About Us

The Department was founded in 1946 by Sir Karl Popper and is renowned for doing philosophy in a manner that is both continuous with the sciences and socially relevant. We are widely recognised as a world-leading place for teaching and research in philosophy of the natural and social sciences, logic, moral and political philosophy, epistemology, decision and game theory, and social choice.

Meet the LSE Philosophy Department

Hear from the Head of the Department

At the Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, we have a long-lived tradition of analytic, interdisciplinary, and socially engaged philosophy. All it takes to be part of this tradition is a critical, independent mind and a desire to explore empirically informed philosophical questions. This spirit is exemplified by the remarkable thinkers who have studied and taught at LSE.

Beatrice Webb, a self-taught economist and political philosopher, and one of the School’s founders, laid early foundations for the modern welfare state. Bertrand Russell, a pioneer of analytic philosophy and Nobel laureate, lectured here on democracy and power. From B.R. Ambedkar, whose education at LSE helped forge his vision of social justice and equality in India’s Constitution, to Friedrich Hayek and Lionel Robbins, who shaped the philosophy of economics and political freedom, LSE has long been a home for ideas with global impact.

LSE Philosophy founder Karl Popper established the idea that scientific theories must be testable and open to refutation and continuously emphasized the critical, self-correcting nature of science. At LSE, he also developed his political philosophy, advocating for an “Open Society”: one grounded in individual freedom, evidence-based policy, and public debate. His legacy continues to shape how we think and teach about science and democracy.

Former LSE Philosophy Professor Imre Lakatos is best known for his influential Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes. Challenging simplistic views of scientific progress, Lakatos argued that science advances not by straightforward falsification of isolated hypotheses, but through competing research programmes that evolve over time. LSE’s Lakatos Building is named in his honour.

We are also deeply proud of our contemporary intellectual contributions, notably those of Nobel Prize winning-economist Amartya Sen who who has made signal contributions to how to conceptualise and measure freedom and quality of life, and LSE Philosophy Professor Emeritus Nancy Cartwright whose work focuses on scientific practice to inform debates in the philosophy of science.

We thrive to continue the many traditions of all these great thinkers. In our department, philosophy is never separate from the real world – it's always connected to society and its challenges. We welcome everyone who wants to think deeply, debate clearly, and use philosophy to make a positive difference.

- Professor Roman Frigg, Head of the Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method, LSE