Course summary

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. 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 A Philosophy degree is a great choice for independent thinkers, and – beyond studying it for its own sake – it will help you prepare for a host of careers that involve asking questions, gathering evidence, drawing conclusions and communicating your arguments and creative solutions to complex problems, 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 curious, ready to ask bold questions, open to learn about different traditions of thought – and to challenge things that many take for granted. 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 natural and man-made 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 coded in literature and other artworks. You'll 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, philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, logic, philosophy of art, and various opportunities to study the work of ancient and modern thinkers including some non-Western philosophy. In your final year, you might choose to undertake a one-to-one dissertation or enroll for a small group special subject. Philosophy thrives on discussion. That is why 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 also develop your thinking and communication skills through a variety of types of written work and exercises, some for gaining practice with a set of essential creative and critical thinking skills, some for succeeding on specific assessments on individual modules. Throughout your time studying philosophy at university, you’ll work in close partnership with UEA’s lecturers and professors, whose expertise will provide both motivation and inspiration. Contributing to contemporary philosophical thinking, you'll 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. Disclaimer Course details are subject to change. You should always confirm the details on the provider's website: www.uea.ac.uk