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MA Degree Programme


Philosophy and European Philosophy What is distinctive about Philosophy and European Philosophy?


Why does freedom matter? What is ‘truth’ and is it possible to find it? How should we live? These are just some of the questions you will explore when you join us to study Philosophy. We will encourage you to examine your own beliefs, and to put them to the test as we explore the views of some of the most important thinkers in the history of Western thought: Plato, Descartes, Hume, Kant, and Nietzsche, to name but a few.


In our programme, you will be taught by a dynamic team of lecturers with national and international reputations. Through their work, they play an active role in shaping some of the most exciting debates in contemporary philosophy. They will introduce you to these debates, as well as to innovative philosophical approaches to some of the most urgent political and ethical issues of our times. The programme is unique in Scotland in offering a specialisation in European Philosophy: you will be able to study with experts in this field who will show you how


Extracurricular Activities


• The Philosophy Society is a thriving student-led group that meets regularly in term-time to listen to invited speakers and debate important philosophical questions.


• As a student with us, you will be able to attend our Research Seminars, where you will hear papers by visiting international speakers working in some of the most exciting areas of contemporary philosophy.


Module Content


Students following the European Philosophy pathway must take ‘Hume / Recent European Philosophy’ at Level 2 and specialise in European Philosophy options (here marked with a *) at Levels 3 & 4.


Level 1


You will study 2 modules, each with two parts. Reading and Thinking Philosophy


In this module you will engage with key philosophical texts and skills.


The Critical Thinking unit will introduce you to, and help you to develop, the distinctive and valuable skill of thinking philosophically. You will improve your skills of argument, analysis and critical evaluation.


Plato (427-348 BC) is arguably the founding father of Western philosophical thought. We shall investigate his still-influential answers to questions such as: What is reality and what is illusion, and how can we tell? What is knowledge? How should we live?


Foundations of Modern Philosophy


This module introduces you to key ideas of modern thought.


Political Philosophy examines the concepts that shape important political debates. By looking at the work of influential political philosophers, we address such questions as: do laws protect us, or take away our freedom? Why should we protect the right to freedom of speech? Should everyone have equal rights?


Descartes (1596-1650 AD) kicked off a whole philosophical tradition when he asked: ‘How do I know that my ordinary beliefs about the world are true?’ We shall examine Descartes’ strategy for answering this question, plus key issues that he confronts as a result, such as the relationship between mind and body, and the existence of God.


Level 2 You will study 2 modules, each with two parts. Aesthetics / Kant and his Critics


Aesthetics:What is ‘art’? Can it be defined? What, if anything, is special about encountering an art work? How do we evaluate a work of art?


To help us answer these questions, we will draw on a range of different theories and thinkers, both historical and contemporary.


Kant and his Critics: Immanuel Kant (1724- 1804) revolutionised philosophy in every area he wrote about. This course focuses on his influential ideas about ethics. We go on to investigate critical reactions to Kant, including the exciting and challenging arguments developed by Nietzsche in the nineteenth century.


Hume / Recent European Philosophy


David Hume (1711-1777) is widely regarded as the greatest ever Scottish philosopher. In this unit, we investigate Hume’s views on the mind, meaning, the sources and justification of knowledge, causation, free will, the self, God, and morality.


Recent European Philosophy: Problems of the Self. What makes me ‘me’? Given the multiplicity of physical, mental, perceptual, and spiritual states that I will go through in my life, what is it, really, that allows me to say ‘I’ through all these changes? This unit addresses questions about self and identity via the work of recent European philosophers such as Freud, Bergson, Sartre, and Foucault.


• As you progress to Honours, you will be encouraged to attend workshops and conferences hosted by the Programme recent events have examined issues in contemporary ethics, in philosophy and science, and in philosophy and art, and have investigated the work of key thinkers in contemporary European philosophy.


• Optional field trips to museums, archives and art galleries are also a regular feature, as we encourage you to link your philosophical studies to a broader cultural and social context.


For further information see www.dundee.ac.uk/philosophy


thinkers in the European tradition have led us to question our understanding of history, our moral values, and even our own identities.


Our Programme is unusual because of the extent to which we encourage our students to make links between philosophy and other disciplines. We specialise in philosophy and art: we are the first programme in the UK to offer a degree in Art, Philosophy & Contemporary Practices, and all our students are encouraged to make links between philosophy and literature, the visual arts, film, or music. Specialist modules in these areas will help you to identify and explore the topics of special interest to you. When studying with us, you will also be able to examine the relationship between philosophy and science (including developments in computing and artificial intelligence), and relationships between philosophy, science and religion.


Teaching and learning reflect this interdisciplinary approach: in our lectures, we regularly draw on


films and artworks, we discuss important scientific developments, and debate controversial ethical issues. You will also attend seminars with expert tutors, where you will work in small groups on important philosophical texts and problems, and develop your skills of analysis and argumentation. The fourth year dissertation is the high-point of your studies, where you will put forward and defend a thesis in an area of philosophy of your choice.


The programme regularly reviews its module options; new Level 3 and 4 modules currently being developed include courses on German Idealism, Phenomenology and Feminist Philosophy.


Philosophy is about learning how to think: by studying with us, you will learn how to think deeply, creatively, and in ways that make a difference.


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