Philosophy

Courses are divided into modules. Each year you will normally take modules totalling 120 credits.

We review our optional modules on a regular basis, in order to continue to offer innovative and exciting courses and this list is therefore subject to change. There are a limited number of spaces available on each optional module. You will have the opportunity to discuss your choices with your personal tutor. Please check here for updates, or contact the Department for further advice.

You are required to take the following modules, each worth 15 credits:

• Greek Philosophy I
• Ethics I
• Elementary Logic
• Metaphysics I
• Modern Philosophy I
• Political Philosophy I
• Epistemology I
• Methodology

As a second year student you will also have the option to study abroad with one of our partner institutions for the second semester or the full the year. These currently include:

• University of British Columbia
• University of California
• University of Chicago (full year only)
• Hong Kong University
• Monash University
• National University of Singapore
• University of Toronto (full year only)
• University of North Carolina
• University of Wurzburg (basic German language required)
• University of Sydney
• University of British Columbia
• University of Michigan
• Australian National University
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
• LMU Munich

In your second year you are also required to take two level 5 modules (15 credits each) from each of the following groups, which may typically include the following modules:

Group A

• Greek Philosophy II: Plato (15 credits)
• Greek Philosophy II: Aristotle (15 credits)
• Modern Philosophy II: Locke and Berkeley (15 credits)
• Modern Philosophy II: Spinoza and Leibniz (15 credits)

Group B

• Ethics II: History of Ethical Philosophy (15 credits)
• Ethics II: Contemporary Ethical Philosophy (15 credits)
• Political Philosophy II: History of Political Philosophy (15 credits)
• Topics in Applied Ethics & Politics (15 credits)

Group C

• Epistemology II (15 credits)
• Metaphysics II (15 credits)
• Philosophy of Language (15 credits)
• Philosophy of Mind (15 credits)
• Intermediate Logic (15 credits)
• Philosophy of Physics I: Space & Time (15 credits)

You are also required to take a further 30 credits from any of the optional level 5 modules listed above, or choose from a further range of 15-credit, level 6 modules, which may typically include, but are not limited to:

• Topics in Greek Philosophy (15 credits)
• Indian Philosophy: The Orthodox Schools (15 credits)
• Philosophy of Mathematics (15 credits)
• Medieval Philosophy (15 credits)
• Philosophy of Psychology (15 credits)
• First-Order Logic (15 credits)
• Aesthetics (15 credits)
• Gender & Philosophy (15 credits)
• Topics in Modern Philosophy (15 credits)
• Topics in Political Philosophy (15 credits)
• 20th Century Continental Philosophy (NB the 19th or 20th Century Continental Philosophy Modules run in alternate years) (15 credits)
• Topics in Philosophy of Language (15 credits)
• Utilitarianism (15 credits)
• Women Thinkers in Antiquity & the Middle Ages (15 credits)

You are required to take 120 credits from a range of optional 15 credit modules which may typically include:

• Neoplatonism (15 credits)
• Indian Philosophy: The Orthodox Schools (15 credits)
• Indian Philosophy: The Heterodox Schools (15 credits)
• Kant’s Epistemology & Metaphysics (15 credits)
• Medieval Philosophy (15 credits)
• Philosophy of Psychology (15 credits)
• Philosophy of Religion (15 credits)
• Set Theory (15 credits)
• Aesthetics (15 credits)
• Gender & Philosophy (15 credits)
• Topics in Modern Philosophy (15 credits)
• Topics in Political Philosophy (15 credits)
• Topics in Philosophy of Language (15 credits)
• Philosophy of Mathematics (15 credits)
• Philosophy of Science (15 credits)
• Ethics & Politics of Science & Technology (15 credits)
• Aesthetics (15 credits)
• First-Order Logic (15 credits)
• Topics in the Philosophy of Mind (15 credits)
• Moral Normativity (15 credits)
• Topics in Greek Philosophy (15 credits)
• Philosophy of Psychology II (15 credits)
• Philosophy of Biology (15 credits)
• Utilitarianism (15 credits)
• Modal Logic (15 credits)
• 19th Century Continental Philosophy (NB the 19th or 20th Century Continental Philosophy Modules run in alternate years) (15 credits)

Alternatively, either in your second or third year, you may request to take modules from other departments at King’s (up to 30 credits in the course of your degree), or from other Philosophy departments in the University of London (up to 30 credits per year).

In your third year, you also have the option of taking the dissertation module for 30 credits. You’ll be assigned a member of staff to supervise your project, and attend dedicated dissertation seminars.