BA (Hons) Philosophy University of Winchester

Program Description

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. 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. 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. 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. 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. You leave the University of Winchester with a degree that shows you have an understanding of people and communities, not just books. 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. 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.

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