About

 

About The Philosopher

The Philosopher, founded in 1923, is the oldest 'general philosophy' journal in the world.

Its history was for many years entwined with that of the Philosophical Society of England, founded ten years earlier. The Society was intended 'to promote the study of practical philosophy among the general public', to bring together professional philosophers and non-professionals, to bring philosophical ideas and problems to the public attention, and to encourage wider discussion of both traditional and topical philosophical issues. It was to carry out this function, that the Society founded its own journal, set up local groups for lectures and discussions and held regular conferences, often free of charge. Over the years, the needs of the Society changed, as membership declined and the general public shifted to infromal, web-based groups. In 2011, the Society formally separated the functions of the printed Journal, which became a members' newsletter, and the web edition, which had long been the key publication in terms of both submissions and readers, and made it fully autonomous.

Speaking more precisely about precedence, the journal, Mind (founded 1876), is even older but not only was it launched (as the title suggests) as a psychology journal, but it has never attempted to speak to or for the general reader. As both an 'an announcer for' and a 'judge of new work' in what we would now call psychology, Mind has never had any sense of its limitations, claiming its scope was unlimited, and assuring its readers, in language that the founders of The Philosopher would borrow, that 'Mind will not be the organ of any philosophical school.'

Philosophy (founded 1925) is a closer match, on paper, but slightly younger, and more importantly, is very much the standard-bearer for academic definitions and approaches. All three journals are English, but in this particular publishing area, England was a pioneer of sorts.

Today, The Philosopher is unrivaled in its efforts to provide a forum for short, original, brilliant and accessible articles (and, it is true, space for a few rather less good ones!).