Undergraduate Philosophy 2026-2027

What makes an argument a good argument? What are the correct rules for reasoning? How should we revise our beliefs in the light of new evidence? What should we think about paradoxes?

This course provides an introduction to logic and tools for successfully evaluating arguments. Some of the topics covered include validity, soundness, consistency, entailment, provability, belief revision and paradoxes. The language of propositional logic and key ideas in Bayesian epistemology are introduced. The course develops the ability to symbolise English sentences into formal languages and to construct truth tables, truth trees and natural deduction proofs. Logical concepts are applied to everyday thinking as well as to philosophical puzzles and paradoxes.

What, if anything, makes states legitimate? What kind of freedom should political authorities respect and promote? Is democracy really the best form of government? How, if at all, should states respond to inequality? In this course, we will explore central questions in Western political philosophy. Topics we may cover include state legitimacy, racial injustice, liberty, democracy, distributive justice, and equality. Readings will include a balance of historical and contemporary texts.

This course provides students with an introduction to central issues in metaphysics and epistemology. The emphasis is on introducing some of the central issues in these areas; issues that have shaped the contemporary debate.  In addition to introducing a number of central issues in metaphysics and epistemology, this course also teaches and further develops a number of essential skills including extracting and evaluating philosophical arguments, critical writing, and the application of logical concepts to philosophical problems. 

This course allows medical students the opportunity to explore debates in Medical Ethics which inform contemporary ethical practice in Medicine and Healthcare. Students will be introduced to philosophical concepts and methods which will help them reflect on difficult cases drawn from real-life treatment scenarios and policy decisions.

Over the last decades philosophy of biology has matured into a dynamic field of philosophical inquiry. Apart from reflecting on specific findings and controversies within the life sciences, such inquiry can shed light on debates in general philosophy of science and philosophy of mind.

This course examines both classical topics and more recent developments. It will address questions such as: Do genes really carry information or is this just a metaphor? What does it mean to say that the function of the heart is to pump blood? Are biological species natural kinds? Do animals have beliefs and desires?

Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason (1781) is one of the most important works of Western philosophy. Kant focuses on what we can and cannot know, transforming concepts of freedom, God, self, and nature along the way. In resolving the impasse between rationalism and empiricism, Kant set out a new approach to epistemology and metaphysics called transcendental idealism. This fundamental turning-point in philosophy also generated some enduring problems. This course focuses on reading and understanding the Critique alongside selected critical works. Working closely with the text, we will understand Kant's arguments, their significance, and the problems that they generated.

This course explores a diverse range of questions concerning the political and legal status of animals. Questions we might engage with include: What kind of normative framework is most appropriate for understanding issues of justice for animals? Should animals have citizenship rights? Is painless killing of animals wrongful? What are our obligations to companion animals? Should humans try to mitigate the harm wild animals do to one another? When there is a genuine tension between human and animal interests, how should we proceed?

This course examines issues lying at the intersection of epistemology and social, political and feminist philosophy. We will investigate how differences in the power of certain social groups affect the ability to create and share knowledge, and vice-versa. Specifically, the course focuses on epistemic injustice and its intersections with race, sex/gender, disability, and healthcare provision.

Over the last decades philosophy of biology has matured into a dynamic field of philosophical inquiry. Apart from reflecting on specific findings and controversies within the life sciences, such inquiry can shed light on debates in general philosophy of science and philosophy of mind. This course examines both classical topics and more recent developments. It will address questions such as: Do genes really carry information or is this just a metaphor? What does it mean to say that the function of the heart is to pump blood? Are biological species natural kinds? Do animals have beliefs and desires?

Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason (1781) is one of the most important works of Western philosophy. Kant focuses on what we can and cannot know, transforming concepts of freedom, God, self, and nature along the way. In resolving the impasse between rationalism and empiricism, Kant set out a new approach to epistemology and metaphysics called transcendental idealism. This fundamental turning-point in philosophy also generated some enduring problems. This course focuses on reading and understanding the Critique alongside selected critical works. Working closely with the text, we will understand Kant's arguments, their significance, and the problems that they generated.

This course explores a diverse range of questions concerning the political and legal status of animals. Questions we might engage with include: What kind of normative framework is most appropriate for understanding issues of justice for animals? Should animals have citizenship rights? Is painless killing of animals wrongful? What are our obligations to companion animals? Should humans try to mitigate the harm wild animals do to one another? When there is a genuine tension between human and animal interests, how should we proceed?

This course examines issues lying at the intersection of epistemology and social, political and feminist philosophy. We will investigate how differences in the power of certain social groups affect the ability to create and share knowledge, and vice-versa. Specifically, the course focuses on epistemic injustice and its intersections with race, sex/gender, disability, and healthcare provision.