Jun 23rd
6:30–8:30pm EDT
Meets 12 Times
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Brooklyn Institute for Social Research
Upcoming Classes in NYC
The Brooklyn Institute for Social Research, established in 2011, offers liberal arts education and research opportunities to local communities while supporting young scholars. With a mission to engage various intellectual traditions, the institute aims to provide accessible education and foster active, engaged citizens.
20 results
Critical Ancient Greek (In-Person)
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research See all classes by this school @ 68 Jay St, Brooklyn, NY
Explore the foundational texts of ancient Greek thought through language acquisition and critical analysis in this immersive program. Guided by experts in philosophy, literature, and psychoanalysis, participants will delve into Greek grammar, syntax, and rhetoric while examining the cultural contexts and enduring concepts that shape philosophical and political discourse.
$1,323
25 Seats Left
Sep 29th
6:30–8:30pm EDT
Meets 12 Times
$1,323
25 Seats Left
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Mon, Jun 23rd, 6:30–8:30pm EDT
(24 hours over 12 sessions)
Michel Foucault: History of Sexuality
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research See all classes by this school @ 68 Jay St, Brooklyn, NY
Explore how Michel Foucault redefined our understanding of sexuality, power, and the body through his groundbreaking analysis. This course dives into the construction of sexual discourse, the emergence of biopolitics, and the role of institutions like law and psychiatry. It also examines Foucault's legacy in feminist, queer, and gender theory.
Jul 8th
6:30–9:30pm EDT
Meets 4 Times
$335
3 Seats Left
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Tue, Jul 8th, 6:30–9:30pm EDT
(12 hours over 4 sessions)
Crisis and the City: New York in the 1970s
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research See all classes by this school @ 68 Jay St, Brooklyn, NY
Trace the rise and fall of New York City’s mid-century municipal social democracy and its transformation under the pressures of fiscal crisis and neoliberal reform. This course investigates how working-class gains were dismantled in the name of austerity, and how the city became a blueprint for global economic restructuring and urban governance.
Jul 9th
6:30–9:30pm EDT
Meets 4 Times
$335
3 Seats Left
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Wed, Jul 9th, 6:30–9:30pm EDT
(12 hours over 4 sessions)
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Ovid’s Metamorphoses
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research See all classes by this school @ 45 Main St , Brooklyn, NY
Ovid begins his Metamorphoses, “My soul would speak of bodies changed into new forms,” and it is the great theme of physical transformation that unites the poem’s many myths: humans becomes animals and plants, and vice versa; humans becomes stones and constellations; and humans change their sex. No poem from antiquity has so influenced Western European literature and art. Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, and Dante creatively raided Ovid’s...
Jul 9th
6:30–9:30pm EDT
Meets 4 Times
$335
3 Seats Left
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Wed, Jul 9th, 6:30–9:30pm EDT
(12 hours over 4 sessions)
Carl Schmitt: Politics and Conflict
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research See all classes by this school @ Online Classroom
Examine the provocative legacy of Carl Schmitt, whose stark vision of politics as a struggle between friend and enemy continues to shape debates across the ideological spectrum. Through critical readings of Schmitt and his interpreters, this course investigates sovereignty, enmity, and the enduring tension between order and liberalism.
Jul 8th
6:30–9:30pm EDT
Meets 4 Times
$335
3 Seats Left
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Tue, Jul 8th, 6:30–9:30pm EDT
(12 hours over 4 sessions)
Vanessa Wills: Marx’s Ethical Vision
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research See all classes by this school @ Online Classroom
Explore the ethical core of Marx’s work, often overlooked by both critics and adherents alike. Through close readings of foundational texts and engagement with key moral philosophers, this course examines how Marx’s vision of justice and human flourishing informs revolutionary politics and collective struggle.
Jul 8th
6:30–9:30pm EDT
Meets 4 Times
$335
3 Seats Left
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Tue, Jul 8th, 6:30–9:30pm EDT
(12 hours over 4 sessions)
The Gilded Age: Inequality, Populism, and Power
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research See all classes by this school @ Online Classroom
Explore the roots of modern American inequality through a critical examination of the Gilded Age, a time marked by explosive industrial growth, deep social unrest, and powerful grassroots resistance. This course investigates how laborers, radicals, and reformers challenged oligarchic power and shaped enduring ideas of democracy, justice, and economic reform.
