Philosophy BA (Hons)

<br/>• Focus on values and beliefs to deepen your understanding of the specific needs of individuals and communities within local and global societies<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Learn the highly transferable skills of speaking and writing clearly and convincingly along with the capacity for independent thinking<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Study one of the oldest university subjects<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Learn from leading international thinkers across the campus on a wide range of questions relating to your course<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Gain real-world work experience as a part of your degree programme by volunteering for a placement with a range of organisations, from charities to think tanks<br/><br/><br/><br/>Philosophy is arguably the oldest university subject and has the widest field, with philosophers asking fundamental and important questions about values, culture, science, religion and society. As such Philosophy sits at the heart of any university, engaging with and enriching other programmes. In fact, at Winchester, Philosophy has a special role pledged to pioneering values-driven education and asking big questions about human existence.<br/><br/>If you’re keen to acquire the tools of logic and reason to think rigorously and defend your own position clearly around these questions, then our dynamic three-year programme is a great place to start. We actively encourage critical reflection and debate, and you can study a range of core philosophical areas such as logic, epistemology, philosophy of language and aesthetics.<br/><br/>At Winchester, you study the grand narrative of the philosophical tradition, from ancient Greece to the world of existentialism and post-modernity. Each year you analyse the meaning and significance of classic philosophical works from thinkers as diverse as de Beauvoir, Aquinas, Fanon and Aristotle. <br/><br/>In analysing the texts produced by great intellects, you grow as a writer, debater and thinker. And it’s not all about heavyweight thinkers – you have the chance to explore philosophical ideas in everyday life: for example, how films or art help us to explore the big questions. <br/><br/>In Year 1, you begin by studying modules in Philosophy that are designed to develop your study skills and enhance your confidence in critical writing and reading. Among others, these include Ethics and Religion, Philosophy in the Ancient World, Paradoxes and Puzzles, God, Soul and the World in Early Modern Thought, and Introduction to Political Philosophy. <br/><br/>In Year 2, core modules include Thinking with the Earth, Research Methods, Kant and Copernican Revolution, and Nietzsche, Freud and Atheism. In your final year you focus on a Dissertation and core modules in Phenomenology and Existentialism, and Contemporary Philosophy.<br/><br/>In Years 2 and 3, you build a profile of options around your philosophical studies to reflect your own academic interests. A wide range of optional modules include Bioethics, Christianity, Race and Colonialism, Questions in Metaphysics, and Religion, Ethics and War.<br/><br/>You leave the University of Winchester with a degree that shows you have an understanding of people and communities, not just books. <br/><br/>Graduates enter a wide range of careers. Some students arrive with destinations in mind, including teaching (philosophy, religion or ethics), journalism, social work and academia, while others discover their vocation during the degree course. Other potential careers include working for NGOs and charities, where ethical issues are paramount, and employment in both the public and private sectors.<br/><br/>Whatever your career plans are, this is a degree that develops you as an independent thinker, a close observer of society and a collaborative problem solver – that gives you lots of options.