Since its foundation in 1683, the Phil has been a staple of student life in Trinity College. Now in 2011, 8,000+ members of t ... he student body and staff comprise our membership making us the largest student society on campus. Primarily a debating society, the Phil has consistently acted as a forum for the radical debate of issues that both reflect and affect society. The Society is privileged to have had among its members such luminaries as Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett, George Berkeley and Sir. William Petty. read more