Glasgow University Dialectic Society
Encyclopedia
The Glasgow University Dialectic Society, re-instituted in 1861, is a student society at the University of Glasgow
, Scotland
, committed to the promotion of debating
, logic
, ethics
and literary discussion at the University. The Society is independent and open to all students of the University, however it maintains strong links with debating at Glasgow University Union
.
, back when the University still resided within Glasgow Cathedral
. Pope John Paul II
issued a 'Papal Letter' to the Society upon his visit to Scotland in 1982, which recognised the Society's claim to have been established in 1451. The Society was formally re-instituted in 1861. The Society has led the UK's university debating culture since 1953. In 1955, it won the Observer Mace, now the John Smith Memorial Mace
, named after the deceased GUU debater and former leader of the British Labour Party. The GUU has since won the Mace debating championship sixteen more times, far more than any other university. The GUU has also won the World Universities Debating Championships five times, more than any other university or club in the series' history.
Notable former members of the Society include:
The Society organises a variety of events during term-time, including weekly informal Thursday debates at the Queen Margaret Union. In October, the Society holds a New Members' Dinner, followed in March by the Annual Dinner(this year it will be held on 25th February as a special Anniversary Celebration) , held shortly before the AGM. There is also an Inter-Board Debate, held between the boards of the four major student bodies (Glasgow University Union
, Queen Margaret Union
, Students' Representative Council
and Glasgow University Sports Association
), and the Honorary President's Debate, as well as a St Andrews-tide football game and a Sports Day, the Dialectic Olympics. The Society holds a number of more informal events, especially during Freshers' Week, to attract new members.
Three internal competitions are organised by the Society: the Reftable, for new speakers; the Intra-Varsity, a pro-am competition; and the John Duncan Debate, between incoming and outgoing club leaders of the Glasgow University Union's Parliamentary Clubs
.
The Dialectic Society, along with the Glasgow University Medico-Chirurgical Society
and Glasgow University Athletic Club
, helped drive the formation of the Glasgow University Union in 1885, as well as being instrumental in establishing the Glasgow University Students' Representative Council
the following year, and remains an active contributor to the activities of both organisations. The GUU was originally an all-male organisation, having been established before the admission of women to the University in 1892. At this time, women were educated at Queen Margaret College
, and opportunities for women students to debate existed at the Queen Margaret Union
. This activity largely ceased following the admission of women to the GUU in 1980, however the Dialectic Society has recently been involved in a number of events aimed at its revival.
publishing work in the humanities
, arts
, and social sciences
.
Groundings was established by the Society in 2007 and has since been published annually in September. The purpose of the journal is to provide an opportunity for undergraduate
students at the University to have their work peer-reviewed and published in an accessible academic resource as a stepping stone to publication in more mainstream scholarly journals. As such, all entries are written by undergraduate students, and the editorial board is made up of undergraduates, although there exists an advisory panel mainly comprising academics of the University drawn from a range of disciplines.
There are generally around six articles per volume, each written and peer-reviewed by undergraduate students, and each volume of the journal follows a theme, to which it is intended the articles in that volume will relate. The theme for the first volume was "Identity and Commemoration", and for the second volume, "Individuals, institutions, and the relations between them". The themes used are intentionally broad in order to accommodate the largest variety possible between submissions, whilst ensuring each volume retains a sense of inherent direction.
The journal is produced in paper and electronic form, with initial funding for publication provided by the Chancellor's
Fund. Print copies are made available to a number of depositories in the United Kingdom, including the Glasgow University Library
, and the journal is available to read online at the Society's website.
The management of the Society is entrusted to a Board elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The Board consists of a President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Secretary, Whip Secretary, Publicity Secretary, Macer, Social Convenor, two Ordinary Members and two First Year Representatives. The Convenors of Debates of the Glasgow University Union and Queen Margaret Union
and the Society's immediate Past President are also ex officio members of the Board. The President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary form the Executive.
The current President is Emily Askham.
