Philosophy

How did language - the centre of our culture, family ties and business transactions -  develop? In this module, you’ll get to understand fascinating debates around language, and why philosophers have been so drawn to it throughout history. You’ll gain core critical skills, as you consider questions around: 

• what language is 
• whether we can study it scientifically
• the relationship between language and thought. 

In this module, you’ll discover science, and its role in our society. You’ll get to grips with the main philosophical questions around scientific knowledge, and the methods we use to explore it. You’ll gain core critical skills as you consider classic philosophy of science topics, and investigate some new ideas. You’ll debate topics such as:

• do the entities postulated by scientists really exist?
• can scientific theories be falsified by observation?
• is theoretical change in science a rational process?
• how much of the biological world can be explained by appeal to natural selection?
• what is the measurement problem in quantum mechanics?

• Is there such a thing as wellbeing and, if so, what exactly is it? 
• How is wellbeing related to happiness and pleasure? 
• Can wellbeing be objectively measured and aggregated? 
• How have modern social and technological developments impacted on our wellbeing? 
• Can events that take place after our death contribute to our wellbeing?

What’s the difference between a philosopher and a doctor? In this module, you’ll explore the ancient Greek view that philosophers heal the soul, just as physicians heal the body. You’ll gain a strong knowledge of ancient philosophical thought, as you trace this thinking in the works of Aristotle, the Epicureans, the Stoics and the Sceptics and explore their views on such issues as:

• does anger have a positive role to play in our lives or would we be better off without it?
• Is death something to be feared?
• what is the role of love in human life?
• what are the benefits of a life of scepticism?

In this module, you’ll investigate the philosophy of religion, and how it was shaped by key thinkers in the Continental European tradition of the 19th and 20th centuries. You’ll gain valuable critical skills to succeed in your degree, as you critique the concept of God, and explore Feuerbach’s idea that God is nothing more than an expression of human nature and needs. 

We will consider the claims of Nietzsche that God is dead, of Marx that religion is an opiate for human suffering, and of Freud that religion is no more than a set of illusions, vain attempts to deal with the suffering of life. We will see that, from such an unpromising start, creative perspectives on what religion really involves emerge. You’ll also explore different responses to debates about God and religion.

• Painting
• Photography
• Cinema
• Graffiti
• Music
• literature 
• and environmental art.

• Legal positivism
• Legal realism
• Natural law theory
• Critical legal theory

This module offers the opportunity to study abroad, experience a new culture, and apply your skills in different contexts to enhance your employability. It will help you develop self-management, cross-cultural communication, and interpersonal skills.

You’ll receive support to secure a place at a partner institution abroad, where you can choose modules related to your degree or explore new areas that complement your studies.

Studying at an international university will help you enhance your interpersonal skills through cross-cultural communication with students and tutors, allowing you to build lasting relationships. You'll also improve your study skills by focusing on your chosen areas of interest, gaining valuable international experience that will strengthen your CV.

This year abroad module lasts for one academic year and is taken after the conclusion of your second year of study, once you’ve completed all your level 5 studies. Your year abroad is not credit-bearing.
 

In this module, you’ll dive into medieval philosophy - an unfairly neglected period in western philosophy. You’ll explore the fascinating ideas of a wide range of medieval thinkers, whose work still influences philosophy today. You’ll also gain a strong knowledge of the historical gap between ancient Greek philosophy and today.

Do our morals come from society or ourselves? How does emotion affect our moral judgement? In this module, you’ll explore the moral behaviour of humans, and our ideas of right and wrong. You’ll analyse the parts of the brain which create our moral behaviour and evaluation. You’ll also look at research on the philosophy of the mind, moral philosophy and cognitive science. And you’ll explore issues such as:

• what motivates our moral behaviour
• how morals evolved
• how we develop moral beliefs.

• Is environmental activism justified?
• What is the difference between local and global activism? 
• What are the methodological challenges for climate science?
• What drives climate change scepticism or denialism? 

This module explores central topics in metaethics, the philosophical study of the nature of morality and moral judgment. You will explore such issues as:

• are there objective moral facts?
• when we make a moral judgment are we making a factual claim or merely expressing our emotions or preferences?
• is morality culturally relative?
• how do our moral judgments motivate our actions.

In this module, you’ll get to know one of the liveliest areas of current research: contemporary philosophy of mind. You will explore issues such as:

• What is the relationship between the mind and the brain?
• How are our thoughts capable of being about phenomena that exist outside of the mind?
• Where is the mind located? Is it in our skulls or does it stretch beyond the outer surfaces of our bodies?
• Is consciousness a mystery or can it be explained from a scientific perspective?
   

A paradox involves a contradiction, or a tension. In some cases the contradiction is a logical one, and in others it is of some other kind.

These tensions, and resolving them, are the point of departure for all kinds of philosophically interesting topics:

• infinity (Zeno’s paradoxes)
• rationality (Newcomb’s problem)
• co-operation (the Prisoner’s dilemma)
• time travel (the Grandfather paradox)
• the nature of the world described by physics (the Twins paradox; Schrodinger’s cat)
• the foundations of mathematics (Russell’s paradox)
• the nature of truth and logic (the Liar, sorites, pseudo-Scotus and Curry’s paradoxes).

In this module, you’ll survey some of the most philosophically interesting paradoxes; for your own intrinsic interest, for the light that they shed on their respective philosophical topics, and as a fun application of philosophical methods and analysis.

Why is there so much suffering in the world? Why do so many bad things happen? Can philosophy combat evil? In this module, you’ll dive into the problem of evil, and the philosophical ideas which underpin it. You’ll look at how philosophers have responded to dark events throughout history, and consider the social contexts of their ideas.

We move on from this to what is, perhaps, a more interesting and important question: how do we live when confronted with dark times? How might we act in such ways as to cultivate the good and to ensure that wickedness cannot flourish?

In this module, you’ll gain excellent skills for work and your degree. You’ll work independently on projects that fascinate you, with the support of our leading Philosophy academics. You’ll build on your knowledge of philosophy, and hone your ability to manage your projects and time successfully. Whether you’re focusing on eastern philosophy, the nature of the self or existentialism, you’ll shape your project around your passions and gain the skills for a fantastic career.