West Buckland School’s Socrates Club originates from the University of Oxford’s Socratic Club, founded by Stella Aldwinckle in December 1941. The name of the society is inspired by Socrates, the Greek philosopher considered the father of Western philosophy. During C.S. Lewis’s tenure as a professor at Oxford, he served as the first president of the Socratic Club. The society aimed to follow Socrates’ practice to “follow the argument wherever it led them.” Stella Aldwinckle described the Socratic Club as an “open forum for the discussion of the intellectual difficulties connected with religion and Christianity in particular.” Over the years, the Socratic Club grew to become one of Oxford’s most popular societies. As the Oxford society expanded, it was adopted by other universities and schools, including branches at West Buckland School in North Devon and King Edward’s School in Bath. These branches are referred to as “The Socrates Society” and share the same aims as the original Oxford University Socratic Club of C.S. Lewis. Today, West Buckland’s Socrates Society has members in both its Junior and Senior groups, and it welcomes students who want to engage in debate, discussion, critical thinking, and inquiry.