School of Practical Philosophy

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The New York City branch (established in 1964) of the School of Economic Science founded by Leon MacLaren in London in 1937. Originally constituted to facilitate the study of economics, over time it came to focus on philosophy, particularly the Hindu tradition of Advaita Vedanta as propagated by Shri Shantananda Saraswati. The emphasis has changed over time and is subject to change in the future. When this particular branch opened, the relationship to the teachings of Gurdjieff, as described by Peter D. Ouspensky, were clearly apparent. The Advaita Vedanta traditions have grown stronger over time. Students are encouraged to volunteer to serve in the school in order to practice exercises given in class. This includes exercises in focusing the attention to the activity at hand by allowing the attention to rest on the working surface. Exercises designed to discipline the mind, such as not speaking outside a room what we hear in it, have been misunderstood and rumors of secrets were common. Other U.S. branches have included the Foundation for Philosophic Studies in Rochester, NY, the Georgia Philosophy Foundation in Albany, Georgia and The School of Practical Philosophy in Boston, MA.

The School of Practical Philosophy is recognizable to many New Yorkers by its extensive advertising in the subway.

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[edit] Criticisms

Some have criticized advertisements for the school, saying that they mislead students into thinking they are signing up for a general philosophy class instead of learning a specific philosophy. While there have been newspaper articles that have described the school as a cult, no substantiated allegations have come to light.