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Welcome to the Philosophical Society's Web Site

The Philosophical Society is a community of enthusiastic amateur philosophers. Although it includes amongst its members academics and professionals from various fields of activity, as well as people who do hold academic qualifications in philosophy, the Society is not an academic research organisation. Its purpose is to advise and encourage anyone who has an interest in philosophy, and to help students who attend classes in philosophy organised by OUDCE (Oxford University Department for Continuing Education).

The Society was founded in 1973 by Dr Tony Chadwick, Staff Tutor in Philosophy at the Oxford University Department for External Studies, the predecessor of OUDCE. It has over 280 members, a number of them from outside the UK, and is based at Rewley House, Oxford. The running of the Society is in the hands of a committee (elected annually by members at a General Meeting) which determines policy and advises the President. The current President is Marianne Talbot who has been Director of Studies in Philosophy at OUDCE since 2001. (Check out Marianne's two podcast, which are breaking records globally with iTunesU: "A Romp Through the History of Philosophy", and "The Nature of Arguments".)

Please do take a look at the many activities we engage in.

Recent Announcements

Last updated: Thursday, 26 April 2012.

  • 2012-2103 weekend courses
    The Events Programme page now lists all weekend courses for the next academic year and gives appropriate booking links to the OUDCE website.
  • Members' Day 2012: Themes in Metaphysics
    The day's time-table is now available on the event's own page. More information will be added later.
  • Philsoc Student Essay Prize
    Philsoc is sponsoring a new essay competition for OUDCE students studying philosophy via online courses and weekly attended classes. Each term a winner's prize and two runners-up prizes will be awarded for philosophy essays from those submitted by course tutors as the best essay produced as part of their students' coursework. Philsoc sees this as a way of promoting a serious interest in philosophy and supporting OUDCE's educational aims.
  • "Persons and their Brains" Conference
    Membebers (and non-members) may be interested in this conference, which will take place at Oxford, 11th - 14th July 2012. The speaker list is excellent and promises some lively debates. For conference details (which include a registration link) click on the conference title above..