Society for Applied Philosophy

Society for Applied Philosophy
Name	Society for Applied Philosophy
Formation	1982
Type	Learned society
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Region served	International
Language	English
Leader title	President

Society for Applied Philosophy is a learned society that promotes research, teaching, and public engagement in applied ethics and practical philosophy. It brings together scholars and practitioners from across academia and professional fields to address issues in bioethics, technology, law, and public policy. The Society engages with universities, funding bodies, journals, and conference organizers to shape debates in contemporary moral philosophy and interdisciplinary practice.

History

The Society for Applied Philosophy was founded in the early 1980s amid renewed interest in practical ethics and moral theory, influenced by figures associated with Oxford University, Cambridge University, University of Edinburgh, London School of Economics, and King's College London. Early meetings featured participants linked to projects at the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the Wellcome Trust, the British Academy, the Royal Society, and the European Commission. Founding members included academics who had taught at institutions such as University of Manchester, University of Glasgow, University of Warwick, University of York, and University of Birmingham, and who collaborated with scholars from Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, University of Chicago, and Columbia University. Over time the Society established connections with professional bodies like the General Medical Council, the Medical Research Council, the National Health Service (England), the House of Commons, and intergovernmental organizations such as the World Health Organization and the Council of Europe.

Mission and Activities

The Society's mission emphasizes rigorous applied philosophical inquiry relevant to policy and practice, aligning with themes encountered in work from the Journal of Medical Ethics, the American Philosophical Association, the Royal Institute of Philosophy, the Institute of Philosophy, and the Philosophical Quarterly. Activities include organizing seminars at venues such as Senate House, University of London, hosting workshops connected to research councils like the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Economic and Social Research Council, and advising committees in bodies such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. The Society facilitates collaborations with centres like the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, the Centre for Ethics in Medicine, the Berkman Klein Center, and the Oxford Internet Institute.

Publications and Conferences

The Society supports and contributes to publication outlets including the Applied Philosophy (journal), the Bioethics (journal), the Ethics (journal), the Philosophical Studies, the Journal of Applied Philosophy, and edited volumes published by houses like Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Routledge, Springer, and Palgrave Macmillan. Regular conferences and symposia take place alongside major events such as the British Philosophical Association annual meeting, the Munich Security Conference (when thematic intersections arise), the European Society for Philosophy and Psychology meetings, and international congresses at sites like Princeton University, Stanford University, University of Toronto, Australian National University, and University of Cape Town. Special issues have focused on case studies involving institutions such as the European Court of Human Rights, the International Criminal Court, the United Nations, and policy debates represented in House of Lords inquiries.

Membership and Governance

Membership comprises academics, clinicians, legal scholars, and policy professionals affiliated with universities and institutions including University College London, Imperial College London, McGill University, University of British Columbia, National University of Singapore, and Peking University. Governance follows structures similar to other learned societies with elected officers and an executive committee including representatives from bodies like the British Academy, the American Philosophical Association, the Society for Applied Ethics, and the International Association of Bioethics. Presidents and officers have been affiliated with departments at University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of St Andrews, University of Leeds, and Rice University, and have engaged with editorial boards of journals including Philosophy Now and The Hastings Center Report.

Awards and Recognition

The Society grants prizes and recognitions that mirror awards in related fields, sometimes coordinated with organizations such as the Wellcome Trust, the Leverhulme Trust, the Templeton Foundation, the British Academy Wolfson Research Merit Award, and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Awardees have included scholars whose work intersects with projects at RAND Corporation, the King's Fund, Nesta, The Nuffield Foundation, and leading legal cases before the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and the European Court of Human Rights. Honours also recognize contributions to public philosophy in outlets like the Times Higher Education Supplement, The Guardian, The New York Times, and broadcasts on BBC Radio 4 and PBS.

Regional and International Collaborations

The Society maintains regional chapters and partnerships involving institutions such as the European University Institute, the Asian Pacific Philosophy Association, the African Institutes for Mathematical Sciences, and national academies including the Royal Society, the National Academy of Sciences (United States), and the Academia Europaea. Collaborative projects have linked researchers at Sorbonne University, Humboldt University of Berlin, University of Buenos Aires, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, University of Tokyo, and Seoul National University with policy makers from the European Commission, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Bank, and non-governmental organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

Category:Philosophical societies Category:Ethics organizations