Proposed cuts to the University of Exeter’s philosophy programme—part of wider compulsory redundancies affecting Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences—have caused concern across the UK philosophy community. The BSPS Executive Committee has written to the University’s Executive Board urging them to reconsider.

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31 July 2026

Prof. Lisa Roberts, President and Vice-Chancellor
Prof. Dan Charman, Senior Vice-President and Provost
Prof. Liz Jones, Vice-President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education and Student Experience)
Prof. Gareth Stansfield, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean (Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences)

Dear Professors Roberts, Charman, Jones, and Stansfield,

We are writing to you in our capacity as members of the Executive Committee of the British Society for the Philosophy of Science (BSPS), the learned society for philosophy of science in the United Kingdom. We write to express our concern and dismay at reports of the proposed cuts to the Department of Philosophy at the University of Exeter, and to warn of the impact that they could have on the UK’s research capacity and international standing in the philosophy of science. The BSPS understands that the cuts include a proposed reduction of philosophy staffing by a minimum of 5 FTE, as part of a broader set of compulsory redundancies targeted primarily at departments in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.

First, we wish to emphasise to you Exeter’s outstanding reputation as a centre for research in the philosophy of science. Exeter is home to Egenis, the Centre for the Study of the Life Sciences, which is renowned internationally for producing outstanding, cutting edge research in philosophy of science. This work is wide-ranging, spanning urgent issues relating to the environment and humanity’s place within it, human evolution, the role of data in the sciences, the epistemology and ethics of AI, the nature of health and disease, and many other areas. Egenis’ philosophers have been extremely successful at securing external research funding, with current grants totalling at least £15m from funders including Leverhulme, ERC and NERC. These projects in turn attract a large number of post-docs, making a significant contribution to research capacity in philosophy of science in the UK. Egenis’ exceptional reputation, together with the wide-ranging expertise of philosophers of science working there, establish Exeter as a world-leading hub for philosophy of science research. The proposed cuts risk demolishing this reputation, which has been cultivated by patient and systematic work over decades. Not only would significant scholarly and institutional knowledge be lost, but an elevated threat of redundancy will make it more difficult for the Department to attract and retain staff in the future.

Second, were the proposed cuts to be implemented, the entire philosophy of science community in the UK would suffer. The University of Exeter is a vital part of the UK’s activity in philosophy of science, and philosophers based at Exeter have made major contributions to the health of the discipline—not only through their research (as above), but through their contributions to the activities of organisations such as the BSPS. Professor Dupré is a BSPS Past President, multiple Exeter philosophers have served on the BSPS committee, many more serve regularly on the programme committee for the BSPS annual conference, and the Department has hosted the BSPS conference twice in the last 13 years. Exeter philosophers contribute to the Society’s publications, the British Journal for Philosophy of Science (BJPS) and BSPS Open (the open access monograph series), as authors, referees and editorial board members. Beyond the BSPS, Exeter philosophers have served on international learned societies, including the Philosophy of Science Association, the European Philosophy of Science Association, the International Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Biology, the Society for the Philosophy of Science in Practice, the International Society for the History of Philosophy of Science, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, as well as their related journals.

Finally, we note with concern that these cuts are concentrated in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. This contributes to a national trend, highlighted by recent reports from the British Academy, of a loss in academic staff in these fields and the development of “cold spots” for their study. Yet graduates in these areas will be crucial for the UK’s future: analysis by the Russell Group estimates that around 85% of graduates in non-STEM subjects go into one of the eight priority sectors identified in the UK’s Industrial Strategy (the “IS-8”). Philosophy of science has a central role here, acting as a bridge between disciplines and providing students with vital analytical skills and an understanding of science and how it works. As an internationally leading centre for research in philosophy of biology, philosophy of cognitive science, and philosophy of technology, the University of Exeter is well-placed to make major contributions to IS-8 sectors such as Life Sciences or Digital and Technology. We urge you to capitalise on these strengths.

The BSPS was founded in the 1950s by philosophers and scientists to promote the study of the logic, the methods, and the philosophy of science, as well as those of the various special sciences, including the social sciences. It has an ongoing responsibility to safeguard and cultivate our discipline. Decades of world-class contributions by philosophers of science in the UK make it a global centre for our subject. The University of Exeter is now one of the primary drivers of that reputation. At a time when critical and conceptual understanding of science and technology is more important than ever, the proposed cuts risk damaging not only the University of Exeter’s research capacity, but that of the UK as a whole. We urge you to reconsider these proposals and to withdraw the threat of compulsory redundancies.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Anna Alexandrova, Professor in Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge
Dr Alexandria Boyle, Associate Professor in Philosophy, London School of Economics and Political Science
Dr Ellen Clarke, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Leeds
Dr Neil Dewar, University Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Cambridge
Dr Alexander Franklin, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy of Science, King’s College London
Professor Robin Hendry, Professor of Philosophy, Durham University
Dr Milena Ivanova, Course Director in History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, University of Cambridge Professional and Continuing Education, Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence