School of Philosophy, Oxford

Come and join one of our great courses and meet some great people! Get wise!!

See in the weekend with another offering from the Waterperry Opera Festival!🤩 Dive into the haunting tale of Benjamin Britten's opera, The Turn of the Screw, a gripping story of mystery and suspense in the perfect space for Britten's masterpiece: our intimate and unique amphitheatre stage.
For tickets and more information: https://waterperryoperafestival-tickets.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173645276

The Waterperry Opera Festival 2024 is currently in full swing!🤩
No plans for tomorrow night? The Barber of Seville | Thursday 15th August | 6.30 pm
Alternatively, join us for the final show on Saturday 17th August 6.30pm. For tickets and more information: https://waterperryoperafestival-tickets.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173645280

As the 2024 Paris Olympics draw to a close, here's a fitting quote from Epictetus. One of the great Stoic philosophers of Ancient Greece, it pays homage to the immense skill, dedication and passion of athletes throughout millennia:

You want to win at the Olympics? So do I – who doesn’t? It’s a glorious achievement; but reflect on what’s entailed both now and later on before committing to it. You have to submit to discipline, maintain a strict diet, abstain from rich foods, exercise under compulsion at set times in weather hot and cold, refrain from drinking water or wine whenever you want – in short, you have to hand yourself over to your trainer as if he were your doctor. . . and then there are times when you will dislocate your wrist, turn your ankle . . . and end up losing all the same.

Consider all this, and if you still want to, then give athletics a go. If you don’t pause to think, though, you’ll end up doing what children do, playing at wrestler one minute, then gladiator, then actor, then musician. And you – you’re an athlete now, next a gladiator, an orator, a philosopher – but nothing with all your heart . . .

It was a great pleasure to host Swami Sarvapriyananda and Diane Crafford at Waterperry House yesterday. Good to connect with the Vedanta Society of New York

Thanks for joining us

Waterperry House Open weekend🤩
Sat, 31st August @10:00 am - Sun, 1st September @5:30 pm
A chance to meet the owners of Waterperry Estate, the School of Philosophy and Economic Science. Varied selection of lectures, talks and tours throughout the ‘open house’ weekend.
There will also be opportunities to have guided tours of the Frescoes and other areas of the house throughout the day in addition to tours of the ice house. Join us for sample sessions in guided meditation, the magic of vedic maths, Plato study groups, and Marsilo Ficino talks.

No pre-booking required!

Booking is now open for this year's...
**Summer Evenings programme**☀🌙⭐
Thursdays from 01 August (online and at 11 Mandeville Place, London)
An enriching selection of interactive philosophic presentations, to stimulate and delight.
Starting with a concert at Mandeville Place on Thursday 01 August, the programme of lectures will cover such diverse subjects as Florence Nightingale, Common Law, and Hamlet.
See the programme & book your tickets! https://schoolofphilosophy.org/products/summer-evenings-2024

One for the calendar.... **Summer Garden Trail**🍧🌻🌳
Wed, 24th July @10:00 am - Sun, 1st September 5.30 PM
Orienteering family fun during the summer holidays from 24 July through to the 1 September. Enjoy exploring the ornamental gardens, using directions and clues to follow the sculpture trail! £4.50 per child with a prize (compass supplied!), tickets available from the Gift Barn, pre-booking not required.

**Starting TODAY**🎨🪇 Craft In Focus is making a spectacular comeback to Waterperry Gardens with not one, but two fantastic events this year – the Celebrating Ceramics Festival and the Desire Jewellery and Silversmithing Fair.
Come meet, engage with and purchase from over 200 talented exhibitors on the lawns in front of Waterperry House. Visit the 'What’s On' page on www.waterperrygardens.co.uk for more information and booking details.

Last chance! *Grand Finale* of this beautiful production of Twelfth Night... spend the evening of July 14th in the Great Garden of New Place

**Shining a Light**....on the professional talents of our Philosophers!

For those with an interest or passion for theatre, our very own
💥NOEL DOLLIMORE💥 will be starring in a production of Twelfth Night, 3 – 6 July at the Bear Pit Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. This production has a special finale with an outdoor performance on July 14th in the Great Garden of New Place, where Shakespeare lived in his later years.

For more information and to book: https://secondthoughts.org.uk/coming-soon/

Great to see £'s raised for nursing charities over 50 years with our help. 2 times/days a year we donate the Waterperry garden entry fees to the national garden scheme which raises money for charity. We’ve done it for 50 years now. Visit Waterperry soon - it's looking amazing.

Our latest blog, Peaceweaver - Æthelflæd, daughter of Alfred the Great, is available to read now!
https://schoolofphilosophy.org/blogs/philosophy-blog