Philosophy BA (Hons)

University of East Anglia

Overview

Our philosophy degree is a great opportunity to explore fundamental questions – about ethics, the nature of the good, human and animal minds, the nature of religious belief, and the place of humans in the universe.

Discover how the great thinkers of the past imagined the world and how their radical ideas might still be of the greatest relevance today. Find out how studying philosophy at university can help you to tackle current issues – climate justice, conspiracy theories, and uncertainty in a ‘post-truth’ world. Prepare to excel in a whole host of careers – teaching, law, environmental work, and more!

Studying philosophy at university is one of the most satisfying ways to spend your student years. It can be life-changing, prompting you to reflect on your values and your contribution to the wider world. If you want to ask difficult questions and challenge the things that others take for granted, this degree is most certainly for you.

About This Course

A Philosophy degree is a great choice for independent thinkers, and it will help you prepare for a host of careers that involve asking questions, gathering evidence, drawing conclusions and communicating your arguments, such as law, politics, journalism, and even advertising.

You don’t need to have studied Philosophy before joining our philosophy degree programme. You simply need to be prepared to ask questions, learn about different traditions of thought – and to challenge everything. Your studies will begin with carefully designed introductory modules, which lay the foundations for later modules.

You’ll study great contemporary thinkers as well as those from the past, grapple with puzzles about ethics, God, and religion, and investigate the nature of the mind and language, and how it relates to the world around us. You can explore the philosophies of the non-Western world, engage with current political or environmental issues, or examine the philosophical ideas behind literature or film. You will be taught by experts who contribute through their own research to tackling key questions in all these fields.

You can carve your own path through your studies especially during your second and third years, when you’ll have an open choice of philosophy themes to follow. Examples include environmental philosophy, political philosophy, philosophy of language, ethics, philosophy of religion, and various opportunities to study the work of ancient and modern thinkers including non-Western philosophy. In your final year, you may choose to take a one-to-one dissertation or enroll for a small group special subject.

Your philosophy degree allows you to take one or two modules each year from complementary subjects outside of philosophy. Themes currently on offer include languages, politics, gender studies, film studies, history, literature, or students can design their own theme in discussion with their adviser.

Philosophy thrives on discussion. You’ll explore and debate topics with your lecturers and fellow students in small discussion groups – as well as through lectures and independent study. You’ll develop your thinking and communication skills through a variety of written work and exercises, some for practice, some for assessment.

Throughout your time studying philosophy at university, you’ll work in partnership with UEA’s lecturers and professors, whose expertise will provide both motivation and inspiration. Contributing to contemporary philosophical thinking, you will both be following the guidance of your lecturers and identify new ideas and ways of moving forward on the issues that matter most to you.

Even when studying texts from the past, Philosophy involves fresh thinking, so your modules content will always be updated and linked to those current problems that deserve our utmost attention and dedication.

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