Royal Institute of Philosophy
Encyclopedia
The Royal Institute of Philosophy, founded in 1925, is a charity organisation based in London
that offers lectures and conferences on philosophical topics. The Institute is not committed to any particular philosophical school, method or ideology. The Institute’s membership includes both professional philosophers and lay people.
gave his Lectures on Logical Atomism
in the hall where the Institute's annual lecture series are now held. He finished them just before he was incarcerated. The Home Secretary, Lord Balfour
, gave the extraordinary instruction that the prisoner should be allowed writing materials in this cell, in which he produced his Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy
, published in 1919. Russell, together with Balfour, L. T. Hobhouse
, Samuel Alexander
, Harold Laski
, and the Institute's Journal's first editor, Sydney Hooper, founded the Institute, originally known as the British Institute of Philosophical Studies, in 1925.
The first President of the Institute was Lord Balfour, succeeded in 1930 by Lord Samuel
, in 1959 by Lord Halsbury, in 1991 by Anthony Quinton, and in 2006 by Sir Anthony Kenny
. Sir Anthony, the current President, has been Master of Balliol College, Oxford
and President of the British Academy
. He is author of many philosophical books and articles, and he gave the Institute’s Annual Lecture in 2007. Sir David Ross
was for many years Chairman of Council, and Professor Hywel Lewis
for many years after him. He was succeeded by the then Vice-Chancellor of the University of London
, Stewart Sutherland, Baron Sutherland of Houndwood
. After almost 20 years of service to the Institute, Lord Sutherland was succeeded by Professor Ted Honderich
, Emeritus Grote Professor of Mind and Logic at University College London
Professor H. B. Acton
, Director of the Institute while Professor at Bedford College, London, who is commemorated by occasional special lectures, was succeeded by Professor Godfrey Vesey, the founding Professor of Philosophy of the Open University
. On his retirement after 13 years as Director he was appointed Fellow of the Institute in 1979. Professor Anthony O'Hear
of the University of Bradford
has been Director since the session 1994-95. The Institute's title of Royal was granted in 1947. The current secretary to the society is James Garvey
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
that offers lectures and conferences on philosophical topics. The Institute is not committed to any particular philosophical school, method or ideology. The Institute’s membership includes both professional philosophers and lay people.
History
While waiting to go into prison for sponsoring an anti-war pamphlet in 1916, Bertrand RussellBertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal, a socialist, and a pacifist, but he also admitted that he had never been any of these things...
gave his Lectures on Logical Atomism
Logical atomism
Logical atomism is a philosophical belief that originated in the early 20th century with the development of analytic philosophy. Its principal exponents were the British philosopher Bertrand Russell, the early work of his Austrian-born pupil and colleague Ludwig Wittgenstein, and his German...
in the hall where the Institute's annual lecture series are now held. He finished them just before he was incarcerated. The Home Secretary, Lord Balfour
Arthur Balfour
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC, DL was a British Conservative politician and statesman...
, gave the extraordinary instruction that the prisoner should be allowed writing materials in this cell, in which he produced his Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy
Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy
Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy is a book by Bertrand Russell, published in 1919, written in part to exposit in a less technical way the main ideas of his and Whitehead's Principia Mathematica , including the theory of descriptions....
, published in 1919. Russell, together with Balfour, L. T. Hobhouse
Leonard Trelawny Hobhouse
Leonard Trelawny Hobhouse was a British liberal politician and sociologist, who has been considered one of the leading and earliest proponents of social liberalism. His works, alongside that of writers such as T.H. Green and John A. Hobson, occupy a seminal position within the canon of New...
, Samuel Alexander
Samuel Alexander
Samuel Alexander OM was an Australian-born British philosopher. He was the first Jewish fellow of an Oxbridge college.-Early life:...
, Harold Laski
Harold Laski
Harold Joseph Laski was a British Marxist, political theorist, economist, author, and lecturer, who served as the chairman of the Labour Party during 1945-1946, and was a professor at the LSE from 1926 to 1950....
, and the Institute's Journal's first editor, Sydney Hooper, founded the Institute, originally known as the British Institute of Philosophical Studies, in 1925.
