The Philosophical Society of England (PSE) was founded in 1913 by a group of largely amateur 'philosophers' concerned to provide an alternative to the formal university-based discipline. The society has passed through a series of changes in direction, including a period during which it offered

distance-learning Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at a school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance. Traditionally, this usually in ...

courses in

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 ...

(although it no longer does today). These courses caused a minor academic tussle in the 1950s over the status of its

diplomas A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies. Historically, it has also referred to a charter or offici ...

of associateship, triggered by an ill-advised attempt to award them to all the then UK university Philosophy Professors an honorary

fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

ship (FPhS). In the words of its founding statement, the Philosophical Society of England exists 'to promote the study of practical philosophy among the general public'. It aims to bring together professional philosophers and non-professionals, to bring philosophical ideas and problems to the public attention, and to encourage wider discussion of both traditional and topical philosophical issues. To carry out this function, the society published its own journal, ''

The Philosopher ''The Philosopher'' is a long running periodical, established in 1923 by the Philosophical Society of England. Originally in print format, following a split in the mid-2010s the publication now exists in two competing formats. History ''The P ...

'', set up local groups for lectures and discussions and held regular conferences, often free of charge. The journal continues to be published to this day, with recent notable contributors including

Mary Midgley Mary Beatrice Midgley (' Scrutton; 13 September 1919 – 10 October 2018) was a British philosopher. A senior lecturer in philosophy at Newcastle University, she was known for her work on science, ethics and animal rights. She wrote her first b ...

Timothy Williamson Timothy Williamson (born 1955) is a British philosopher whose main research interests are in philosophical logic, philosophy of language, epistemology and metaphysics. He is the Wykeham Professor of Logic at the University of Oxford, and fe ...

, and

Jason Stanley Jason Stanley (born 1969) is an American philosopher who is the Jacob Urowsky Professor of Philosophy at Yale University. He is best known for his contributions to philosophy of language and epistemology, which often draw upon and influence other ...

. Its most high-profile president has been Professor Brenda Almond, known for her work in the cause of 'Applied Philosophy' in the United Kingdom, who helped shepherd the society to its 100th anniversary, celebrated with a special conference in Malmesbury in 2012. The society has never aligned itself with any particular school of philosophy, nor is it a cover for any political, ideological, religious, or esoteric movement or interests. Membership is open to all interested persons who share the society's aims. Under the chairmanship of Newcastle-based philosopher Michael Bavidge, the Philosophical Society of England continues to run events, workshops, and reading groups around the country, and especially in London and Newcastle upon Tyne. It currently collaborates with various other public philosophy bodies, including the Newcastle Philosophy Society, Bigg Books, and The London Philosophy Club. In October 2019, it is co-organizing a mini UK-tour for Yale philosopher

Martin Hägglund Martin Hägglund (born 23 November 1976) is a Swedish philosopher and scholar of modernist literature. He is the Birgit Baldwin Professor of Humanities at Yale University. He is also a member of the Harvard Society of Fellows, serving as a Junior ...

References

External links

The Philosophical Society of England - Home Page

{{DEFAULTSORT:Philosophical Society of England Philosophical societies in the United Kingdom British philosophy Organizations established in 1913 1913 establishments in England Organisations based in England