The Oxford Philosophical Club refers to a group of

natural philosopher Natural philosophy or philosophy of nature (from Latin ''philosophia naturalis'') is the philosophical study of physics, that is, nature and the physical universe. It was dominant before the development of modern science. From the ancient wo ...

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

s, virtuosi and dilettanti gathering around

John Wilkins John Wilkins, (14 February 1614 – 19 November 1672) was an Anglican clergyman, natural philosopher, and author, and was one of the founders of the Royal Society. He was Bishop of Chester from 1668 until his death. Wilkins is one of the f ...

FRS (1614–1672) at

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

in the period 1649 to 1660. It is documented in particular by

John Aubrey John Aubrey (12 March 1626 – 7 June 1697) was an English antiquary, natural philosopher and writer. He is perhaps best known as the author of the '' Brief Lives'', his collection of short biographical pieces. He was a pioneer archaeologist ...

: he refers to it as an "experimental philosophical club" run weekly by Wilkins, who successfully bridged the political divide of the times. There is surviving evidence that the Club was formally constituted, and undertook some projects in Oxford libraries. Its historical importance is that members formed one of the major groups that came together in the early 1660s to form the

Royal Society of London The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

. Wilkins was

Warden of Wadham College This is a list of Wadham College, Oxford people, including alumni, Fellows, Deans and Wardens of the College. An alphabetical list of alumni of Wadham college can be found here. Alumni Academics * Martin Aitken, archaeometrist * Amir Attara ...

, and the circle around him is also known as the Wadham Group, though it was not restricted to members of the College. It included

William Petty Sir William Petty FRS (26 May 1623 – 16 December 1687) was an English economist, physician, scientist and philosopher. He first became prominent serving Oliver Cromwell and the Commonwealth in Ireland. He developed efficient methods to s ...

Jonathan Goddard Jonathan Goddard (1617–1675) was an English physician, known both as army surgeon to the forces of Oliver Cromwell, and as an active member of the Royal Society. Life The son of a wealthy shipbuilder, Goddard was a student at the Magdalen H ...

and John Wallis from the 1645 group in London. The term Oxford Philosophical Society may refer to this club, or at least two later societies.

Views

A number of the Club's leading members showed a united front in opposition to

Thomas Hobbes Thomas Hobbes ( ; 5/15 April 1588 – 4/14 December 1679) was an English philosopher, considered to be one of the founders of modern political philosophy. Hobbes is best known for his 1651 book ''Leviathan'', in which he expounds an influ ...

, from 1654, as they resisted external pressures for university reform. In the longer term the Hobbes-Wallis controversy developed out of the ''Vindiciae academiarum'' (1654) of Wilkins and Seth Ward. Generally Wilkins with Goddard and a few other allies were active on the traditionalist side of the debates on academia of the time, a point emphasised later by

Thomas Sprat Thomas Sprat, FRS (163520 May 1713) was an English churchman and writer, Bishop of Rochester from 1684. Life Sprat was born at Beaminster, Dorset, and educated at Wadham College, Oxford, where he held a fellowship from 1657 to 1670. Having ...

and

Walter Pope Walter Pope (''c.'' 1627 – 1714) was an English astronomer and poet. He was the son of Francis Pope and Jane Dod, daughter of the Puritan minister John Dod. He was born in Northamptonshire and was the half brother of John Wilkins, who would b ...

, as well as trying to keep a calm approach on divisive issues. Wilkins and Ward sympathised with

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. ...

views, as followers of the line of

John Conant Rev. John Conant D.D. (18 October 1608 – 12 March 1694) was an English clergyman, theologian, and Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. Life Conant was born at Yettington, Bicton, in the southeast of Devon, England, the eldest son of Rober ...

, but not with the wish for open theological clashes. One of the aims of the group was in theology, however: to develop a

natural philosophy Natural philosophy or philosophy of nature (from Latin ''philosophia naturalis'') is the philosophical study of physics, that is, nature and the physical universe. It was dominant before the development of modern science. From the ancient wo ...

which would be at the same time "mechanical" and providential.

Participation

Those attracted to Oxford directly by the presence of Wilkins include Ward,

William Neile William Neile (7 December 1637 – 24 August 1670) was an English mathematician and founder member of the Royal Society. His major mathematical work, the rectification of the semicubical parabola, was carried out when he was aged nineteen, and w ...

Laurence Rooke Lawrence Rooke (also Laurence) (1622–26 June 1662) was an English astronomer and mathematician. He was also one of the founders of the Royal Society, although he died as it was being formally constituted. Life He was born in Deptford, and ...

, and Christopher Wren. Others who became involved were

Ralph Bathurst Ralph Bathurst, FRS (1620 – 14 June 1704) was an English theologian and physician. Early life He was born in Hothorpe, Northamptonshire in 1620 and educated at King Henry VIII School, Coventry. He graduated with a B.A. degree from Trinity C ...

Thomas Willis Thomas Willis FRS (27 January 1621 – 11 November 1675) was an English doctor who played an important part in the history of anatomy, neurology and psychiatry, and was a founding member of the Royal Society. Life Willis was born on his pare ...

, and

Matthew Wren Matthew Wren (3 December 1585 – 24 April 1667) was an influential English clergyman, bishop and scholar. Life He was the eldest son of Francis Wren (born 18 January 1552 at Newbold Revell), citizen and mercer of London, only son of Cuth ...

Robert Boyle Robert Boyle (; 25 January 1627 – 31 December 1691) was an Anglo-Irish natural philosopher, chemist, physicist, alchemist and inventor. Boyle is largely regarded today as the first modern chemist, and therefore one of the founders of ...

moved to Oxford in 1655/6 and joined the group; when Wilkins moved to Cambridge in 1659 Boyle accommodated the continuing meetings. Around 1652 Wilkins was very active on behalf of the club and Wadham as a scientific centre, bringing in technical expertise including that of

Ralph Greatorex Ralph Greatorex (c. 1625–1675)Sarah Bendall, 'Greatorex, Ralph (c.1625–1675)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 200retrieved 6 Feb 2011/ref> was a mathematical instrument maker. He was an ...

, and finding ways to finance equipment. Eventually Wadham had a laboratory area. Wilkins continued to assemble his group, and it came to include also Richard Lower, his relation Walter Pope,

William Holder William Holder FRS (1616 – 24 January 1698) was an English clergyman and music theorist of the 17th century. His most notable work was his widely known 1694 publication ''A Treatise on the Natural Grounds and Principles of Harmony''. Life He ...

, and

Nathaniel Hodges Nathaniel Hodges M.D. (1629–1688) was an English physician, known for his work during the Great Plague of London and his written account '' Loimologia'' of it. Early life The son of Dr. Thomas Hodges, vicar of Kensington, he was born there ...

. Robert Hooke became involved, through his work for Willis and then Boyle. It has been suggested that Daniel Coxe was also linked to the club in the later 1650s.

References

{{Reflist 1649 establishments in England 1660 disestablishments in England Organizations established in 1649 Organizations disestablished in 1660 Philosophical societies in the United Kingdom Scientific organisations based in the United Kingdom Clubs and societies of the University of Oxford History of the University of Oxford History of the Royal Society Wadham College, Oxford