The Society of Cogers (pronounced KOE-jers) is a

free speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The rights, right to freedom of expression has been ...

society, established in 1755 in the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...

. It is the oldest

debating Debate is a process that involves formal discourse on a particular topic, often including a Discussion moderator, moderator and audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for often opposing viewpoints. Debates have historically occurred ...

society in the world and one of the oldest speaking gatherings of any kind.

History and concept

The name "Cogers" comes from Descartes' famous assertion, ''

Cogito ergo sum The Latin , usually translated into English as "I think, therefore I am", is the "first principle" of René Descartes's philosophy. He originally published it in French as , in his 1637 ''Discourse on the Method'', so as to reach a wider audien ...

'' (I think, therefore I am). As a "Society of Thinkers", the Cogers is dedicated to the

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

of letting everyone express their thoughts. The aims of the Cogers were the promotion of the liberty of the subject and the freedom of the Press, the maintenance of loyalty to the laws, the rights and claims of humanity and the practice of public and private virtue. The first meeting in 1755 was at the White Bear Inn (now St Brides Tavern), Fleet Street. Meetings were held on Saturday evenings. In around 1850 it moved to Discussion Hall, Shoe Lane, and in 1871 migrated to the Barley Mow Inn, Salisbury Square, E.C.1, where it remained until the 1960s. Attendances went into decline during the 1970s and 80s. By the mid-90s, the original society had split into two rival factions. In July 1997 Magnus Nielsen opened a third meeting in Cornhill on the 2nd Monday of each month. This meeting has now moved location to the Old Bank of England in the Strand. The two Saturday night societies have since closed. Previous members and visitors to the society include founding member

John Wilkes John Wilkes (17 October 1725 – 26 December 1797) was an English radical journalist and politician, as well as a magistrate, essayist and soldier. He was first elected a Member of Parliament in 1757. In the Middlesex election dispute, he fo ...

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creation o ...

Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (I) ( ga, Dónall Ó Conaill; 6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847), hailed in his time as The Liberator, was the acknowledged political leader of Ireland's Roman Catholic majority in the first half of the 19th century. His mobilizat ...

,King Dan the Rise of Daniel O'Connell 1775-1829, Patrick Geoghegan, Gill and Macmillan, 2008. and many others throughout its 250-year history.

Format

Members meet monthly at pubs in the centre and outside London and begin the evening by having an impartial

host A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it. Host may also refer to: Places * Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County People *Jim Host (born 1937), American businessman * Michel Host ...

rounding up the current affairs of the last month. Then all participants may take turns to have their own five minutes on the podium expressing their views as to what, what's not, and what not on any subjects they feel they would like to bring to the evening. It may be reactions to the previous speakers or their own topics. The meetings are chaired by the "Grand", who maintains order and also regulates the timing of speeches. The meeting starts with an "Opener", who gives a 15-minute résumé, inviting topics for discussion. At the end of the evening the traditional "

Apple of Discord An apple of discord is the core, kernel, or crux of an argument, or a small matter that could lead to a bigger dispute. It is a reference to the Golden Apple of Discord ( grc, ) in the story of the ''Judgement of Paris'' which, according to G ...

" is presented by the "Evaluator" to the best speaker of the evening to the speaker who throughout the evening brought the greatest contribution, whether that be thoughtful, entertaining, controversial or outstanding. Participants also have the opportunity to get tips from the evaluator on what their strengths and potentials are.

Venues

*City of London Cogers, Ye Olde Cocke Tarvern,

Fleet Street Fleet Street is a major street mostly in the City of London. It runs west to east from Temple Bar at the boundary with the City of Westminster to Ludgate Circus at the site of the London Wall and the River Fleet from which the street was na ...

, 7pm, 2nd Monday each month. Near the

Royal Courts of Justice The Royal Courts of Justice, commonly called the Law Courts, is a court building in Westminster which houses the High Court and Court of Appeal of England and Wales. The High Court also sits on circuit and in other major cities. Designed by Ge ...

and

Chancery Lane Chancery Lane is a one-way street situated in the ward of Farringdon Without in the City of London. It has formed the western boundary of the City since 1994, having previously been divided between the City of Westminster and the London Boroug ...

. *Westminster Cogers, The Plumbers Arms,

Lower Belgrave Street Lower Belgrave Street is a street in London's Belgravia district. It runs north-west to south-east and begins as a continuation of Upper Belgrave Street where it meets Eaton Square. It crosses one through-street, Ebury Street, and ends in a t-j ...

, 7pm, 4th Wednesday each month. Just near Victoria Station. *Ware Society of Cogers, The Drill Hall, Amwell End,

Ware Ware may refer to: People * Ware (surname) * William of Ware (), English Franciscan theologian Places Canada *Fort Ware, British Columbia United Kingdom *Ware, Devon *Ware, Hertfordshire *Ware, Kent United States * Ware, Elmore County, Al ...

, 3rd Tuesday each month *San Francisco Society of Cogers, The University Club,

Nob Hill Nob Hill is a neighborhood of San Francisco, California, United States that is known for its numerous luxury hotels and historic mansions. Nob Hill has historically served as a center of San Francisco's upper class. Nob Hill is among the highes ...

, 1st Tuesday each month.

Notes

References

*Peter Rayleigh, ''History of Ye Antient Society of Cogers'' (London, 1904). *Rachel Halliburton,
Dickens may have spoken here
(24 February 1995) The Independent *{{EB1911, wstitle=Cogers Hall, volume=6, pages=650–651

External links

Cogers Society website

Cogers Facebook page
Debating societies Clubs and societies in London