Who is this course for?
No previous experience in the subject is necessary and the course is open to anyone with an interest in the subject area.
What will I be studying?
The course is divided into three complementary termly units which build participants' knowledge and understanding of some important philosophical problems.
The course is taught via remote delivery. Students are expected to attend all of the scheduled teaching sessions throughout the year.
Unit 1: Selected writings from the history of philosophy
In this unit we will read and study selections from two important philosophical texts. As well as engaging with the topics and questions discussed in the texts, you will develop interpretative skills which will help you to uncover the views of the authors. We will consider and evaluate those views in two ways: both by exploring the internal connections between an author’s treatments of different topics, and by comparing these with alternative treatments of the same topics, whether from the author’s time or our own.
Unit 2: Epistemology and philosophy of mind
This unit introduces some key questions and disputes concerning what knowledge is and how it can be acquired. In order to know something, is it enough that I believe it and that this belief is true? If not, what more is needed? We will also consider some issues in the philosophy of mind, concerning whether mental states can be identified with physical states. We will introduce various approaches to understanding the mind, including theories known as ‘dualist’, ‘epiphenomenalist’, ‘behaviourist’ and ‘functionalist’.
Unit 3: Social and political philosophy
This unit introduces key notions such as equality, rights and justice by asking how goods (such as property, power, and opportunities) should be distributed in society. We will also consider philosophical questions raised by particular social institutions, and by particular types of interaction between persons (or between persons and non-persons). For example: What constitutes a good reason for punishing somebody? What obligations do we have to animals and to the environment? What decisions can we make about our children’s futures on their behalf?
What can I go on to do?
The Institute offers two 60 credit complementary one year Certificate courses in Philosophy which are taught and awarded at first year undergraduate level (FHEQ 4). The Certificates are currently taught in alternating years and can be taken in any order.
Undergraduate Certificate in Philosophy: Metaphyics, Philosophy of Language and Ethics
This Certificate course (previously called the Undergraduate Certificate in Philosophy I) which is planned for 2022-23 will introduce you to some central topics in three areas – metaphysics, logic and the philosophy of language, and ethics. As a student on the course you will develop your ability to think carefully and rigorously about the questions raised, and the answers which have been proposed.
Students who have successfully completed the Undergraduate Certificate in Philosophy: History of Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind and Political Philosophy (60 credits at FHEQ level 4) and the Undergraduate Certificate in Philosophy: Metaphysics, Philosophy of Language and Ethics (60 credits at FHEQ level 4) can apply to be awarded the Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education in Philosophy (120 credits at FHEQ level 4).
Credit awarded by the Institute can also be transferred into the degree programmes of other higher education providers. However, the amount of credit which can be transferred into degree programmes varies from institution to institution and is always at the discretion of the receiving institution.
