[2] As part of fulfilling these functions, the society founded The Philosopher as its own journal in addition to running local groups, lectures, workshops, and conferences.

[2] A series of arguments internal to the Philosophical Society of England in 2014, lead to the publication being split into two formats;[3] an online-only edition, led by long-term editor Martin Cohen, and an initially print-only but soon print-and-online edition, originally led by PSE chair Michael Bavidge.

[4][5] The purely online edition of The Philosopher describes itself as "a forum for short, original, brilliant and accessible articles".

Recent contributors include Kathleen Stock,[7] Mary Midgley,[4] Timothy Williamson, Jason Stanley, Linda Martín Alcoff,[8] Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò (whose article in the 2020 print edition helped bring his work to wide attention), Martin Hägglund, Michael Della Rocca, Steven Nadler, Dan Zahavi, Todd McGowan, Serene Khader, Fay Bound Alberti, Brooke Holmes, Catherine Wilson, Michael Lewis, Frederick Neuhouser and Lea Ypi.

[9] Historically interesting or notable articles that were identified and recovered by Martin Cohen for the online edition include: The editors-in-chief of the journal have been: