At a Glance
- Classroom course (South Kensington)
- Wednesdays 18:00-20:00
- 10 weeks | January - March
- Starts 8 January 2025
- Fees from £144
- Tutor: Cristina Paterno
Enrol-by Date
31 December 2025
This course, led by Cristina Paterno, offers an opportunity to explore human wellbeing using the insights of ancient philosophical thinkers. Connecting historical concepts with modern-day experiences, the course aims to promote critical thinking and to provide ample opportunities for participants to engage in debates and self-reflection.
During the course we will discover significant philosophical concepts of wellbeing from both Western and Eastern perspectives, focusing mainly on the ideas of Aristotle and Buddha.
Through Aristotle we will consider the notion of virtue, wellbeing, 'eudaimonia', and the art of living well.
Through Buddha we will think about ideas of happiness and suffering, learn about the Four Noble Truths, the Middle Path and forms of meditation. We will also compare these two perspectives through classroom discussion and practical evaluation.
The course will be enriched with interactive activities, hands-on tasks and group work, fostering a collaborative learning environment designed to help introduce and reinforce key concepts. You will also have opportunities to discuss various ethical issues and to share insights, ask questions and explore diverse perspectives.
Beginners welcome, as are those with some previous experience in philosophy.
Class Recordings
These classes are not recorded
Attendance Certificate
Successful completion of this course leads to the award of an Imperial College attendance certificate
Terms and conditions apply to all enrolments to this course. Please read them before enrolment
Course Information
- Course Programme
- Your Tutor
- Course Fees and Rate Categories
- Term Dates 2024-25
- Enrolment Process
- Any Questions?
By the end of the course you will have:
- explored Aristotle’s concept of happiness and virtue theory;
- explored Buddha’s main philosophical principles;
- developed a clear understanding of the concept of well-being throughout history;
- understood and be confident using specialised terminology and philosophical language relevant to the course
Texts such as excerpts from the Nicomachean Ethics and sutras will be provided. Reading suggestions will be moderate and don’t apply to each session.
Cristina Paterno's passion for philosophy and languages is reflected in her teaching style, which is engaging and transformative. She employs interactive strategies tailored to accommodate diverse learning styles. Her expertise lies in classical and modern philosophy, with a particular focus on metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and political philosophy.
In the realm of languages, she is particularly interested in the history of the Italian language and the development of the Communicative Language Teaching approach (CLT). Her latest research explores the debate about metacognition as either implicit or explicit strategy instruction in teaching modern foreign languages (MFL).
Weeks | Standard Rate | Internal Rate | Associate Rate | ||
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10 | Early Bird: £241 Full price: £268 |
Early Bird: £144 Full price: £160 |
Early Bird: £190 Full price: £211 |
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All fee rates quoted are for the whole course. Early Bird rates are available until the end of 30 September only. Part-payments are not possible. |
Rate Categories and Discounts
Standard Rate
- Available to all except those who fall under the Internal Rate or Associate Rate category.
Internal Rate
- Current Imperial College students and staff (incl. Imperial NHS Trust, Imperial Innovations, ancillary & service staff employed on long-term contracts at Imperial College by third-party contractors)
- People enrolling under our Friends & Family scheme
- Alumni of Imperial College and predecessor colleges and institutes, including City & Guilds College Association members
- Students, staff and alumni of the Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music and City, UAL and the City and Guilds of London Art School
- Students, staff and Governors of Woodhouse College and the IC Mathematics School
Associate Rate
- Austrian Cultural Forum staff
- Co-operative College members
- Francis Crick Institute staff, researchers and students
- Friends and Patrons of the English Chamber Orchestra
- Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
- Friends of Leighton House/ Sambourne House
- Friends of the Royal College of Music
- Harrods staff
- Historic Royal Palaces staff
- Lycee Charles de Gaulle staff
- Members of the Friends of Imperial College
- Members of the Kennel Club
- Members of the London Zoological Society
- Members of the South London Botanical Institute (SLBI)
- Members of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
- National Health Service (NHS) employees
- Natural History Museum staff
- Residents of postcodes SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10 and W8
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council staff
- Royal Geographical Society staff
- Science Museum staff
- Staff of Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Discover South Kensington) organisations
- Students (non-Imperial College)
- Teachers and other staff of UK schools
- The American Institute for Foreign Study
- Tutors and other staff of institution members of the Association of Colleges
- Tutors and other staff of other universities and higher education institutions
- Victoria and Albert Museum staff
Late enrolment
It is possible to enrol on many of our adult education courses after the course has already started. For non-language courses this is subject entirely to agreement by the tutor. For language courses it is subject to agreement by the language coordinator conducting level assessment. If you want to join a course late do bear in mind there might be work you will need to catch up on, particularly in language courses.
Friends and Family Scheme
This course is eligible for allowing Imperial College students and staff to share their discount with their friends and family.
Weeks | Autumn term | Spring term | Summer term | ||
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10 | n/a | Week starting 6 January to week ending 15 March 2025* | n/a | ||
*This is a 1-term course |
Enrolment via the blue booking link is open. Early-bird discounts are available until the end of 30 September 2024
Enrolment and payment run through the Imperial College eStore. When enrolling:
- Do check on the drop down menu above called "Course Fees and Rate Categories" to see if you are eligible for a discounted rate and also do make sure you select that rate when enrolling on the eStore
- If you are a first-time eStore user you will need to create an account before enrolling. You can do this by entering an email address and password. This account can then be used for any future enrolments via the eStore.
When you have enrolled you will be sent the following email notifications:
What is sent | When is it sent | What does it contain | |
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1. Payment confirmation | Is sent straight away following submission of your online application |
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2. Enrolment confirmation | Is usually sent within 10 working days. Please treat your payment confirmation as confirmation that your applicant details and payment have been received |
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3. Programme information | Is usually sent on Friday late afternoon the week before term starts |
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If you have any questions about the academic content or teaching of this course please contact the Course Tutor, Cristina Paterno, c.paterno@imperial.ac.uk
If you have any questions about your enrolment or payment processes please contact the Programme Administrator, Christian Jacobi, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk
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Imperial after:hours Adult Education
Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication
Level 3 - Sherfield Building
Imperial College London
London SW7 2AZ
eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk
Tel. +44 20 7594 8756