Program Overview

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Centre for Continuing Education

The Centre for Continuing Education at the University of Sydney offers a diverse range of professional development short courses. These courses are designed to advance careers and enhance professional development, technical, and people skills, supporting career progression.

Course Subjects

The Centre provides courses in various subjects, including:

• Business and management
  • Business communication
  • Business strategy
  • Business writing
  • Cultural competence and diversity
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Management
  • Organisational psychology
  • Sales and customer service
• English
• HSC preparation (years 10-12)
  • HSC biology
  • HSC business studies
  • HSC chemistry
  • HSC economics
  • HSC English
  • HSC mathematics
  • HSC physics
  • Year 11 (Revision)
  • Years 10-12 study and essay skills
• Humanities and culture
  • Creative writing
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Psychology
• Information technology
  • Adobe
  • AI and machine learning courses
  • Data analysis and analytics
  • Google
  • Microsoft
• Language
  • Arabic
  • Brazilian Portuguese
  • Chinese
  • French
  • German
  • Greek
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Spanish
• Marketing
  • Digital marketing
  • Marketing communications
  • Product development
• Project management
  • Agile methodology courses
  • Change management for projects
  • Stakeholder and people management
  • Technical project management skills

Philosophy Course: An Introduction to Epicurean and Stoic Philosophy

This course examines Epicureanism and Stoicism as lived philosophies of life. It explores ideas of pleasure, fear, friendship, justice, and inner tranquillity through the works of Epicurus, Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius, and their influence on modern thought.

Course Information

• The course aims to provide an overview of the origins and complexities of Epicureanism and Stoicism.
• It demonstrates the connections and differences between these Hellenistic philosophies on ethics and politics.
• The course also explores the importance of the role played by Epicureanism and Stoicism in our understanding of human nature and the mind.
• Additionally, it highlights the substantial contribution made by Epicureanism and Stoicism to later philosophy and drama.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants should be able to:

• Identify the main events in the history of Epicureanism and Stoicism.
• Discuss important concepts in Epicureanism and Stoicism.
• Relate Epicureanism and Stoicism to personal choices and/or actions.
• Reflect upon their own desires and motivations better.
• Relate Epicureanism and Stoicism to contemporary issues in ethics and politics.

Content

The course covers:

• Introduction to Epicureanism: Epicureanism’s beginnings and the “Garden of Pleasure.”
• Freedom from fear: The Hedonists think that humans inflict many fears on themselves which are not necessary; the fear of death being one of them.
• Friendship and justice: Friendship is one of the best pleasures available for the Hedonists. Justice is a “pledge of mutual advantage.”
• Introduction to Stoicism: The history of Stoicism from its Greek beginnings, through Christianity and the Renaissance to our own day.
• Stoic concepts: The primary aim of Stoicism is to achieve and maintain inner tranquillity.

Intended Audience

This course is designed for anyone with a general interest in philosophies of Epicureanism (or Hedonism) and Stoicism.

Delivery Style

The course is delivered in a lecture/seminar style.

Materials

Course notes are provided electronically using Dropbox.

Organisational Training

For groups of six or more, courses can be delivered to the team with the option to tailor content.

FAQs

Find answers to questions about applications, payment, short courses, and more.

About Us

The Centre for Continuing Education is part of the University of Sydney, offering courses since 1886. It provides professional development short courses, open to everyone, in-person or online. The Centre aims to support career progression and enhance professional development, technical, and people skills.