Meet the Team
Our instructors are scholars who have dedicated their lives to the study and teaching of philosophy. Each brings years of research, teaching experience, and genuine passion for helping others discover the transformative power of the great texts.
Our Story
sPhil was born from a shared frustration and a shared dream. As doctoral students at the University of Warwick, our founders experienced firsthand the transformative power of engaging deeply with the great philosophical texts. Yet they also witnessed how inaccessible this experience remained for most people—locked behind academic walls, fragmented into shallow introductions, or lost in jargon-heavy scholarship that spoke only to specialists.
We asked ourselves: What if rigorous philosophical education could be both profound and accessible? What if anyone with the desire to understand could sit with Plato, wrestle with Hegel, or contemplate Milton—not as passive consumers of summaries, or predictably prefabricated AI output, but as genuine students engaging with the texts themselves?
sPhil is our answer to that question.
"We exist to guide serious students through the world's most important philosophical and literary works."
Our courses are not summaries or simplifications—they are invitations to think alongside the greatest minds in history. We believe that understanding comes not from being told what to think, but from learning how to read, question, and reflect for oneself. Our mission is to equip you with the tools, context, and guidance you need to make these texts your own.
Why We Are Passionate
Philosophy and Literature Changes Lives
We have seen it happen—in ourselves and in our students. The moment when a difficult passage suddenly makes sense, when an ancient argument illuminates a contemporary problem, when reading transforms into genuine understanding. Philosophy is not merely an academic subject, nor is literature mere enjoyment; they are practices that shapes how we think, live, and relate to the world.
The Texts Deserve Better
Too often, the great works are reduced to bullet points, oversimplified for mass consumption, or approached with a superficiality that betrays their depth. These texts have endured for centuries because they contain insights that reward careful, repeated study. We are passionate about honoring that legacy by teaching them with the seriousness they deserve.
Everyone Deserves Access
Philosophical and literary education should not be a privilege reserved for those who can attend elite universities. The questions that Plato asked, the beauty that Milton forged, the arguments that Hegel sought to craft—these belong to everyone who cares enough to delve deeper. We are passionate about creating pathways into this tradition for anyone willing to do the work.
Thinking Matters Now More Than Ever
In an age of information overload and shallow discourse, the skills cultivated by serious philosophical study—careful reading, rigorous analysis, nuanced argument, intellectual humility—are more valuable than ever. We are passionate about equipping our students not just with knowledge, but with the capacity to think clearly and independently.
Our Philosophy of Teaching
Text First
We center our teaching on primary sources. Secondary literature illuminates, but it can never replace the experience of grappling with an author's own words.
Depth Over Breadth
We would rather you understand one text or argument deeply than skim across a dozen superficially. True comprehension takes time, and we design our courses to give you that time.
Active Engagement
Philosophy and literature is not a spectator sport. Our courses challenge you to read carefully, think critically, and form your own interpretations—not simply to absorb information passively.
Scholarly Rigor, Accessible Language
We maintain the highest scholarly standards while striving to communicate in clear, accessible language. Complexity should arise from the ideas themselves, not from unnecessary obscurity in their presentation.
Lifelong Learning
The study of philosophy is never complete. We see ourselves as companions on a journey that extends beyond any single course—partners in a lifelong pursuit of wisdom.
