The Philosophy Foundation

Hey there, curious minds! Join us online on Tuesday 5th May for Young Philosophers Club - Mind Games: Belief, Magic and Reality for 12-16 year olds https://www.philosophy-foundation.org/what-s-on

How do we know what to believe - and how do we experience the world?

In this Young Philosophers’ Club, we explore how we make sense of the world through both everyday and extraordinary experiences. Using magic tricks, surprising questions, and real‑life examples, together we will look at how beliefs are formed, why misinformation can be persuasive, and how trust, evidence, and personal experience shape what we think is true. From asking “What is a magic trick?" to “Do we all experience the same world in the same way?”, we question our assumptions, and discover that seeing and knowing are maybe more complicated than they first appear.

Young Philosophers Club is back with two new clubs for the summer term!

For 7-11 years join us for Pieces for a Meaningful Life where we'll ask If a happy life could be seen as a puzzle made up of different pieces, what might those pieces be?

For 12-16 years join us for Mind Games: Belief, Magic & Reality where we'll ask How do we know what to believe - and how do we experience the world?

Find out more and book your places here https://www.philosophy-foundation.org/what-s-on

Young Philosophers Club is our online community of amazing curious young minds where we think and talk about some of the most interesting and puzzling things in life. Through games, stories and thought experiments you will discover how deep these ideas go.

It's the final of the fourth series of The Traitors (UK) this week! Have you enjoyed it? It's a show I absolutely love to watch with my two children (a teen and a 'tween'); we discuss strategy, gameplay, psychology, and love being gripped and entertained by it all!

As with anything really (😅), there's a lot of stimuli for philosophical enquiry within The Traitors. Here are just six questions to launch you into discussion - with others or yourself - but I could have written hundreds!

Before I go, here's another viewing recommendation... 📺 I implore you to watch BBC's Waiting for the Out, about a guy called Dan who does philosophy in prisons, and so much more too. It's based on the memoir of one of my The Philosophy Foundation colleagues, Andy West ( on Instagram), and it's BRILLIANT, as is his book, The Life Inside. No enquiry questions from me on this; there are questions explicitly (and implicitly) asked throughout the show. Enjoy!

So excited for Waiting for the Out this evening and for all the conversations and questions it will spark! Bravo Andy West

☕📺 Looking forward to a cosy night in? Don't miss Waiting for the Out on BBC One tonight (and on iPlayer). 💻

This six-part series is based on tutor Andy West's acclaimed memoir The Life Inside. Andy, a tutor for TRIP partner The Philosophy Foundation, chronicles his experiences running philosophy classes in prisons.

The series may make you think about life in a different way, with each episode raising different philosophical questions about freedom, luck, dominance, race, destiny and change.

The first episode will be aired tonight at 9.15pm, with the remaining
five episodes uploaded to BBC iPlayer shortly afterwards.

🔗 See the episodes: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002hzc3/episodes/guide

☕📺 Looking forward to a cosy night in? Don't miss Waiting for the Out on BBC One tonight (and on iPlayer). 💻

This six-part series is based on tutor Andy West's acclaimed memoir The Life Inside. Andy, a tutor for TRIP partner The Philosophy Foundation, chronicles his experiences running philosophy classes in prisons.

The series may make you think about life in a different way, with each episode raising different philosophical questions about freedom, luck, dominance, race, destiny and change.

The first episode will be aired tonight at 9.15pm, with the remaining
five episodes uploaded to BBC iPlayer shortly afterwards.

🔗 See the episodes: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002hzc3/episodes/guide

"He enjoyed them immensely, and would discuss the topics which we found extremely thoughtful and interesting on the dinner table. It was also really great for him to hear other people’s points of view." This from the parent of one of our brilliant Young Philosophers.

If you have or know a young person who has big ideas, loves to ask questions and debate and have fun with like minded others, Young Philosophers Club is for them!

We're starting 2 new clubs in January where we'll be asking What does it mean to be free? (For 7-11 year olds) and Who am I? (For 12-16 year olds). Find out more and book places to join our wonderful online community here https://www.philosophy-foundation.org/what-s-on

Tomorrow at HowTheLightGetsIn Festival we’re bringing big questions to curious minds!

