From the International Communications OfficerDear international philosophy enthusiasts, The Philosophical Society welcomes members who live outside the UK. Though members from the UK are in majority, we have a growing number of members from countries like Germany, Luxemburg, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA. There are advantages to being a member of the Philosophical Society even if you do not live close to Oxford. For example you are eligible for:
International members are encouraged to take full advantage of all these benefits. Joining is easy – just follow this link to the membership applications page. There are also, of course, the excellent philosophy online courses that the Oxford University Department for Continuing Education (OUDCE) offers. Participation in online courses is, like for all OUDCE courses, open to anyone, not only members. Regular participation in the seven philosophy weekends per year at Rewley House is generally not feasible for most non-UK residents. But Oxford makes for a great destination for a long weekend (or more). Combining a visit to Oxford, a beautiful and lively city where you will find much to see and to do, with a philosophy weekend makes an occasional trip definitely something worthwhile. In addition to the philosophy weekends there is an annual Members' Day, where our members are the speakers. This year the event is celebrated on Sept 4 - an ideal opportunity to meet fellow-members and visit Oxford! Oxford University, with which the Philosophical Society is associated through its Department for Continuing Education (OUDCE), has an outstanding tradition and is a worldwide leading centre for philosophy. This is not without a very noticeable impact on the quality of the lectures and lecturers of the philosophy weekends and the rest of the offer of the OUDCE. Being myself a native German with residence in Spain, I used to come once or twice per year to Oxford for philosophy weekends. I found it very rewarding and stimulating to participate from time to time in live lectures held by accomplished philosophers, and to have the opportunity to discuss and converse with Philosophical Society members and other participants. So even if you can't come to Oxford, or only occasionally, this should not prevent you from considering becoming a member of the Philosophical Society. If you are a philosophy enthusiast, you will find a community of supportive like-minded people. Should you live outside the UK, please do not hesitate to contact me (or any Committee member, of course) for any question or assistance related to Philosophical Society membership or philosophy weekends. All the best, Christian Michel |
