/ About Us

‘philo sophia’ - the love of wisdom

What is first philosophy?

First philosophy is an attempt to understand our world. It does this by asking about what fundamental questions lie at the start of human inquiry into the world, and where a careful analysis of these questions may lead us. It’s not simply about finding the right answers, but asking the right questions.

A first philosophy asks the foundational questions that first confounded human beings — what does it mean to be, to exist? By seriously considering the questions ‘What are we?’ and ‘What is our world?’, we can ask a further set of questions: ‘How could we be?’ and ‘How should we be in our world?’ These questions form the critical foundations of the Arts & Humanities. 

At first philosophy, we engage in this investigative questioning to promote a habit of cultivating the intellectual virtues of seeking and implementing in our daily lives the knowledge that sound philosophical investigation and understanding of the human condition can offer us: in thinking about thinking we examine our inner world to shed light and understanding on the outer world that we inhabit. 

What do we teach at first philosophy and why do students need it?

At first philosophy, we teach courses on philosophy, the humanities, and the social sciences that are intellectually rigorous, practically relevant, and socially beneficial. We believe every person has the capacity to reason and reason well, to learn about their world in a way that contributes to a unified understanding of their life, increases their agency and autonomy, think more broadly, feel more deeply and speak more truthfully. Our courses invite you to reflect on life and on your life, to study the thinkers and ideas that have shaped our outer and inner worlds, to question the ideas of our times and embrace your natural intellectual curiosity.

first philosophy was founded to address the growing concern of the broader public that their education is, in some significant sense, incomplete. The blatant scientising of higher education, the push for ‘job-relevant’ STEM degrees, and devaluing the arts and humanities means that an even larger percentage of students are actively discouraged from acquiring or even seeing the need to acquire a grounding in the arts and humanities. Consequently, there is a gradual diminishing of our cultural, political, and humanistic literacy and a serious threat of dangerous drops in broader public education levels.

In teaching the arts and humanities to students from various academic backgrounds over the years, we were constantly faced with the request to teach and make accessible, in full-length courses, the rich literary, socio-political, and philosophical ideas we had only briefly introduced to our student cohorts.

Our Team

  • Shabeer

    Shabeer is a thinker, writer and teacher, having taught Mathematics, English, and Philosophy at various private schools and public secondary colleges in Melbourne. He has designed and taught adult education courses in philosophy, logic and inter-civilization studies. Since 2011, he has also helped hundreds of students successfully take the GAMSAT and enrol into graduate medical schools.

    He has a BA (Hons) in Philosophy and a Masters of Teaching from the University of Melbourne.

  • Broderic

    Brod is a trilingual lawyer and educator who has been tutoring since 2013. He holds undergraduate degrees in Law, History and Psychology with additional tertiary studies in languages, literature, philosophy, sociology and politics.

    He has professional experience in research as well as major infrastructure and public health projects. He has recently completed a Master’s degree in Public Law and continues to work as a lawyer in the transport sector.

  • Turhan

    Turhan is a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne's philosophy department.

    His thesis is on the issue of philosophical scepticism, and its relation to a priori scepticism. His academic interests lie in the areas of epistemology, philosophy of science and philosophy of religion. He has published extensively in the philosophy of religion, having designed and taught courses based on classical and modern philosophical texts.

  • Cam

    Cameron graduated with a Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics from La Trobe University. He received first in class for various subjects and received the Dean’s Commendation Award.

    He has a background in journalism - writing, and copyediting - having worked for and published in international newspapers. Cameron is the Managing Director of CT Marketing, a company which specialises in digital marketing and IT solutions for small and medium enterprises.

  • Naushad

    Naushad is an educator and consultant. He taught economics at La Trobe University, advised international governments on education and curriculum, and directed programs in teaching the humanities, English language and Western intellectual thought in Australia, the Middle East and Europe. He co-founded Fraser’s GAMSAT Tuition, helping students with medical school entry for over 12 years, and has published on various topics including politics, English language and religion. His professional experience include government, academic and private sectors.

  • Kiryll

    Kiryll studied philosophy and psychology at the University of Melbourne. He received the Vice Chancellor’s Prize for his Honours thesis at Deakin University, where his topic of research focused on the evidentiary use of philosophical intuition.

    He is passionate about teaching and raising the level of intellectual discourse among everyday people. Kiryll currently works as a writer in the financial sector, and hopes to pursue a PhD in philosophy in the near future.

 

Hear from Past Students

  • “I have learnt a variety of subjects with Brod over the last few years. He is very passionate about passing on his deep understanding of the material being studied. His teaching style is very clear and systematic, making comprehension easy for me. One of my favourite aspects about him is how he is very patient whenever I have difficulty understanding a concept, and is then able to go over these difficult concepts from different angles that might be easier for me to grasp. This really helps me understand all the details and achieve a deeply rooted mastery of the subject.”

    — Hilal N.

  • “Brod’s teaching style adapts to the students he is tutoring, allowing individuals to improve at both their own pace and in the areas that are necessary. Personally, he has helped me in understanding the beauty of the Arabic language by delving into topics that are not often found in traditional textbooks or readings. For the above mentioned reasons and for the extra care placed in his tutoring efforts, I would highly recommend Brod as a tutor for both Arabic and other subjects.”

    — Rafi S.

  • “As someone who has never been a confident writer, it is clear that Shabeer really knows how to bring out the best in his students. His knowledge and passion for philosophy and the humanities is unmatched. The feedback and insight Shabeer provided from every essay not only pushed me to become a more confident and capable writer, but expanded my appreciation of the Humanities as an indispensable source of knowledge.”

    — Laura O.

  • “Nosh is a superb tutor with a vast knowledge of the politics, philosophy and other subjects and a real passion for teaching and seeing his students succeed. I highly recommend him.”

    — Katie F.

  • “I have worked with Nosh for my TOK essay for IB. His understanding of topics, vast knowledge both in-depth and breath is amazing. He is very passionate about what he teaches and brings information and knowledge from history as well as from a wide variety of sources, like philosophy, ethics, comparative religion, modern technology and pop culture, etc. He helped me with ideas, structure, writing, reviewing and it was definitely worth it.”

    — Muhammad S.

  • “I was able to work with Nosh over a period of approximately 6 weeks prior to sitting my graduate entry medical admission exam. Nosh was able to quickly ascertain my weakness' to create a thorough and well-timed plan or study leading into the examination. Nosh was willing to go above and beyond the standards set by most tutors. I cannot recommend Nosh highly enough, and will be utilising his service further in the future.”

    — Lachie W.