Some quirks of the electoral procedure at the AGM are that posts are filled in descending order, allowing those who failed to win more important posts to stand for others, and that candidates must leave the room while a vote is taken on them. The AGM was traditionally held at the end of the University's Candlemas Term, around the middle of March. Despite the new semester-based structure of the University's academic year, this remains the case and the AGM is now held shortly before the end of the teaching period of the second semester, which is separated from the exam period by the Easter vacation.
The Society at its AGM also elects an Honorary President, up to eight Honorary Vice-Presidents and up to four Honorary Life Members. The current Honorary President is Noel Peacock (former University of Glasgow School of Modern Languages).
One of the Honorary President's duties is to chair the Honorary President's Debate, held in February each year. Some years this is a debate organised on a special topic, but other years it is the same event as the Inter-board debate. between representatives of the Boards of the four main student bodies at the University: the Glasgow University Union, the Queen Margaret Union, the Sports Association
and the Students' Representative Council
. If not chaired by the Honorary president, then the Inter-board debate is chaired by the President of the Society
.
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, committed to the promotion of debating
Debate
Debate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
, logic
Logic
In philosophy, Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning. Logic is used in most intellectual activities, but is studied primarily in the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, semantics, and computer science...
, ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
and literary discussion at the University. The Society is independent and open to all students of the University, however it maintains strong links with debating at Glasgow University Union
Glasgow University Union
Glasgow University Union is one of the largest and oldest students' unions in the UK, serving students and alumni of the University of Glasgow since 1885....
.
History
The date of the Society's foundation is contested; the earliest paper records of the Society are dated before 1770, and there are, moreover, mentions within the University records of a society existing and being open to students who took LogicLogic
In philosophy, Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning. Logic is used in most intellectual activities, but is studied primarily in the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, semantics, and computer science...
, back when the University still resided within Glasgow Cathedral
Glasgow Cathedral
The church commonly known as Glasgow Cathedral is the Church of Scotland High Kirk of Glasgow otherwise known as St. Mungo's Cathedral.The other cathedrals in Glasgow are:* The Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew...
. Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
issued a 'Papal Letter' to the Society upon his visit to Scotland in 1982, which recognised the Society's claim to have been established in 1451. The Society was formally re-instituted in 1861. The Society has led the UK's university debating culture since 1953. In 1955, it won the Observer Mace, now the John Smith Memorial Mace
John Smith Memorial Mace
The John Smith Memorial Mace is an annual debating tournament contested by universities in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales....
, named after the deceased GUU debater and former leader of the British Labour Party. The GUU has since won the Mace debating championship sixteen more times, far more than any other university. The GUU has also won the World Universities Debating Championships five times, more than any other university or club in the series' history.
Notable former members of the Society include:
- Sir Menzies Campbell, former leader of the Liberal DemocratsLiberal DemocratsThe Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
- Donald DewarDonald DewarDonald Campbell Dewar was a British politician who served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament in Scotland from 1966-1970, and then again from 1978 until his death in 2000. He served in Tony Blair's cabinet as Secretary of State for Scotland from 1997-1999 and was instrumental in the creation...
, former First Minister of ScotlandFirst Minister of ScotlandThe First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy... - Liam FoxLiam FoxLiam Fox MP is a British Conservative politician, Member of Parliament for North Somerset, and former Secretary of State for Defence....
, Secretary of State for DefenceSecretary of State for DefenceThe Secretary of State for Defence, popularly known as the Defence Secretary, is the senior Government of the United Kingdom minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence, chairing the Defence Council. It is a Cabinet position... - Brian Gill, Lord GillBrian Gill, Lord GillBrian Gill, Lord Gill is Lord Justice Clerk of Scotland, the country's second most senior judge, and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. In February 2007 the Scottish Executive announced that Lord Gill was to head a review of Scotland's civil courts...
, Lord Justice ClerkLord Justice ClerkThe Lord Justice Clerk is the second most senior judge in Scotland, after the Lord President of the Court of Session.The holder has the title in both the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary and is in charge of the Second Division of Judges in the Court of Session... - Derry Irvine, Lord Irvine, former Lord ChancellorLord ChancellorThe Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
- Charles KennedyCharles KennedyCharles Peter Kennedy is a British Liberal Democrat politician, who led the Liberal Democrats from 9 August 1999 until 7 January 2006 and is currently a Member of Parliament for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency....
