Philosophy MA (Hons)

Students must take the following compulsory first-year module alongside other Philosophy modules:

• Reasoning: introduces the essential concepts and techniques of critical reasoning, formal propositional logic, and basic predicate logic.

Students interested in Philosophy can also choose from a number of other philosophical modules which cover topics including metaphysics, the philosophy of mind, ethics, history of philosophy, and political philosophy. Find a full list of first-year Philosophy modules in the module catalogue.

Second year

Students must take at least two Philosophy modules in their second year. The following second-year modules are available for students to choose from:

• Intermediate Logic: aims to further develop students’ understanding of formal logic by the study of a broad array of systems of logic.
• Foundations of Western Philosophy: aims to introduce students to the foundational philosophical thought of Ancient Greece, from the pre-Socratics to the Hellenistic period.
• Meaning and Knowing: aims to provide a comprehensive foundation in both epistemology (the theory of knowledge) and the philosophy of language.
• Moral and Aesthetic Value: aims to provide an introduction to the philosophy of value, exploring what it is to make aesthetic or moral judgements or statements, and the status of these.

If you decide to take Philosophy in your third and fourth years, you choose from a wide variety of advanced options, including modules in applied ethics, logic, and the history of philosophy.

Philosophy Honours modules which have been offered in previous years include:

• Advanced Logic
• Animals, Minds and Language
• Classical Philosophy
• Conceptual Engineering and its Role in Philosophy
• Contemporary Moral Theory
• Continental European Philosophy from Descartes to Leibniz
• Core Works in Continental Philosophy
• Effective Altruism
• Metaphysics
• Paradoxes
• Philosophy of Art/Literature/Creativity
• Philosophy of Human Rights
• Philosophy of Perception
• Political Philosophy
• Reasons for Action and Belief.

In fourth year, students may also undertake a 7,500-word dissertation on a topic of their choice. This independent project enables you to develop key research skills which are desired by both prospective employers and by graduate schools offering postgraduate degrees.