Jul 8th
6:30–9:30pm EDT
Meets 4 Times
$335
3 Seats Left
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Tue, Jul 8th, 6:30–9:30pm EDT
(12 hours over 4 sessions)
Imagining Utopia: Politics, Planning, and the (Im)Possible
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research See all classes by this school @ Online Classroom
Amid a cultural landscape saturated with dystopian visions, this course revisits utopia as a powerful tool for political imagination and critique. Exploring its evolution from early socialist thought to feminist and queer theory, students will examine how utopian thinking can illuminate paths toward emancipatory futures—even in dark times.
Jul 9th
6:30–9:30pm EDT
Meets 4 Times
$335
3 Seats Left
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Wed, Jul 9th, 6:30–9:30pm EDT
(12 hours over 4 sessions)
First Time as Tragedy, Second Time as Farce: Marx’s 18th Brumaire and Beyond
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research See all classes by this school @ Online Classroom
What can Marx’s account of a 19th-century coup teach us about modern authoritarianism? This course offers a close reading of The Eighteenth Brumaire, situating its insights on class, state power, and reactionary politics alongside contemporary debates on fascism, dictatorship, and revolution. Students will explore the enduring relevance of Marxist theory in confronting political crises today.
Jul 9th
6:30–9:30pm EDT
Meets 4 Times
$335
3 Seats Left
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Wed, Jul 9th, 6:30–9:30pm EDT
(12 hours over 4 sessions)
Pascal’s Pensées: Philosophy, Theology, and Doubt
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research See all classes by this school @ Online Classroom
Explore the brilliance and paradox of Blaise Pascal—a mathematician, mystic, and proto-existentialist—through his fragmented masterpiece, the Pensées. Delve into themes of faith, doubt, reason, and the human condition while examining his correspondence, polemics, and philosophical reflections. This course invites a deep engagement with Pascal’s enduring questions about belief, truth, and what it means to be human.
Jul 9th
6:30–9:30pm EDT
Meets 4 Times
$335
3 Seats Left
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Wed, Jul 9th, 6:30–9:30pm EDT
(12 hours over 4 sessions)
Beyond Eros: the Philosophy and Politics of Love
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research See all classes by this school @ Online Classroom
What is love, and what might it mean for political life? This course explores love as a philosophical and political concept, tracing its evolution through classical, modern, and critical theory. From Plato to Baldwin, students will consider how love intersects with freedom, resistance, and solidarity in both private and public life.
Jul 10th
6:30–9:30pm EDT
Meets 4 Times
$335
3 Seats Left
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Thu, Jul 10th, 6:30–9:30pm EDT
(12 hours over 4 sessions)
What is to Be Done? an Introduction to Lenin
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research See all classes by this school @ Online Classroom
Explore the complex legacy of one of the most influential and controversial figures in political history. This course delves into Lenin's revolutionary path, examining his writings, ideological evolution, and leadership through the lens of historical context. Through critical readings and analysis, gain a deeper understanding of his impact on Marxism and the global communist movement.
Jul 10th
6:30–9:30pm EDT
Meets 4 Times
$335
3 Seats Left
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Thu, Jul 10th, 6:30–9:30pm EDT
(12 hours over 4 sessions)
The Palestinian Intellectual Tradition: Theory and Commitment
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research See all classes by this school @ Online Classroom
Examine the role of the intellectual in the context of colonial dispossession and political struggle, with a focus on the Palestinian experience. This course explores how writing becomes a mode of resistance, memory, and ethical engagement amid violence and exile, highlighting voices that navigate the tension between militant clarity and historical fracture.
Jul 13th
1–4pm EDT
Meets 4 Times
$335
3 Seats Left
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Sun, Jul 13th, 1–4pm EDT
(12 hours over 4 sessions)
The French Revolution and its Aftermath: Left and Right
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research See all classes by this school @ Online Classroom
Examine the French Revolution as a pivotal moment that redefined modern political thought and continues to shape global ideologies. This course explores the Revolution's philosophical legacy, its contested interpretations across the political spectrum, and its influence on concepts like democracy, sovereignty, and revolution itself.
Jul 13th
1–4pm EDT
Meets 4 Times
$335
3 Seats Left
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Sun, Jul 13th, 1–4pm EDT
(12 hours over 4 sessions)
What’s Wrong With Rights? Imperialism, Politics, and Power
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research See all classes by this school @ Online Classroom
Explore the complex legacy of rights as both tools of liberation and instruments of domination. This course critically examines how rights have been invoked by social movements and global institutions alike, raising urgent questions about their meaning, utility, and enduring power in political life.
