Overview

This programme at the University of Leeds introduces students to central philosophical questions about knowledge, morality, and reality, while building the analytical skills needed to construct and evaluate arguments. It draws on staff research strengths across a wide range of specialisms, culminating in an independent research project designed with an academic supervisor in the final year.

What You'll Learn

• Core theories of knowledge, morality, and political philosophy

• The history of Western philosophical thought and key historical thinkers

• Formal methods of argument construction and critical reasoning

• Introductory "taster" topics in areas such as philosophy of religion or the mind

• Dedicated research training designed to prepare students for independent study

• Specialist and research-led areas such as the philosophy of mind, metaphysics, epistemology, feminist philosophy, non-western philosophy, and the philosophy of technology

• Advanced topics including moral and political philosophy and the philosophy of science

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to identify and evaluate major positions in epistemology, ethics, and political philosophy, and trace how philosophical ideas have developed historically. They will be able to construct clear, well-reasoned arguments and critically assess the arguments of others. Students will also be equipped to design and carry out an independent piece of philosophical research, applying the skills and knowledge built up across the degree to a topic of their own choosing.