Founded in 1925 by a group of renowned scholars, public officials and other notable individuals, the Royal Institute of Philosophy has been driven by its mission ‘to advance the education of the public in the subject of philosophy’. As we celebrate our Centenary, take a closer look at the Institute’s history, initiatives, and achievements that have allowed TRIP to grow into the UK’s largest independent charitable foundation devoted to widely promoting philosophical thinking.

This year in fact marks a Triple-Centenary for TRIP: celebrating 100 years as an organisation, the inception of our first Lecture Series, and the launch of our flagship journal, Philosophy.
To learn more about our projects, which impact thousands annually, click here.

From the very first meeting – attended by the likes of Bertrand Russell who helped outline the plans for a London-based philosophical institute –  through to the attainment of Royal status, the establishment of cornerstone journals like Philosophy, the launch of our flagship lecture series, and inauguration of various funding campaigns, the Royal Institute of Philosophy has had an extraordinary journey. Explore our history in full here.

In its long history, the Royal Institute has undertaken remarkable work that has positively impacted many individuals. The following slides showcase testimonials from some who have benefited from TRIP’s initiatives.

With support from the Jacobsen Foundation, TRIP offers bursary and studentship grants each year.

One student’s testimonial : “ Following an illness that severely impacted my studies I found myself at the end of my third year and my previous funding had ended. If I would not have been granted the Royal Institute of Philosophy funding I would have had to quit my PhD to make ends meet.”

Testimonial from Professor Derek Matravers, a speaker at our London Lecture Series 2025:”I very much enjoyed giving my talk in the Royal Institute of Philosophy lecture series. It was a refreshing change to have such an enquiring audience, and I can honestly say the probing questions led me both to clarify and then change my views… It is marvellous to think that a tradition that goes back to people such as Balfour and Russell is still giving the opportunity for such interesting philosophical interactions. I hope these series will last for at least another 100 years.” 

TRIP also offers an educational programme for prisoners, offering guided reflection and engaging prison inmates in philosophical discussions.

As one prisoner from HMP Pentonville’s reflected on the programme: “I have learned a lot about me and some choices I have made in life… It helped me look at myself and how I have done things in my past. Its let me see others way of thinking. Courses like this can do a lot to change and help someone find themselves… A lot of life lessons learned.”