The Philomathean Society (Phillips Academy)
Encyclopedia
The Philomathean Society of Phillips Academy
is the oldest secondary school debate
union in the United States. Founded in 1825, the Philomathean Society, familiarly known as "Philo," meets weekly in the historical Debate Room of Bulfinch Hall. The earliest record of Philo's doings, preserved, bears the date January 5, 1825. The Philomathean Society was founded by Horatio B. Hackett and Ray Palmer. The Philomathean motto is Scire Est Regere; Knowledge is King.
The name Philomathean derives from the Ancient Greek
for “lover of learning” from Φιλειν meaning "to love," and μάθημα, meaning “learning.”
Now, the club is open to any student of Phillips Academy wishing to participate.
, representing the United States at the highest level of secondary school debate in the world. The Philomathean Society currently holds meetings in Bulfinch Hall, the English building of Phillips Academy, every Monday evening. The society is entirely student-run.
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
is the oldest secondary school debate
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...
union in the United States. Founded in 1825, the Philomathean Society, familiarly known as "Philo," meets weekly in the historical Debate Room of Bulfinch Hall. The earliest record of Philo's doings, preserved, bears the date January 5, 1825. The Philomathean Society was founded by Horatio B. Hackett and Ray Palmer. The Philomathean motto is Scire Est Regere; Knowledge is King.
The name Philomathean derives from the Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
for “lover of learning” from Φιλειν meaning "to love," and μάθημα, meaning “learning.”
History
The earliest known proceedings of the Philomathean Society were in 1825. At that point the constitution required the members pay an entrance fee and dues of twenty-five cents. Later those fees were raised to a dollar.Now, the club is open to any student of Phillips Academy wishing to participate.
Current activities
Today, the Philomathean Society is a member of DANEIS, the Debate Association of New England Independent Schools. Philomathean debaters are highly competitive; for the past five years, one or two members of the Society have qualified for the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking ChampionshipsWorld Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships
The World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships is an annual international English language debating and public speaking tournament for individual high school-level students representing different countries. It occurs during a five-day period in late March and involves 180 to 200...
, representing the United States at the highest level of secondary school debate in the world. The Philomathean Society currently holds meetings in Bulfinch Hall, the English building of Phillips Academy, every Monday evening. The society is entirely student-run.