Study With Us
Spirited Discussion
Deep intellectual exploration for all. Lichfield Institute hosts:
1) Reading seminars exploring the finest wisdom literature ever written.
2) Discussion seminars around the most important perennial and contemporary questions.
All seminars are conducted in an open Socratic fashion. There are no textbooks. There are no lectures. Seminars revolve around open conversation guided by tutors who assist students in the work of reading, analyzing, and evaluating wisdom literature. Students develop the lost tools of inquiry and argument in critically reading and analyzing texts.
We invite people from all walks of life to join our community of learning. Our offerings are available to all adults 18 years or older from all educational backgrounds and walks of life. In reviewing applications to study with us, we look for enthusiasm and fit for an independent and collaborative style of learning. Each seminar runs for 12 weeks and costs $150.
Features:
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No prior academic experience required
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100% online with interactive & lively discussion
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Shareable certification of completion to showcase your skills
Summer 2024 Offerings
Registration for our Summer 2024 session is now open. Registration deadline for the summer session is June 3, 2024.
Please review our Summer offerings below and note the Course ID of any courses in which you would like to participate. To apply to participate in one of our courses, please fill out the short form below!
Seminars run for 12 weeks. Meetings are held virtually every week from 12PM to 1:30PM (PST).
Reading Seminars
R1: Henry David Thoreau, Life Without Principle & Walden
R2: Jane Austen, Emma
R3: Leo Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilyich
R4: Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse
R5: Carl Jung, Two Essays on Analytical Psychology
R6: Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
R7: Erich Fromm, The Sane Society
R8: G.K. Chesterton, Selected Essays
R9: Lady Hyegyeong: The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong
R10: William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience
R11: The four confessions: St. Augustine, Al-Ghazali, Rousseau, Tolstoy
R12: Farid ud-Din Attar, The Conference of the Birds
Discussion Seminars
D1: Which religion is the closest to truth?
Guest lecturer from University of Melbourne
D2: How does economics influence culture and morality?
Guest lecturer from University of California, Santa Barbara
D3: Which political-ethical system leads to the most humane society?
Guest lecturer from Johns Hopkins University
D4: Which path to transcendence: religion, spirituality, philosophy, naturalism?
Guest lecturer from George Mason University
Credential Award
Credential Award
Participants will receive a Certification of Completion, issued electronically, upon successful completion of the reading or discussion seminar. The certification can be shared in future job applications, graduate school applications, or shared on professional platforms such as LinkedIn.
Lichfield Alumni Group
Upon program completion, you'll receive an invitation to join the Lichfield Institute Alumni group. This provides a platform for ongoing connection with your cohort and the wider Lichfield community of writers, readers, artists and academics.
What's Your Best Email?
(where we can send you course updates and literary giveaways)