The Philosophical Research Society is a Los Angeles-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit institution founded in 1934 by scholar and prolific author Manly Palmer Hall as a repository of multicultural wisdom sources and a center of learning. With a campus designed by architect Robert Stacy-Judd and later designated a historical-cultural site by the city of Los Angeles, PRS is “dedicated to the ensoulment of all arts, sciences, and crafts.”

Since 1934, PRS has continually offered public programs for all lovers of wisdom on a vast array of topics presented by luminary speakers. The campus includes an auditorium, bookstore, lecture room, library, and gallery, all of which facilitate a full calendar of events. The PRS School fosters a worldwide community of seekers through its courses, and the Society continues to issue new editions and anthologies of Manly Hall’s work.

Mr. Hall’s international travels culminated in a collection of manuscripts, rare books, artwork, and esoterica that became the foundation for the PRS library. This 30,000-volume collection offers contemporary seekers a set of uniquely curated resources for their respective paths to illumination.
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PRS was created to aid those seeking wisdom in the troubled time of its inception as well as those who would continue seeking practical and profound wisdom in the future. Through depression, wars, and other public crises, PRS has sought to preserve and grow our personal connection, so that, as Mr. Hall notes, “With faith, honesty, and common sense we can build a better world than any we have known.”