Philosophy

About

The Royal Holloway Philosophy society is a student-run society that was formed in 2014 with the purpose of promoting and fostering an extra-curricular environment for the study of philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London. To this end, we host weekly symposia on a variety of philosophical topics, drawing from a diverse pool of philosophers. We also run an ‘aesthetics circle’ in collaboration with our own Dr David Preston, where we discuss the merits (or lack thereof) of three pieces of art suggested by the members of the group. The atmosphere is relaxed and informal, and the event is open to anyone with an open heart and mind. We have also recently started hosting debates on ethical issues. Dispersed among these weekly activities, we host lectures in collaboration with the department, each ending with a ritual visit to a local pub.

Socials

Join us for weekly socials including symposia, pub crawls, debates, Burns nights and art gallery tours. Only with the Philosophy Society will you achieve such a synthesis of culture and festivity.

Philosophers of London

We also work in close collaboration with the POLIS (Philosophers of London In Solidarity), a community of all the philosophy societies of London, to provide a truly city-wide experience for our members which includes inter-university socials and lectures, publishing opportunities in student journals and the auspicious London Undergraduate Philosophy Conference.

Guest Lecture Series

We have previously had speakers from the Universities of Oxford, LSE, Reading, Toronto, Charles Sturt and Kingston. This year we are working in close collaboration with the Centre for Continental Philosophy, recently founded by our own Dr Henry Somers-Hall, to deliver our members groundbreaking guest lectures delivered by scholars from across the world.

In 2023 we also hosted the annual POLIS philosophers conference at Royal Holloway as part of our committment to expand the range of talks given.

Contact us

You can contact us and get regular updates about our freshers and term events at:

Community Elections 2025

This election will elect all student leaders within our student communities. These communities include Societies, Sports Clubs, Media Outlets, Academic Communities, and Inclusion Communities. You will also elect members of our Societies, Sports and Opportunities (SSO) Executive, who work with the VP Societies and Sport to develop policy and plans in their area of engagement. We will also be reopening nominations for the EPMS, Humanities and Law and Social Sciences (LSS) School Reps. For Student Groups, you must be a current Royal Holloway student and a fully paid, standard member of the group to vote. To vote for a Community Officer, students must self-identify with the relevant inclusion community on the RHSU website (in settings). In order to vote for a School Rep, you must belong to the relevant academic school. Please ensure you are logged in to your SU account to cast your votes. If you encounter any issues, please email marketing@su.rhul.ac.uk for assistance.

Royal Holloway Students' Union

1250 posts are up for election.

Nominations close at 23:59 on Friday 9 May 2025 (in 2 weeks and 6 days)

The polls open at 12:00 on Tuesday 13 May 2025 (in 3 weeks and 3 days)

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