Philosophy

Course detail Description

This course is suited both to students with an undergraduate philosophy degree and to those moving into philosophy from another subject at undergraduate level.

If you are a graduate of philosophy, we will consolidate and improve your existing knowledge, and provide you with a firm foundation for subsequent independent research. If you are a conversion student, our General Philosophy module will introduce you to key texts, concepts and arguments from across the philosophical spectrum. This module, along with your choice of optional subjects, will prepare you for further research in philosophy.

Over the duration of the course you will earn a total of 180 credits. Sixty of these will come from a dissertation of around 12,000 words, which you will complete over the Summer at the end of the course. If you satisfactorily complete the course before the dissertation, you can exit the course without completing a dissertation and we will award you a Postgraduate Diploma in Philosophy on the basis of your 120 credits.

You will earn your initial 120 credits through your choice of optional modules. You will take most of these in your first or second semester, and they are each worth 20 credits; General Philosophy is the exception; it spans both semesters and is worth 40. If you do not have a background in Philosophy, we will normally expect you to take this module. It will introduce you to basic philosophical methods, techniques and terminology, and it will acquaint you with some of the most important and influential writings on the subject.

Otherwise, you will have a completely free choice of modules, although you should note that some modules are likely to be more accessible to students without a philosophical background, while others, particularly the more specialised ‘topics’-based modules, might appeal more to those who do already have a grounding in the field. Optional modules are mostly taught through two hours of lectures and seminars every week. If you gain permission, you may take up to 40 credits from modules outside the Department of Philosophy.

If you are studying full-time, you will complete the course in one year, from September to September. If you are studying part-time, your course will take two years, and you are required to gain 40 to 80 credits (but normally 60 or 80) in your first year, and then 100 to 140 (but normally 100 to 120, including 60 from the dissertation) in your second. If you take General Philosophy, you must take it in your first year.

Whether you are studying full-time or part-time, you should ensure that you are available to attend seminars at least two days a week.

Course format and assessment

Teaching
You will be taught through a combination of lectures and seminars.

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Assessment
You will be assessed through coursework and/or examinations, along with a 12,000-word dissertation.

Regulating body
King's College London is regulated by the Office for Students.

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Structure

Year 1

Courses are divided into modules. You will normally take modules totalling 180 credits.

Required Modules You are required to write a dissertation of 12,000 words. Optional Modules In addition, you are required to take 120 credits from a range of optional modules which may typically include:

• Early Modern Philosophy (20 credits)
• Foundations of Analytic Philosophy (20 credits)
• Foundations of Phenomenology (20 credits)
• Greek Philosophy I: Plato (20 credits)
• Greek Philosophy II: Aristotle (20 credits)
• Greek Philosophy III: Special Topics (20 credits)
• Indian Philosophy I: The Orthodox Schools (20 credits)
• Indian Philosophy II: The Heterodox Schools (20 credits)
• Kant I: Critique of Pure Reason (20 credits)
• Kant II: Moral Philosophy (20 credits)
• Medieval Philosophy (20 credits)
• Nineteenth-century Continental Philosophy (20 credits)
• Twentieth-century Continental Philosophy (20 credits)
• Aesthetics (20 credits)
• Epistemology (20 credits)
• Epistemology II: Special Topics (20 credits)
• Ethics (20 credits)
• Ethics II: Special Topics (20 credits)
• Ethics of Science & Technology (20 credits)
• First-Order Logic (20 credits)
• Gender & Philosophy (20 credits)
• General Philosophy (40 credits)
• Mathematical Logic: Limitative Results (20 credits)
• Metaphysics (20 credits)
• Metaphysics II (20 credits)
• Modal Logic (20 credits)
• Perspectives on Death & Killing (20 credits)
• Philosophy, Literature & Method (20 credits)
• Philosophy of Biology (20 credits)
• Philosophy of Language (20 credits)
• Philosophy of Medicine (20 credits)
• Philosophy of Mind (20 credits)
• Philosophy of Mind II: Special Topics (20 credits)
• Philosophy of Physics (20 credits)
• Philosophy of Psychology I (20 credits)
• Philosophy of Psychology II (20 credits)
• Philosophy of Religion (20 credits)
• Philosophy of Mathematics (20 credits)
• Philosophy of Science (20 credits)
• Political Philosophy (20 credits)
• Political Philosophy II: Special Topics (20 credits)
• Set Theory (20 credits)
• Topics in the Philosophy of Medicine (20 credits)
• The Concept of Mental Disorder (20 credits)

Up to 40 credits from a range of Master’s modules offered across King’s College London (including up to 20 credits from Graduate Language Modules offered by King’s Modern Language Centre) or at University College London or Birkbeck, subject to approvals.

If you do not have a background in Philosophy, you are normally expected to take the 40-credit General Philosophy module. There are a limited number of spaces available on each optional module, and you will have the opportunity to discuss your choices with your personal tutor.

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant courses of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.