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For over 25 years, we have run a Studentship and Bursary programme – partly through the generosity of the Jacobsen Foundation but partly drawing upon the Royal Institute’s own funds. The programme is open to all graduate students in philosophy studying in UK universities.

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We deliver a number of education programmes and activities that offer direct support to students who are new to philosophy, or for students who have found the joy of philosophy and wish to continue on their journey of intellectual discovery. Donate to support their journey and broaden their future horizons.

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100 years of change
Welcome to the Royal Institute of Philosophy, the UK’s largest independent charitable foundation devoted to sharing philosophical thinking as widely as possible. Addressing ourselves to fundamental questions across the whole breadth of philosophy, we aim to bring these questions to the curious of every age and background, and to empower them to address these questions for themselves.
Welcome to the Royal Institute of Philosophy, the UK’s largest independent charitable foundation devoted to sharing philosophical thinking as widely as possible. Addressing ourselves to fundamental questions across the whole breadth of philosophy, we aim to bring these questions to the curious of every age and background, and to empower them to address these questions for themselves.

Our Centenary

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Our event series

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Annual lectures · Cardiff annual lectures · Upcoming events

Quiet as its Kept: On Epistemic Frailty (online) 

This year's Cardiff Annual Lecture will be delivered (online) by the University of Michigan's Kristie Dotson. In her talk, she will be exploring the ways in which we become set in our beliefs and conceptions of the world, and the implications of this for our political lives.

· Online
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Annual lectures · Edinburgh annual lectures · Upcoming events

The Puzzle of Free Will: Problems in Life and a Problem in Theory 

Professor Pamela Hieronymi will be delivering this year's Royal Society of Edinburgh/Royal Institute of Philosophy annual public lecture. Her talk navigates debates around Free Will, focusing on two key aspects: "problems in life" and "problems in theory."

· Edinburgh
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Annual lectures · London annual lectures · Upcoming events

Why do religions divide us? What can we do about it? 

In the 2024 London Lecture, Professor Kwame Anthony Appiah delves into the complexities of religion and its role in societal divisions. By separating the diverse elements of religions and their influences on identity and politics, he offers insights into how we can foster understanding and resolve conflicts in our multi-religious world.

· London
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London Lectures · Remembering and Forgetting: 2024-25 · Upcoming events

What is Trauma? From Ancient Greece to the Digital Age 

This lecture in the series Remembering and Forgetting is presented by James Dawes, tracing the history of trauma as a concept and the moral risks and demands it places on us.

· London
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London Lectures · Remembering and Forgetting: 2024-25 · Upcoming events

Trauma, emotion, and memory 

Michael Brady explores how memory can contribute to post-traumatic growth, examining the role of emotional memories in recovery.

· London
London Lectures · Remembering and Forgetting: 2024-25 · Upcoming events

The Importance of Forgetting 

This lecture in the series Remembering and Forgetting is presented by Rima Basu, examining the duty to forget and its implications for privacy and moral judgment.

· London