School of Philosophy and Economic Science

Not to be confused with London School of Economics.

51°31′00″N 0°09′05″W / 51.5168°N 0.1514°W / 51.5168; -0.1514

School of Philosophy and Economic Science
The School of Philosophy and Economic Science entrance, Mandeville Place, London
Address
Map
11-13 Mandeville Place

Marylebone

London

United Kingdom
Information
Other namesSchool of Philosophy, School of Practical Philosophy, School voor Filosofie, Escuela de Filosofia Practica, The Foundation for Philosophic Studies
Former namesHenry George School of Economics, School of Economic Science
Established1938
FounderLeon MacLaren
TrustFellowship of the School of Economic Science
Classes offeredPractical Philosophy, Economics with Justice, Sanskrit Language
LeaderDonald Lambie
PrincipalStephen Silver
Registered charity numbers313115 & SC039950
Global locationsArgentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Fiji, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Malta, New Zealand, Spain, South Africa, Trinidad, UK, USA, Venezuela
Websitehttps://schoolofphilosophy.org/

The School of Philosophy and Economic Science (SPES), also operating under the names the School of Philosophy and the School of Practical Philosophy and legally named the School of Economic Science (SES),[1] is a worldwide organisation based in London.[2][3][4][5][6] It offers non-academic courses for adults, ranging from an introductory series called Practical Philosophy to more advanced classes.[7] Its teachings are principally influenced by Advaita Vedanta,[8][9] an orthodox philosophical system of Hinduism.[10] It has a guru, Sri Vasudevananda Saraswati,[11] who used the title Shankaracharya until 2017.[12] The organisation has been the subject of controversy, especially historical child abuse that it confirmed was criminal.[13] It has a dress code and advocates a conservative lifestyle, with traditional gender roles and sexual mores.[14] It has been described as a cult, sect or new religious movement.[15][5][16][17][18]

The organization advertises introductory courses entitled "Practical Philosophy", "Economics with Justice" and other courses including Sanskrit language.[19] The Practical Philosophy course involves a meditative process known as "The Exercise"[20][21] and discussion of universal themes drawing on the work of European and Indian philosophers such as Plato, Marsilio Ficino, Swami Vivekananda and Adi Shankara, as well as Advaita.[22] Those who continue involvement beyond four years mainly study Advaita;[23] they are encouraged to marry, and are required to take up meditation, to undertake voluntary work to help with the running of the organization and to attend residential programmes.[24]

The organization's members have founded schools for the education of children in a number of countries.[25] The organization is registered as a charity in the UK; worldwide operations register as non-profit organisations in their own countries.[26]

The organization was founded in London[6] by Labour MP Andrew MacLaren.[27] His successor and son, SES leader Leon MacLaren (1910-1994), a barrister[28][29] introduced programs on Advaita Vedanta.[27]

According to the SES financial report for 2017, it had a total of 3,173 enrolments in the UK.[30] As of 2012 it had a total of around 20,000 in up to 80 branches worldwide.[24][4][5] Operating under various names, there are branches in Canada, Venezuela, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Trinidad, Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Holland, Malta, Spain, Ireland, Hungary, Germany, Israel, Argentina and the US.[6][31] The head of all of these branches is the SES 'Senior Tutor', MacLaren's successor, Donald Lambie, who is also a barrister.[32][29][33]

The organization's course fees are kept low to encourage recruitment; thanks to donations and wills, the organisation has a substantial cash pile and a worldwide property portfolio, including several mansions.[34][35][36][37][38][39]

It is the subject of the novel Shame on You by Clara Salaman.[40]

