The C.S. Lewis podcast #255 Jim Stockton: Exploring the Oxford University Socratic Club
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Mar 30, 2026 Jim Stockton, emeritus philosophy lecturer and author on the Oxford Socratic Club, walks through Lewis’s pivotal role in shaping the club. He highlights notable members like Antony Flew and Bernard Williams. Conversations cover the club’s Somerville roots and women’s organizing, plus famous friendships, rivalries, and mid-century Christian–atheist debates.
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C.S. Lewis Drove The Club's Fame
- C.S. Lewis Was Central To The Socratic Club's Popularity.
- Jim Stockton argues Lewis's personality, role as advisor and frequent interventions made the club a must-attend from 1942 to the early 1950s.
How An Alphabetized Roster Won Funding
- Stockton's Oxford Funding Story Showed Philosophers' Surprise At Lewis's Relevance.
- When he asked his department for travel money, colleagues balked until he alphabetized the club roster and revealed many prominent philosophers attended.
Socratic Club Began As A Women's Society
- The Club Originated As A Women's Speaking Society And Remained Female-Led In Practice.
- It began at Somerville in 1942, quickly admitted men for university recognition, but women continued to run meetings and host most sessions into the 1950s.
