During its earliest years, the Aristotelian Society met at 20 John Street in an area of London known as the ‘Adelphi’, a small district located in the borough of Westminster. Relocation after that time to rented rooms in the Royal Asiatic Society on Albemarle Street was necessitated by a somewhat dramatic episode in the Society’s young life: an attempted coup by some of its members, prompted largely in reaction to the domineering style of the Society’s first president, Shadworth Hodgson, saw the loss of the Society’s original meeting place. In 1920, members returned to Bloomsbury and rented rooms on Gower Street. Since then, the Society relocated to a number of different areas and institutions including Birkbeck – University of London.
Since 1995, the Society has enjoyed a close partnership with the Institute of Philosophy – School of Advanced Study. Whilst the Society’s operations are currently based in Stewart House, its talks for the Proceedings take place in the Woburn Suite of Senate House – University of London.
Senate House is the administrative nerve centre of the University of London, situated between the School of Oriental and African Studies and the British Museum. Amongst other bodies, the Senate House contains the entire collection of the Senate House Library – one of the world’s most significant collections in the arts, humanities and social sciences. It is also home of eight of the ten research institutes of the School of Advanced Study. Constructed in the Art Deco style, the Senate House was built between 1932 and 1937 as the first phase of a large uncompleted scheme designed for the University by Charles Holden. It consists of 19 floors and is 210 feet (64 m) high, making it the second tallest building in London (after St Paul’s Cathedral) when it was completed.
Contributors to the Proceedings are nominated by the Society’s Executive Committee and selected by the Editor. The President of the Aristotelian Society is chosen by the Council and is charged with – amongst other duties – delivering the inaugural address of the session.
Each session is chaired by the President and features 15 philosophers representing a wide variety of philosophical backgrounds. Whilst the Society is proud to showcase the best of British philosophy, each programme features speakers invited from abroad.
The topics covered for this year’s programme include: ancient philosophy, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, Kantian philosophy, philosophy of action, political philosophy, continental philosophy, ethics, the philosophy of sex and gender, history of philosophy, and epistemology.
Senate House University of London, Malet St, London WC1E 7HU
The Society’s philosophy talks take place every fortnight on Mondays throughout the academic year. Each talk starts at 18.00 and lasts for approximately an hour. The remainder of the time is dedicated to discussion, which ends at 19.45.
All of the Society’s philosophy talks are catered with fairtrade teas, coffees, and biscuits.
In line with the Society’s mission to make philosophy readily available to the general public, all talks are free and membership is not required.
Following over a century of tradition, draft papers for all the talks are available in advance. Please note that draft papers can only be cited with the authors permission (see below for final publication and subscription details). The draft paper for a talk is available approximately one week prior to its schedule delivery.
For the past 141 years, the Proceedings has featured widely respected papers delivered by a range of prominent philosophers, such as Alfred North Whitehead, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Bertrand Russell, A.J. Ayer, P.F. Strawson, Karl Popper, Elizabeth Anscombe, Bernard Williams, Hubert Dreyfus, Alexander Nehamas, and Onora O’Neill. Final drafts of the papers – including discussion notes and exemplary graduate papers – are published in the Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society.
The venue at Senate House is wheelchair accessible and there are disabled toilet facilities on the ground floor. If you require a disabled parking space, or a hearing loop, please contact hdelascasas@aristoteliansociety.org.uk in advance, so that we can reserve these for you. Service animals are also welcome.
The Aristotelian Society, founded in 1880, is a charity registered in the United Kingdom (no. 254021).
© The Aristotelian Society 2021. All rights reserved.
