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The University Philosophical Society (commonly known as '''The Phil.''') is a student paper-reading and Debating society in Trinity College, Dublin . It was founded in 1853 as the ''Undergraduate Philosophical Society''. The Phil. is currently situated in the Graduates' Memorial Building of Trinity College, which it shares with the College Historical Society . Traditionally a paper-reading society, it now largely organises debates, though it still occasionally invites students and guests to read papers. The society has in recent years prided itself on being less formal and stuffy than the Hist. The Dublin Philosophical Society existed intermittently from 1683 to 1708 . The Phil. is linked to that society and, as such, to be the oldest undergraduate society in the world. It should be noted that that society was somewhat different, not being an undergraduate society or connected in any substantial way with Trinity College. HISTORY In 1843 , the Dublin Philosophical Society was founded to cater for those Trinity College students too young to join other societies in Dublin (at the time, the College Historical Society only allowed students of Senior Sophister (fourth year) and above to join). This became the ''Dublin University Philosophical Society'' in 1845 when it was recognized by the college. Many of the subjects discussed were quite heavy, and the society did not appeal very strongly to its target audience. In 1853 , the ''Undergraduate Philosophical Society'' was founded, with the Provost of the College as its Senior Patron. In 1860 , the ''Dublin University Philosophical Society'' dissolved, and the ''Undergraduate Philosophical Society'' changed its name to the ''University Philosophical Society'' incorportating both societies. Among the notable events held in its early years was the demonstration of an early Telephone by Stephen Yeates in 1865. Some of the society's notable past members include authors Oscar Wilde , Bram Stoker and Oliver St. John Gogarty , former Irish President Mary Robinson , former Ugandan Supreme Court Chief Justice Udo Udoma and Nobel Laureates Ernest Walton and Samuel Beckett . In terms of its original purpose, the Phil. is the oldest paper-reading society in the world, and the largest in Ireland. Disputes and Dating The Phil's age is a subject of controversy to this day. Some sources state that it dates from 1683 and the foundation of the Dublin Philosophical Society . However, this claim is disputed by rival society - the College Historical Society . However, The old Dublin Philosophical Society had links with College. Throughout the years the society has changed its objectives slights. Previously it was a forum for new research and open thinking while in the modern day it serves to question beliefs. The Phil originally served as a paper-reading society although this is less prevelant now. The Trinity College Calendar lists two dates, 1684 and 1853, as foundation dates of the society. The society's "sessions" (year-long terms in which it holds meetings) date from 1683. The Society celebrates centenaries of both the 1853 foundation of the UPS and the 1683 foundation of the DPS. DEBATING The Phil. has has a strong competitive debating record of late, especially in the domestic Irish Times and international Observer Mace and John Smith Memorial Mace competitions. The society first won the Mace (the premier British and Irish university debating competition) in 1997 when an all-Scottish team of Matthew Magee and Alex Massie won the title. A second victory was claimed three years later by Fergal Davis and Robert Cuffe. The society's internal debating competitions are the Eamon O'Coinne Memorial Maiden Speaker's Competition, for first-time speakers in college, and the satirically-titled Margaret Thatcher Memorial Debating Competition, a series of impromptu debates including the John Pentland Mahaffy Memorial Mace External competitions include an intervarsity debating competition, the Claire Stewart Trinity IV - Dean Swift Intervarsity, in association with the Hist , and also a secondary schools' public speaking competition, the AIB Phil Speaks. GUESTS During its long history, the Society has recorded the presence of many remarkable guests, among them Frederick Engels , Karl Popper , and Bertrand Russell . In more recent years guests have included John Kenneth Galbraith , Salman Rushdie FW De Klerk , Newt Gingrich , Peter Arnett , Mary Robinson , The Edge , & Bono , of U2 , Peter Sutherland , George Galloway , Howard Marks , Germaine Greer , Spike Milligan , Ron Jeremy , Vivienne Westwood , David Irving , and Nancy Cartwright , voice of Bart Simpson . Guests of the 2004/05 session included US Senator John McCain , Taoiseach Bertie Ahern , former Taoiseach John Bruton , pornographer Ron Jeremy , "FHM High Street Honey" Kayleigh Pearson , Formula One driver Eddie Irvine , IMF vice-president Anne Krueger , Ambassador Bill Harrop and musician and political campaigner Bob Geldof . The inaugural meeting of the session featured Archbishop Desmond Tutu , Northern Irish politician John Hume , and former Taoisigh Albert Reynolds and Garret FitzGerald . Guests in the past few months include Sociologist George Ritzer ,Renouned journalistLondon Independent Patrick Cockburn , former New York Times journalist and former RNC communications officer Clifford D. May , Former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray , RTE Chief Reporter Charlie Bird , Former BBC Middle East Correspondent Tim Llewellyn , Celebrated Author and Peer Jeffrey Archer , Chef De Cabinet to United Nations Secretary General, Mark Malloch Brown , Former White House Chief Of Staff John Podesta , Talk Show Ledgend Michael Parkinson , Irish Times journalist John Waters CONTROVERSIES The Society has been involved in several controversies. In 1988, the Society invited the now discredited historian, and established holocaust denier, racist, and Nazi sympathiser, David Irving to speak. A large protest by students, staff, Jewish groups, socialists, and anti-Nazi activists resulted in the meeting being relocated to a hotel conference room and held in the small hours of the morning. More recently, the invitation to Austrian politician Jörg Haider to address the society in the Graduate Memorial Building (GMB) in late 2002 led to a protest by anti-Fascist activists, which continued through the debate, with noise being made outside the chamber and interjections in the society's proceedings within. Another guest to generate controversy was Islamist Anjem Choudary . Over Choudary's invitation, man who hailed the 9/11 hijackers as martyrs, the former Irish Taoiseach John Bruton threatened to withdraw from a Phil. debate later that year. Mr Bruton is now an Honorary Patron of the Society and Anjem Choudary has spoken several times. NOTABLE FORMER PRESIDENTS AND MEMBERS
Other notable former council members of recent years include Irish journalists Mary Ellen Synon , Marc Coleman, Paul Gillespie, Alex Massie, Matthew Magee and broadcasters Ruth McAvinia, Ken Early, Ger Gilroy Colm O'Mongáin. The current President is Andrew Campbell, a former Secretary and Vice-President of the society. REFERENCES Stephen Yeates's telephone EXTERNAL LINKS May syndicated article on his appearance at the Phil http://www.defenddemocracy.org//in_the_media/in_the_media_show.htm?doc_id=311413 |
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