Thoughtful (Society for Philosophical Enquiry)

About Thoughtful (Society for Philosophical Enquiry)

Established in 1992 as SAPERE, we are the UK’s longest-running charity dedicated to realising the personal and public value of philosophical enquiry. In 2025, SAPERE became Thoughtful – but our vision, mission, and values remain unchanged. We believe that too few people have the opportunity to think for themselves and with others, especially the most disadvantaged in society, to the detriment of everyone’s learning and life chances because this exacerbates educational and social inequality. Our vision is a future in which everyone has the opportunity to engage in the philosophical discussions and public discourse that matter to them – conversations that inspire curiosity, deepen understanding, strengthen relationships, and influence how people think, feel, speak, and act in the world. We believe that philosophical education is both a personal and a public good and we work to ensure its benefits are realised as widely and as equitably as possible. Our mission is to create and sustain spaces for philosophical reflection and enquiry, especially where young people gather and learn. We champion philosophical dialogue and its power to support personal development, lifelong learning, civic discourse, and thoughtful action. We pursue this mission by developing courses, resources, classes, conferences, projects, and programmes that advance philosophical thinking among learners and their teachers. We also facilitate research that informs best practice and demonstrates the educational impact of our work. We prioritise the education of disadvantaged learners and those who support them. We aim to be thoughtful by name and by nature. Our educational approach cultivates critical, creative, caring, and collaborative thinking within communities—and we strive to embody these values in everything we do as a charity.