about the joint session

The Joint Session of the Aristotelian Society and the Mind Association was established in London in the summer of 1910. The official published record of the Joint Session commenced in 1918 and became the Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Supplementary Volume. H. Wildon Carr, President of the Society from 1915 to 1918, wrote that “the purpose of the Aristotelian Society Symposium is to bring together opposite, divergent, and diverse answers to some vital question of philosophical controversy in a definite manner.” Although a number of changes and additions would occur over the past century, the symposium format of the Joint Session has persisted to this day.

The Joint Session has grown to become the largest gathering of philosophers in the United Kingdom, taking place every summer at the end of the academic year – usually the second weekend of July (Friday to Sunday) – and at various universities across the UK and in Ireland. It has a solid reputation for attracting prestigious UK and international speakers working in a range of philosophical areas. Inaugurated by the incoming President of the Mind Association, the Joint Session includes symposia, open and postgradaute sessions, and a range of satellite conferences.

Over the last few years, the Joint Session has sometimes taken place alongside the BSPS and BSET annual conferences, with local organisers taking on responsibility for organising all three conferences.