, former leader of the Liberal DemocratsLiberal DemocratsThe Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
, Rector of the University - Andrew NeilAndrew NeilAndrew Ferguson Neil is a Scottish journalist and broadcaster.He currently works for the BBC, presenting the live political programmes The Daily Politics and This Week...
, journalist and broadcaster - Nicholas ParsonsNicholas ParsonsNicholas Parsons OBE is a British actor and radio and television presenter.-Early life:...
, media personality - John SmithJohn Smith (UK politician)John Smith was a British Labour Party politician who served as Leader of the Labour Party from July 1992 until his sudden death from a heart attack in May 1994...
, former leader of the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
Activities
Glasgow University Union
Glasgow University Union is one of the largest and oldest students' unions in the UK, serving students and alumni of the University of Glasgow since 1885....
, Queen Margaret Union
Queen Margaret Union
The Queen Margaret Union is one of two students' unions at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1890, it caters for the social and cultural needs of its members by providing a range of services including, entertainments, catering, shop facilities, bars and games.-History:The Queen...
, Students' Representative Council
Glasgow University Students' Representative Council
Glasgow University Students' Representative Council was founded on 9th March 1886 and recognised as the legal representative body for students of the University of Glasgow by the Universities Act 1889. The SRC is responsible for representing students' interests to the management of the University...
and Glasgow University Sports Association
Glasgow University Sports Association
Glasgow University Sports Association is a student organisation at the University of Glasgow responsible for the promotion of sport, and to which sports teams at the University may affiliate.-History:...
), and the Honorary President's Debate, as well as a St Andrews-tide football game and a Sports Day, the Dialectic Olympics. The Society holds a number of more informal events, especially during Freshers' Week, to attract new members.
Three internal competitions are organised by the Society: the Reftable, for new speakers; the Intra-Varsity, a pro-am competition; and the John Duncan Debate, between incoming and outgoing club leaders of the Glasgow University Union's Parliamentary Clubs
Parliamentary Debate
Parliamentary Debate is an academic debate event. Many university level institutions in English speaking nations sponsor parliamentary debate teams, but the format is currently spreading to the high school level as well...
.
The Dialectic Society, along with the Glasgow University Medico-Chirurgical Society
Glasgow University Medico-Chirurgical Society
The University of Glasgow Medico-Chirurgical Society is a student society at the University of Glasgow which organises social and educational events for medical and nursing students at the University...
and Glasgow University Athletic Club
Glasgow University Sports Association
Glasgow University Sports Association is a student organisation at the University of Glasgow responsible for the promotion of sport, and to which sports teams at the University may affiliate.-History:...
, helped drive the formation of the Glasgow University Union in 1885, as well as being instrumental in establishing the Glasgow University Students' Representative Council
Glasgow University Students' Representative Council
Glasgow University Students' Representative Council was founded on 9th March 1886 and recognised as the legal representative body for students of the University of Glasgow by the Universities Act 1889. The SRC is responsible for representing students' interests to the management of the University...
the following year, and remains an active contributor to the activities of both organisations. The GUU was originally an all-male organisation, having been established before the admission of women to the University in 1892. At this time, women were educated at Queen Margaret College
Queen Margaret College (Glasgow)
Queen Margaret College was a women-only higher education institution based in North Park House in Glasgow, Scotland.It was established in 1868 by the Association for the Higher Education of Women, as women were not at the time permitted to study at universities in Scotland. The College was named...
, and opportunities for women students to debate existed at the Queen Margaret Union
Queen Margaret Union
The Queen Margaret Union is one of two students' unions at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1890, it caters for the social and cultural needs of its members by providing a range of services including, entertainments, catering, shop facilities, bars and games.-History:The Queen...
. This activity largely ceased following the admission of women to the GUU in 1980, however the Dialectic Society has recently been involved in a number of events aimed at its revival.