Catch our team of philosophers in the Children’s Programme:

Saturday 20th September
11:30am: Frog and the Scorpion with Andy West
12:30pm: The Prince and the Pig with Zoe Drewitt
2:30pm: The Flying Man with Miriam Cohen
3:30pm: Can you step in the same river twice? With Claudia Godwin

Through stories, games and enquiry, children will explore questions with no single answer, learning how to listen, disagree well and think deeply together.

As one young philosopher told us:
“It feels different to thinking at school. You explore one thing which leads on to so many more things.”

Come join us and see where good questions can take you.



Click here for more information: https://howthelightgetsin.org/festivals/london/children-and-schools/childrens-programme/childrens-programme?_gl=1*q3icyr*_up*MQ..*_ga*NDA0OTkzOTQ1LjE3NTgyOTc1NzI.*_ga_FNCHD2V7Q2*czE3NTgyOTc1NzEkbzEkZzEkdDE3NTgyOTc2MjIkajkkbDAkaDA.

Many in of us are saying “Of course philosophy makes you think better!” but it’s not always easy to show and not everyone sees philosophy in the same way..This research is a good start:

A study of over 600,000 graduates has shown that studying philosophy makes people better thinkers.

“Studying Philosophy Does Make People Better Thinkers” Prinzing & Vazquez (2025).

At The Philosophy Foundation, we believe thinking better will help you live a better life. So this shouldn’t be something that only happens at university. Every child should have the chance to practise thinking deeply, ask big questions, and learn to disagree well.

The article also highlights that In a world of AI and misinformation, helping children to think critically, collaboratively and reflectively isn’t optional. It’s essential. Thats why we’re convinced that philosophical enquiry should be every classrooms.

And with the support of our funders, our partners and our schools, we aim to do that.

Read the article here:

Studying philosophy does make people better thinkers, according to new research on more than 600,000 college grads Philosophers are fond of saying that their field boosts critical thinking. Two of them decided to put that claim to the test.

It's our centenary year! 🎉 We are marking the occasion with 100 papers that have shaped our thinking over the past 100 years.📜💡

Today's featured paper is "Minds, Machines, and Gödel" by J. R. Lucas, published in 1961. This was a seminal publication in the philosophy of mind, and in the philosophy of artificial intelligence. You can read it for free here by selecting Save PDF: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/philosophy/article/minds-machines-and-godel1/727219EDEB5DD3679E56CF3D335C90C1 📚🔗

The full list of papers to date is:

1. Samuel Alexander: 'Art and Science' (1926)

2. Richard Swinburne: 'The Argument from Design' (1968)

3. Alwynne Smart: 'Mercy' (1968)

4. Thomas Nagel: 'Conceiving the Impossible and the Mind-Body Problem' (1998)

5. Rebecca Buxton: 'Reparative Justice for Climate Refugees' (2019)

6. Cora Diamond: 'Eating Meat and Eating People' (1978)

7. J. R. Lucas: 'Minds, Machines, and Gödel' (1961)

8. Kathleen V. Wilkes: 'More Brain Lesions' (1980)

They have been handpicked by our President, Professor Jo Wolff, whose commentary on the papers is available exclusively to our members.

What do you think of this list, and which papers would you include in your own top 100?

What happens when young minds meet big ideas in one of London’s most iconic cultural spaces?”
This summer, we’re helping young people reimagine the future - Through philosophical enquiry.

We are proud to partner with Somerset House on The Spell or The Dream. A bold new installation by Turner Prize-winner Tai Shani. Part of Somerset House’s 25th Anniversary Celebrations

We’re especially excited to be part of their family programme, bringing philosophical enquiry to young minds with two playful, thought-provoking workshops:

Big Questions for Little Thinkers (ages 5–7)
A joyful exploration of tomorrow’s possibilities through philosophical dialogue.

Reimagining the Future (ages 8–12)
A creative workshop on identity, society, technology, and building a better world.

📅 When: Thursday, 14 August 2025
📍 Where: Somerset House (as part of their summer family programme)

Know someone with a curious child? Tag them below!

https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/tai-shani-the-spell-or-the-dream-family-programme