Philosophy
- UCAS Code: V500 BA/Ph
- Campus Code: 4
- Duration: 3 years
- Places per year: 1-2
Philosophy explores human thought, the basis of knowledge, the nature of reason, consciousness and cognition, as well as the foundations of value and political theory. Its questions are intriguing and its study requires complex critical thinking, rigorous analysis and consideration of new perspectives.
Our approach emphasises the values of the analytic school: rigour, clarity and independent thought. But its content extends well beyond the analytic tradition and its main preoccupations. For instance, we currently offer papers on Greek and Roman, and early modern philosophy, as well as political philosophy and aesthetics.
Philosophy
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Course Overview
During the first year you’ll get a solid grounding in some of the central areas of analytic philosophy and history of philosophy.
You’ll then have more freedom to explore your interests, in areas such as:
- ethics
- aesthetics
- ancient philosophy
- formal logic
- philosophy of science
- metaphysics
How You Learn
Teaching is provided through lectures, with additional classes for some subjects, such as first year Logic classes.
You will also have small-group supervisions, for which you’ll do topical reading and write an essay which you then discuss with your supervisor.
Typically you’ll have 6 to 12 lectures, and 1 to 3 supervisions and/or small classes each week.
Assessments mainly take place through written examinations.
In year 2 and 3 you can replace one written examination with two essays of 3,000 to 4,000 words.
In year 3 you can replace one written examination with a dissertation of 6,000 to 8,000 words on a subject of your choice.
Entry Requirements
Minimum Offer Level
A-Level: A*AA
IB Diploma: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level
Other: See the University’s Entry Requirements page
Subject Requirements
While we don’t ask for any specific subjects to apply to Philosophy, we would recommend certain subjects for a strong application:
- Mathematics
- Religious Studies
- Philosophy
- English (language or literature)
- History
- Languages (ancient or modern)
Admissions Process
Written Work
None Required.
Admissions Assessment
Information to follow.
Interviews
Two interviews of around 25 minutes each.
Suggested Resources
If you’re thinking of applying to study Philosophy and haven’t already done so, we strongly advise you to do some reading about the subject to get a realistic idea of what it’s like. For example:
- S Blackburn Think
- R Descartes Meditations
- D Hume Enquiries
- J S Mill Utilitarianism
- B Russell Problems of Philosophy
Please see the Faculty website for further suggestions.
