The Society for Applied Philosophy was founded in 1982 with the aim of promoting philosophical work that has a direct bearing on areas of practical concern. It arose from the awareness that many topics of public debate — in law, politics, economics, science, technology, medicine and more — can be illuminated by critical analysis, philosophical questioning, and reflection of questions of value. We support workshops, conferences, lectures and graduate bursaries across the field of applied philosophy, and produce the Journal of Applied Philosophy.
In accordance with our constitution, we are not allied to the ideology of any political party, social interest group, campaign or religion. Membership is open to anyone committed to the notion of human values that transcend narrow or local interests, classes and cultures, and to the identification, justification and discussion of these values as they apply to topics of public importance.
The Journal of Applied Philosophy, published by Wiley on behalf of the Society, is now well established as a major source of high quality work in this area. It is edited by Avery Kolers (University of Louisville) with the assistance of six Associate Editors and an International Advisory Board.
The Society is run by an Executive Committee, including its Administrator, Jon Cameron.
Society membership enquiries should be directed to the Society’s Membership Service Specialist, Lori Homer.
Join the Society
Membership of the Society is open to anyone interested in our aims, whether or not you hold a philosophical qualification or are employed as a professional philosopher.
Membership currently costs £26 per annum, or £14 for postgraduates. This includes online access to the Journal of Applied Philosophy, as well as a reduced fee for the Society's annual conference. Members can also apply for event funding through the Society's grant scheme.
Membership and journal subscription are handled by Wiley, as the publishers of the Journal of Applied Philosophy. The button will take you through to their website.