About

The International Society for Philosophical Enquiry (ISPE) is a high-IQ society open to people who score at or above the 99.9th percentile on a standardized psychometric test of intelligence. Often referred to by the abbreviation "ISPE," our society was originally founded as The Thousand* in 1974 by Christopher Harding of Australia. We are a non-profit organization and refer to our members as "Thousanders" because only one out of a thousand people will qualify for membership in ISPE, statistically speaking.

ISPE is the third-oldest high-IQ society in the world, with Mensa being the oldest (98th percentile) and Intertel being the second-oldest (99th percentile). ISPE is, therefore, the oldest high-IQ society in the world with an entrance requirement set at the 99.9th percentile. We accept the results of many tests for admission. See the "Join ISPE" tab for a list of tests and test scores that we accept.

ISPE is truly a global organization, as our members live in many different countries around the world and represent a variety of ideologies, races, religions, and creeds. We embrace freedom of thought and tolerance of worship. Our members come from all walks of life and have a wide variety of interests and professions. Our only common denominator is our giftedness. Our Thousanders enjoy fellowship with each other, find inspiration to pursue life goals, help and mentor each other, and work to benefit humanity. Our members are encouraged along the way through our membership-level system and our established society goals, which are included in our Charter. Encouraging our members to use their gifts to benefit humanity is what sets us apart from other high-IQ societies and makes us unique. Often, those who join us find a renewed sense of purpose and form meaningful and lasting friendships with other members. We try hard to use the gifts we were given--and encourage others to use theirs--to help humankind and to seek self-enlightenment in the process.

Our membership is completely inclusive, espouses no particular causes or political views, and is an all-volunteer organization. Thousanders receive the immediate benefits of real-time participation with other members provided by our private social networks and organization software. Members have instant access to our private member directory, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and they are kept informed of society activities and member news though society-wide emails and publications. Our unique members-only journal, Telicom, provides a plethora of reading topics and society news. Member contributions to Telicom are always invited, and member communication and participation are keys to ISPE. 

We have zero tolerance for ad hominem attacks on any of our social platforms. Members are free to espouse any opinion on any of our social platforms as long as they are respectful of others that may have opposing points of view. Naturally, we have no tolerance for views that advance or encourage any criminal activity or thought, or any racist, misogynist, xenophobic, or other intolerant behaviors. All of our official social groups are closed to the public, so members can be assured that they are communicating with other ISPE members only.

Our current ISPE president is Ben-Tzion Saloff of the United States of America.

ISPE is a certified nonprofit organization under U.S. I.R.C. 501(c)(3). Donations made to ISPE are tax deductible under these provisions. Donations from citizens of other countries may be tax deductible as well. Donations in support of our efforts are most appreciated. For more information, please go to the "Donate" tab.

*The Thousand is a registered trademark of the International Society for Philosophical Enquiry.