History and Philosophy BA

A knowledge of philosophy can make you a very effective student of history, and your history modules will help you to understand the context of some of the great works of philosophy.

Each year, roughly half your modules will be in philosophy, and the other half in history. In both subjects, you'll be encouraged to introduce discussions at regular seminars. You're also welcome at research seminars, when visiting philosophers and historians discuss issues at the forefront of research.

The philosophy part of the course is unusually flexible. There are no compulsory modules, so you can shape your own course. In history, you'll take one compulsory module each year. The rest of the time you're free to choose from a long list of topics.

History modules cover past societies from the late Roman through to the modern period, addressing political, social and cultural themes in history. You'll learn to exercise independent judgement, to be critical of accepted opinion and to present your arguments effectively.

The Department of Philosophy offers modules in all the key areas, including ethics, philosophy of mind, theory of knowledge, political philosophy, metaphysics and logic. We also teach courses on major figures in the history of philosophy such as Plato, Aristotle, Descartes and Hegel.