School of Economic Science

The School of Economic Science wiki "has its origins in the 1930s, against the background of severe economic depression. Its founder, Leon MacLaren, was inspired by the work of the nineteenth century economist Henry George. George held that everyone owns what they create, but that everything found in nature, most importantly land, belongs equally to all humanity.

"In 1937 MacLaren founded the Henry George School of Economics, the first public courses being held in the same year with the active support of his father, Andrew MacLaren MP. The school was renamed the School of Economic Science in 1942... After coming in contact with the Study Society in the early 50s, he discovered the teachings of Ouspensky and Gurdjieff. He was taken by the similarities between diagrams developed for the economics courses and those used by Ouspensky...

"The arrival of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in London in 1959 soon brought the next stage of development, meditation. This was soon taken up by longstanding students of the School.

"In the mid 60s, the School made contact with a leading figure of the Vedantic tradition in India, Maharaja Shri Shantananda Saraswati, from whom it received invaluable guidance in the study and practice of philosophy for over 30 years. Through this connection with the School was introduced to the universal teaching known as Advaita, which means literally ‘universal’ or ‘devoid of duality’. Since his death in 1997, similar guidance has been provided by his successor, Shri Vasudevananda Saraswati... Leon MacLaren died in 1994 and was succeeded by Donald Lambie, a barrister."

St James School Governors
Accessed January 2013:


 * Jeremy Sinclair - chair
 * Michael Cranny FCII Chartered Insurer
 * George Cselko BA Hons
 * Aatif Hassan BSc CA (Joint Deputy Chairman)
 * Jon Pickles BA ACMA
 * Ben Roberts BA
 * John Story FRICS (Joint Deputy Chairman)
 * Hugh Venables BSc MBA
 * Jerome Webb MA MRICS
 * Fenella Willis MBBS BSc MD FRCP FRCPath

Trustees
Accessed January 2013:


 * Ian Mason
 * Sue Young
 * Richard Glover
 * Ann Hithersay
 * John Meltzer
 * Sebastian Munden
 * Andrew Purves
 * Hugh Venables
 * Peter Fennell

History

 * Malcolm Hill, Enemy of Injustice: The Life of Andrew MacLaren (1999, Othila Press, London).
 * Dorine Tolley,The Power Within: Leon MacLaren, A Memoir of His Life and Work (2009).
 * Brian Hodgkinson, In Search of Truth: The Story of the School of Economic Science (Shepheard-Walwyn Publishing, 2010).

Criticism

 * Peter Hounam and Andrew Hogg, Secret Cult (Lion Publishing, 1984). Chapter 1
 * William Shaw, Spying in Guru Land: Inside Britain's Cults (Fourth Estate, 1994).
 * Clara Salaman, Shame On You
 * "Poster Children of New York’s Happiness Academy – The School Of Practical Philosophy", New York Observer, 5/24/11.

Contact
Web: http://www.schooleconomicscience.org

Related Sourcewatch

 * John Butler, Anthony Deavin
 * Hugh Jackman - School of Practical Philosophy