The first President of the Institute was Lord Balfour, succeeded in 1930 by Lord Samuel
Edwin Samuel, 2nd Viscount Samuel
Edwin Herbert Samuel, 2nd Viscount Samuel CMG , was the son of Herbert Samuel and the father of Professor David Samuel. He served in the Jewish Legion....
, in 1959 by Lord Halsbury, in 1991 by Anthony Quinton, and in 2006 by Sir Anthony Kenny
Anthony Kenny
Sir Anthony John Patrick Kenny FBA is an English philosopher whose interests lie in the philosophy of mind, ancient and scholastic philosophy, the philosophy of Wittgenstein and the philosophy of religion...
. Sir Anthony, the current President, has been Master of Balliol College, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and President of the British Academy
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
. He is author of many philosophical books and articles, and he gave the Institute’s Annual Lecture in 2007. Sir David Ross
W. D. Ross
Sir David Ross KBE was a Scottish philosopher, known for work in ethics. His best known work is The Right and the Good , and he is perhaps best known for developing a pluralist, deontological form of intuitionist ethics in response to G.E. Moore's intuitionism...
was for many years Chairman of Council, and Professor Hywel Lewis
Hywel Lewis
Hywel David Lewis was a Welsh theologian and philosopher.-Life:Lewis was born in Llandudno, Wales and educated at Caernarfon grammar school, the University College of North Wales, Bangor and Jesus College, Oxford...
for many years after him. He was succeeded by the then Vice-Chancellor of the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, Stewart Sutherland, Baron Sutherland of Houndwood
Stewart Sutherland, Baron Sutherland of Houndwood
Stewart Ross Sutherland, Baron Sutherland of Houndwood, is a British academic and public servant and one of the UK's most distinguished philosophers of religion.He was educated at Robert Gordon's College...
. After almost 20 years of service to the Institute, Lord Sutherland was succeeded by Professor Ted Honderich
Ted Honderich
Ted Honderich is a Canadian-born British philosopher, Grote Professor Emeritus of the Philosophy of Mind and Logic, University College London and Visiting Professor, University of Bath...
, Emeritus Grote Professor of Mind and Logic at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
Professor H. B. Acton
H. B. Acton
Harry Burrows Acton was a British academic in the field of political philosophy, known for books defending the morality of capitalism, and attacking Marxism-Leninism. He in particular produced arguments on the incoherence of Marxism, which he described as a 'farrago'...
, Director of the Institute while Professor at Bedford College, London, who is commemorated by occasional special lectures, was succeeded by Professor Godfrey Vesey, the founding Professor of Philosophy of the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
. On his retirement after 13 years as Director he was appointed Fellow of the Institute in 1979. Professor Anthony O'Hear
Anthony O'Hear
Anthony O'Hear is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Buckingham and Head of the Department of Education.He is the editor of the journal Philosophy and Honorary Director of the Royal Institute of Philosophy...
of the University of Bradford
University of Bradford
The University of Bradford is a British university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The University received its Royal Charter in 1966, making it the 40th University to be created in Britain, but its origins date back to the early 1800s...
has been Director since the session 1994-95. The Institute's title of Royal was granted in 1947. The current secretary to the society is James Garvey
James Garvey (philosopher)
James Garvey is a noted American philosopher based in Britain. He is Secretary of the Royal Institute of Philosophy., a regular and controversial contributor to The Guardian and author of The Ethics of Climate Change 2008 and Twenty Great Philosophy Books 2006. He has a PhD from the University of...
Activities
- The publication of PhilosophyPhilosophy (journal)Philosophy is the scholarly journal of the Royal Institute of Philosophy. It is designed to be intelligible to the non-specialist reader and has been in continuous publication for over 80 years. It is published by Cambridge University Press and is currently edited by Anthony O'Hear.-See also:* ...
- The publication of ThinkThink (journal)Think is an academic journal created to forge a direct link between contemporary philosophy and the general public. The central aim of the journal is to provide easily accessible and engaging writing by philosophers pre-eminent in their fields to a wide audience, unimpeded by academic jargon and...
- The London Lecture Series
- The Annual Lecture
- The Institute’s Branch Scheme
- The Jacobsen Fellowships
- The Institute’s Bursaries
- Philosophy in Schools
- Conferences
- The Philosophy Archive Project
- Supplemental volumes to Philosophy