Art. 1
The International Institute of Philosophy (IIP) was founded in Paris in 1937 on the occasion of the Descartes Congress, by the Paris Sorbonne and the University of Lund, Sweden. Its headquarters and general secretariat are in 8, rue Jean-Calvin, 75005, Paris, France (transfer and change of address may be decided by the administration council). IIP is governed by the present statutes and by the internal Rules of Order. At its origin, it was called the International Institute for Philosophical Collaboration; this name was officially changed in 1952.
Art. 2
The purpose of the Institute is to unite the qualified representatives of the worldwide philosophical community towards a common effort of thought and action. By bringing together philosophers of all nationalities and orientations, it aims to intensify the exchange of ideas. To facilitate information, documentation and communication. To add the habit of critical thinking to the existing positive knowledge. To promote together the rights of reason and the ideal of tolerance. To support the mutual opening of cultures, mentalities, and traditions. To encourage the dialogue between philosophy and art, literature, science, or technology. To design and implement international research programs. To organize regular congresses. To help plan, edit, translate and distribute individual or collective original monographies, bibliographical analyses, newsletters, documents adopted during congresses, annotated and commented texts or synthetic volumes.
Art. 3
The IIP will have two categories of members: titular and emeritus. The titular members, whose number must not be greater than 115, may remain so until the age of 80 years. They become emeritus upon the age of 80 years or, upon request, before that age. Titular and emeritus members form the sovereign general assembly. The titular and emeritus members of IIP at the moment of adoption of the present statutes are members of the general assembly by full right. Emeritus members benefit of all the rights belonging to titular members, except that of being elected to the administration council, the co-opting committee, and the committee for institutional issues. In case of absence, they have the right to delegate their vote to the meeting of the general assembly. They do not submit to the four-year rule of article 13 and their number is not included in the totals used for any computation regarding the proportion and distribution of the members with regard to the Institute. Besides titular and emeritus members, associate members, whether individuals or institutions, may be recruited. In exceptional cases, honorary or benefactor members may by recognized. Associate, honorary and benefactor members do not have voting rights during the general assembly, but may be invited to attend.
Art. 4
Every candidate for the IIP must be presented by two titular or emeritus members of different nationality. A co-opting committee oversees the files of candidates. Before making its propositions, it defines the needs and decides upon a number of places to fill; it takes into account the total number of available places; it seeks an equilibrium between national sections; it weights the desirable representation for each country; it aims at geographical distribution and expansion. During the month of April or soon afterwards, it submits to all members the list of candidates that it judges admissible. Before the general assembly, it receives the opinions and observations of IIP, then decides upon an ordering of the retained candidates.
Art. 5
The elections are held during the general assembly, by secret ballot. To be elected, the candidates must obtain the majority of the votes of the present or represented members. Only three ballots can be held.
Art. 6
The general assembly meets once a year upon convocation by the president. It hears the moral and financial report. It decides the admission of new members. It exercises sovereign government of IIP and of its business. Those titular members that cannot be present at the general assembly have the possibility of delegating, in writing, another titular member to represent them, but no member shall be able to exercise more than two votes. They can also submit written propositions and suggestions to the assembly.
Art. 7
The management of the IIP is done by the administration council, composed of: 1) one president, two vice-presidents and three assessors, selected among the titular members and elected by the general assembly, in the manner shown by Article 5. 2) A general secretary and a general treasurer, chosen in the following way. The elected members receive their mandate, each for a duration of three years, and cannot be re-elected to the same position. However, he who is elected to finish an interrupted mandate can be re-elected to the same position. Moreover, the administration council cannot have more than two members of the same nation. The general secretary and general treasurer, chosen from titular members for the administration council, are selected each year, but with the permanent option of being re-selected, by the elected council members; they can be re-selected to their function even if they are emeritus members. During the exercise of their functions, they are assisted by an administrator or an administrative secretary, to which they can delegate a part of their powers. The honorary presidents of the IIP are regularly invited to the meetings of the administration council. There they enjoy such prerogatives as the current president decides.
Art. 8
The council meets at least once a year. It takes all measures necessary and proper to achieve the objectives of the Institute and oversees their execution. It writes, each year, a report on the activities of the IIP. The decision of the council are taken with the votes of the absolute majority of its members. In case of ties, the vote of the president decides the matter.
Art. 9
The co-opting committee is composed of three members (a president, two counsellors), selected among the titular members belonging to nationalities which are not represented to the council. They must be elected in the manner shown by Article 5. Their mandate is of three years. For every election of a member of the co-opting committee, the administration council presents one or more names; the members of the assembly may present other names.
Art. 10
The Institute may receive and may use members’ contributions, subventions and donations according to its stated aims.
Art. 11
The administration council manages the property of the Institute. It writes, each year, a statement of accounts and a budget proposal for the following year.
Art. 12
Any project of modification of the present statutes or of the internal Rules of Order is submitted to the administration council and to the vote of the general assembly. A modification of the statutes is passed with the majority of two thirds of expressed votes. A modification of the internal Rules of Order is valid with the simple majority of expressed votes. The project of modification of the statutes must be communicated to the council before the 31st of December and then must be submitted to the vote of the proximate general assembly.
Art. 13
The members who do not desire to stay as members of the IIP must address their resignation to the president. The resignation will not be effective until the acceptance of the president. The members who, for four consecutive years, have been absent from all yearly meetings or have not contributed to any activity of the IIP (team animations, collaborations for the newsletter or for books, communications, translations, editing work, taking part in polls, research work, projects or actions of support) will lose their membership. They can take the title of ex-member.
Art. 14
It is the power of the general assembly, after having heard the administration council, to pronounce the dissolution of the IIP. The decision must be taken with the majority of two thirds of all members. The administration council will then have the duty to liquidate the association in the best interest of philosophy and according to law.
October 2014
