I Didn’t Know Philosophers Did That! is a free one-day event for state school students who are thinking about what to study at university. Over the course of the day students are introduced to topics that they might be surprised to learn are things modern philosophers think and write about—topics such as mental health, disability, online dating, food and drink, natural disasters, gaming and virtual reality, wealth inequality, and even rap music. Students engage with speakers’ research and innovation on these topics through a variety of traditional and modern delivery methods: a lecture, a seminar, an interactive presentation, and a podcast-style interview.

The I Didn’t Know Philosophers Did That! team comprises researchers and innovators in philosophy who are seeking to build a sense of shared endeavour by making our ideas relevant, accessible, useful, and worthy of society’s trust. We want to inspire and engage young people so that they feel philosophy is something to contribute to and benefit from throughout their lives.

Generously supported by an Innovation Award from the Institute of Philosophy, the inaugural edition of I Didn’t Know Philosophers Did That! took place at the University of London’s Senate House in February 2025.

Team members: Tessa Ditner Amorosi (Central Saint Martins), Lewis Williams (Oxford), Pablo Hubacher Haerle (Cambridge), Tareeq Jalloh (Manchester), Alex Fisher (Tilburg), Anna Dadaian (UCL), Tom Swaine-Jameson (Hertfordshire), Sheena Ramkumar (Durham), and Margarida Hermida (KCL).

Programme (here). Evaluations (here)

Generously supported by the British Philosophical Association, the second edition of I Didn’t Know Philosophers Did That! will take place in April 2026 at the University of Leeds and will target state school students in northern England.