Jul 13th
2–5pm EDT
Meets 4 Times
$335
3 Seats Left
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Sun, Jul 13th, 2–5pm EDT
(12 hours over 4 sessions)
What is Settler Colonialism? Land, Sovereignty, and Violence
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research See all classes by this school @ Online Classroom
Explore settler colonialism as an enduring structure of power rather than a closed chapter of history. This course examines how foundational violence against Indigenous peoples shapes liberal nation-states and contemporary struggles over land, sovereignty, and identity, drawing on both canonical theory and Indigenous resistance.
Jul 13th
2–5pm EDT
Meets 4 Times
$335
3 Seats Left
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Sun, Jul 13th, 2–5pm EDT
(12 hours over 4 sessions)
Social Symptoms: Moral Panics and Mass Hysteria
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research See all classes by this school @ Online Classroom
Explore the undercurrents of collective irrationality that disrupt modernity’s narrative of reason and progress. From witch hunts to moral panics, this course examines mass delusions and sociogenic illness through case studies and critical theory, revealing deeper anxieties about power, technology, and identity.
Jul 13th
2–5pm EDT
Meets 4 Times
$335
3 Seats Left
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Sun, Jul 13th, 2–5pm EDT
(12 hours over 4 sessions)
Critical Ancient Hebrew
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research See all classes by this school @ Online Classroom
Unlock the depth of Biblical Hebrew in this immersive course that combines language acquisition with cultural exploration. Through reading selections from texts like the Book of Ruth and Genesis, students will gain insights into Israelite and Jewish history, engaging with ideologies that shaped ancient narratives and understanding how cultures interact and evolve within multilingual empires.
Aug 28th
6:15–8:15pm EDT
Meets 13 Times
$1,323
25 Seats Left
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Thu, Aug 28th, 6:15–8:15pm EDT
(26 hours over 13 sessions)
Critical Latin
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research See all classes by this school @ Online Classroom
Immerse yourself in the study of Latin and explore its lasting impact on Western culture, from Roman ideals to modern language. Through translating classic texts and examining Latin’s aesthetic and rhetorical power, participants will gain insight into the historical and philosophical currents that continue to shape knowledge and authority in contemporary thought.
Sep 2nd
6:30–8:30pm EDT
Meets 12 Times
$1,323
25 Seats Left
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Tue, Sep 2nd, 6:30–8:30pm EDT
(24 hours over 12 sessions)
Critical Ancient Greek (Online)
Brooklyn Institute for Social Research See all classes by this school @ Online Classroom
Explore the foundational texts of ancient Greek thought through language acquisition and critical analysis in this immersive program. Guided by experts in philosophy, literature, and psychoanalysis, participants will delve into Greek grammar, syntax, and rhetoric while examining the cultural contexts and enduring concepts that shape philosophical and political discourse.
Sep 15th
6:30–8:30pm EDT
Meets 12 Times
$1,323
25 Seats Left
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Mon, Sep 15th, 6:30–8:30pm EDT
(24 hours over 12 sessions)
Reviews of Brooklyn Institute for Social Research
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Leo Tolstoy: Anna Karenina (In-Person)
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The Subway: Urbanism, Infrastructure, and Social Life
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Vergil’s Aeneid: Myth, Empire, and Ruin
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Vergil’s Aeneid: Myth, Empire, and Ruin
First, I was really out of my element. I was lost from the start! I found the reading difficult….and I think I had the wrong book. Second, the discussions were tedious and baffling. The “class” was filled with Aeneid groupies who tried one-upping each other at every turn; I didn’t get anything out of that except being annoyed that everyone was trying to impress each other with their academic prowess. It just was the wrong class for me. I’m sure the students I’m referring to loved it! But it was really beyond me. And that’s on me. -
Mining: Industry, Ecology, and Capitalism
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James Joyce: Ulysses
It was not easy, but I didn't expect it to be. I got some very useful insight into the book, which will help in my second reading. I will be looking for more classes taught by Professor Porte. -
Hannah Arendt: The Human Condition
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Proust in Time: The Prisoner
pretentious, and unwelcoming professor -
Henry James: The Portrait of a Lady
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Don DeLillo: Underworld
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Freedom, Politics, and the Individual
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The Mahabharata: From Exile to Apocalypse
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Feminist Science Fiction
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God or Nature: Spinoza’s Ethics
This was a great class. I'm excited to continue to take BISR classes every month for the rest of my life! LOL I'm serious. -
The Good, the Bad, and the Evil
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The Worst of All Possible Worlds: an Introduction to Schopenhauer
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Kant’s Critical Aesthetics
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Hannah Arendt: The Human Condition
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The Singularity: AI & the Post-Human Future
Required more structure. Seemed more of a reading review club, than an instructional class. -
Jorge Luis Borges: Mysticism, Fiction, and Politics
Teacher was knowledgeable, good readings, active participants.
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