The original courses began in London, England in 1936 as a study in economics. Later it became obvious that the practice of philosophic principles was needed to lead to a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.Philosophic studies and courses were started in the early 1950s. Inspiration for the courses was gathered from many sources including Plato, Socrates, the Judaic-Christian teaching, Renaissance humanist Marsilio Ficino, Shakespeare, Hermes Trismegistus, Zen and Sufi stories and the Vedantic tradition of the East.The School of Philosophy in Toronto was founded in 1976 by a Canadian who had studied at the School in London England for nearly twenty years. more... See more text