Institute of Philosophy (IP), School of Advanced Study

Description

The Institute of Philosophy is a member institute of the School of Advanced Study at the University of London. It was established in 2005 through a generous private donation and matching funding from the University of London.

The Institute of Philosophy (IP) is dedicated to advancing philosophical thought and innovation. As part of the School of Advanced Study, our national mission involves showing the enduring relevance of philosophy through bridging disciplines and working with partners across a range of organizations to bring philosophy’s insights to a wider audience. Philosophy provides critical and foundational thinking to tackle urgent issues with relevance for us all: the advance of AI; the future of democracy; threats social cohesion and the environment; sensory experience of the world and ourselves.  The IP’s Centre for the Study of the Senses is knowns for pioneering interactions between philosophers, psychologists and neuroscientists. The London AI and Humanity Project connects philosophers of AI with industry experts. The Centre for Logic, Language and Information unites philosophers and logicians with experts in cybersecurity.

We connect philosophers with the arts, the sciences, policy makers, and industry to explore new ideas and tackle complex challenges, addressing questions of responsibility, meaning and value. Through a dynamic network of partnerships, fellowship programs, and research training, the Institute supports philosophical research, in a diverse and inclusive way, at all career stages. With UK partners we run and provide research training for a national Early Career Network in Philosophy. Our annual lectures, high-profile conferences, and interdisciplinary events unite thought leaders, amplifying philosophy’s impact on public discourse, policy, and scientific inquiry.

Upcoming events are listed on the website and all Institute events are open to the general public. 

The Institute is the successor to the University's Philosophy Programme. Since 1996, it was the administrative home for the Aristotelian Society. Additionally, from 2000 to the offices of the Mind Association, which runs the leading philosophy journal in the UK, were located within the Programme (now Institute). It also hosts the Royal Institute of Philosophy. 

Artificial intelligence is a major and growing strand of the Institute's work. Through the London AI and Humanity Project it brings philosophers of AI together with industry and policymakers, and it publishes an online Philosophical Glossary of AI. The Institute runs an AI Fellowship Programme that has included fellows from Google DeepMind and Google Research, and with the AI and Humanity Lab at the University of Hong Kong it runs an annual international Philosophy of AI Summer School. It also convenes an annual interdisciplinary AI and Philosophy Conference uniting academia and industry, has delivered briefing sessions for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Cabinet Office through the Bridging AI Research and Policy series, and co-organises the Being Human public lecture series with the Francis Crick Institute, exploring what it means to be human in the age of AI.

Offers funding

Yes, this infrastructure provides funding in the following categories:

Founding year

2005

Contact details

On the map

Go to larger version of this map

Categorisation

Type

Tags

University affiliation(s)

University of London
London

Partner Infrastructures

Arché: Philosophical Research Centre for Logic, Language, Metaphysics and Epistemology

Arché is a philosophical research centre at the University of St Andrews. Six research groups are currently active within the centre, which include: Language and Mind; Conceptual Engineering; Episte… read more about Arché: Philosophical Research Centre for Logic, Language, Metaphysics and Epistemology

St Andrews

Aristotelian Society

On April 19th 1880 at 17 Bloomsbury Square a group of five men met to discuss the establishment of a new student organisation for the serious discussion of philosophy. Far from a gathering of professi… read more about Aristotelian Society

London

Additional Partnerships

The Francis Crick Institute, Getty Conservation Institute; AI and Humanity Lab, University of Hong Kong; Google DeepMind; Google Research