  1. ^ "Our new name!". School of Philosophy and Economic Science. 17 September 2019. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  2. ^ Clarke, Peter. New Religions in Global Perspective (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  3. ^ "PsycNET". psycnet.apa.org.
  4. ^ a b Evans, Jules (2013). Philosophy for Life: And Other Dangerous Situations. Rider. p. 281. ISBN 978-1-84604-321-5.
  5. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Observer May 2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b c "School of Practical Philosophy - Worldwide". School of Practical Philosophy.
  7. ^ "FAQs". Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  8. ^ "Report of a Private Independent Inquiry Commissioned by the Governors of St James Independent Schools and held in London between 20 June - 6 October 2005" (PDF). ses-forums.org.
  9. ^ "The School of Economic Science | Practical Philosophy Oxford". www.practicalphilosophyoxford.org.
  10. ^ "Advaita". Encyclopædia Britannica. 19 February 2015.
  11. ^ Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements, edited by Peter Clarke, p.562
  12. ^ "Badrinath shrine dispute ends". www.telegraphindia.com.
  13. ^ "Pupils' historical abuse at London schools claims total £1m". BBC News. 17 December 2020.
  14. ^ "Course or Cult?".
  15. ^ "Inquiry reveals culture of violence". Tes.
  16. ^ Shaw, William (1994). Spying in Guru Land: Inside Britain's Cults. Fourth Estate. ISBN 978-1-85702-152-3.
  17. ^ MacDonald, Victoria (15 March 2006). "Abuse at 'cult' schools". Channel 4 News. Channel 4. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  18. ^ Cusack, Carole. "Both Outside and Inside: 'Ex-Members' of New Religions and Spiritualities and the Maintenance of Community and Identity on the Internet". In George D. Chryssides and Stephen E. Gregg (Eds), Beyond Insider Outsider Binaries: New Approaches in the Study of Religion, Equinox, 2018, Forthcoming.
  19. ^ "Horizons - Saturday studies Archives". School of Economic Science. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  20. ^ "The Exercise". The New York Times. 15 January 2010. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  21. ^ Kaminer, Ariel (17 January 2010). "Taste. Smell. Ahhhh, Wisdom". The New York Times.
  22. ^ King, Richard (1999). Orientalism and Religion. Routledge. pp. 135–6.
  23. ^ "What is Advaita philosophy?". School of Economic Science.
  24. ^ a b "What is the School of Economic Science (SES)?" (PDF). INFORM. 2007.
  25. ^ John, Adago (2018). East meets West. London: Program Publishing. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-692-12421-5.
  26. ^ "Charity Details". beta.charitycommission.gov.uk.
  27. ^ a b Hodgkinson, Brian (2010). In Search of Truth: The Story of the School of Economic Science. Shepheard-Walwyn Publishing. pp. 122, 28. ISBN 978-0-85683-276-5. Archived from the original on 26 April 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  28. ^ Tolley, Dorine (2009). The Power Within: Leon MacLaren, A Memoir of His Life and Work. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. p. 150. ISBN 978-1-4392-1030-7.
  29. ^ a b Clarke, Peter B. (2006). Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements. London: Routledge. p. 562. ISBN 978-0-203-48433-3.
  30. ^ "The Fellowship of the School of Economic Science: Report and Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31 December 2017" (PDF). Charity Commission.
  31. ^ "International Affiliates". The School of Practical Philosophy. 2015. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015.
  32. ^ "The Fellowship of the School of Economic Science: Report and Financial Statements For the Year Ended 31 December 2014" (PDF). Charity Commission.
  33. ^ "Recent History". The School of Practical Philosophy. 2014. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015.
  34. ^ "Its funds now run into millions, and the school owns substantial properties in England and abroad, bought with a continuing stream of donations, bequests and covenants. The subscriptions of ordinary members play a relatively small role in the organisation's finances, and fees are kept low to encourage recruitment." Washington, Peter (1996). Madame Blavatsky's Baboon: A History of the Mystics, Mediums, and Misfits Who Brought Spiritualism to America. Schocken / Random House.
  35. ^ "The properties are worth millions, and have been amassed through donations. One of the gifts, curiously, was Necker Island, one of the Virgin Islands, which was later bought by Richard Branson to become his hideaway." Shaw, William (1994). Spying in Guru Land: inside Britain's cults (paperback ed.). London: Fourth Estate. ISBN 978-1-85702-329-9. OCLC 34900500.
  36. ^ Finn, Robin (5 September 2014). "New York's Once and Future Mansions". The New York Times.
  37. ^ "Waterperry House". Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  38. ^ "Events venue in Loughborough • Nanpantan Hall". Nanpantan Hall.
  39. ^ "Practical Philosophy Online | Traveling to Wallkill".
  40. ^ Chryssides, George D.; Gregg, Stephen E. (eds.) (2018). "Both Outside and Inside: 'Ex-Members' of New Religions and Spiritualities and the Maintenance of Continuity on the Internet". Beyond Insider Outsider Binaries: New Approaches in the Study of Religion. Equinox. ISBN 978-1-78179-344-2.