Royal Institute of Philosophy
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The Royal Institute of Philosophy is dedicated to the advancement of philosophy in all its branches through the organisation and promotion of teaching, discussion and research of all things philosophical. The Institute is not committed to any particular philosophical school or method or any ideology. It aims to "provide for all classes and denominations, without any distinction whatsoever, opportunities and encouragement." The Institute’s membership includes professional philosophers alongside those who support and pursue philosophy only for the love of it.
The activities of the Institute include:
- The publication of Philosophy
- The publication of Think
- 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
The Council of the Institute welcomes applications for membership from all those interested in philosophy. The Institute is based in 14 Gordon Square, London, England.[1]
[edit] History
While waiting to go into prison for sponsoring an anti-war pamphlet in 1916, Bertrand Russell 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, during which time 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'. Russell, together with Balfour, L. T. Hobhouse, Samuel Alexander, Harold Laski, and the Institute's Journal's first editor, Sydney Hooper, founded the Institute - then 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, among other things, 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, The Lord 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, appropriately to the aims of the Institute 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.[2]