Groundings
The society produces Groundings, an interdisciplinary journalAcademic journal
An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...
publishing work in the humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
, arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
, and social sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
.
Groundings was established by the Society in 2007 and has since been published annually in September. The purpose of the journal is to provide an opportunity for undergraduate
Undergraduate education
Undergraduate education is an education level taken prior to gaining a first degree . Hence, in many subjects in many educational systems, undergraduate education is post-secondary education up to the level of a bachelor's degree, such as in the United States, where a university entry level is...
students at the University to have their work peer-reviewed and published in an accessible academic resource as a stepping stone to publication in more mainstream scholarly journals. As such, all entries are written by undergraduate students, and the editorial board is made up of undergraduates, although there exists an advisory panel mainly comprising academics of the University drawn from a range of disciplines.
There are generally around six articles per volume, each written and peer-reviewed by undergraduate students, and each volume of the journal follows a theme, to which it is intended the articles in that volume will relate. The theme for the first volume was "Identity and Commemoration", and for the second volume, "Individuals, institutions, and the relations between them". The themes used are intentionally broad in order to accommodate the largest variety possible between submissions, whilst ensuring each volume retains a sense of inherent direction.
The journal is produced in paper and electronic form, with initial funding for publication provided by the Chancellor's
Chancellor of the University of Glasgow
The Chancellor is the titular head of the University of Glasgow and President of the General Council, by whom he is elected. The office is intended to be held for life. His principal duty is to confer degrees upon those presented to him by the Senate, although this role is usually carried out by...
Fund. Print copies are made available to a number of depositories in the United Kingdom, including the Glasgow University Library
Glasgow University Library
The University of Glasgow Library is one of the oldest and largest University libraries in Europe. It holds more than 2.5 million books and journals, as well as providing access to an extensive range of electronic resources including over 30,000 electronic journals.The current 12-storey building,...
, and the journal is available to read online at the Society's website.
Management
Queen Margaret Union
The Queen Margaret Union is one of two students' unions at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1890, it caters for the social and cultural needs of its members by providing a range of services including, entertainments, catering, shop facilities, bars and games.-History:The Queen...
and the Society's immediate Past President are also ex officio members of the Board. The President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary form the Executive.
The current President is Emily Askham.
Some quirks of the electoral procedure at the AGM are that posts are filled in descending order, allowing those who failed to win more important posts to stand for others, and that candidates must leave the room while a vote is taken on them. The AGM was traditionally held at the end of the University's Candlemas Term, around the middle of March. Despite the new semester-based structure of the University's academic year, this remains the case and the AGM is now held shortly before the end of the teaching period of the second semester, which is separated from the exam period by the Easter vacation.
The Society at its AGM also elects an Honorary President, up to eight Honorary Vice-Presidents and up to four Honorary Life Members. The current Honorary President is Noel Peacock (former University of Glasgow School of Modern Languages).
One of the Honorary President's duties is to chair the Honorary President's Debate, held in February each year. Some years this is a debate organised on a special topic, but other years it is the same event as the Inter-board debate. between representatives of the Boards of the four main student bodies at the University: the Glasgow University Union, the Queen Margaret Union, the Sports Association
Glasgow University Sports Association
Glasgow University Sports Association is a student organisation at the University of Glasgow responsible for the promotion of sport, and to which sports teams at the University may affiliate.-History:...
and the Students' Representative Council
Glasgow University Students' Representative Council
Glasgow University Students' Representative Council was founded on 9th March 1886 and recognised as the legal representative body for students of the University of Glasgow by the Universities Act 1889. The SRC is responsible for representing students' interests to the management of the University...
. If not chaired by the Honorary president, then the Inter-board debate is chaired by the President of the Society
Sources
The archives of Glasgow University Dialectic Society are maintained by the Archives of the University of Glasgow (GUAS)Archives of the University of Glasgow
The Archives of the University of Glasgow maintain the historical records of the University of Glasgow back to its foundation in 1451. Its earliest record is a charter dating from 1304 for the lands of the earliest mention of record-keeping in the University is in 1490 when it is recorded in...
.