (four levels). An in-depth study of philosophical theories throughout history, analyzing their context and influence.
• HISTORY OF RELIGIONS. A comparative study of the theological messages of the religions which, in all ages, have raised the consciousness of humanity.
• ANTHROPOGENESIS
• COSMOGENESIS
• ASTROLOGY
• PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
• METAPHYSICAL AESTHETICS
• OTHER SUBJECTS.