Philosophy at Warwick aims to develop clear, rigorous and creative thinking about contemporary philosophical issues. You will receive training in logical argument and develop critical and analytical skills. Undergraduate courses have core modules that provide training in Philosophy’s traditions and basic themes. There is also a large range of option modules which are continually revised to embody the Department’s latest research.

Considerable emphasis is placed on the study of the work of philosophers such as Plato, Descartes, Mill, Hume and Kant, in order to form a context in which to understand philosophical issues, although the attitude to them is of critical interrogation rather than awed reverence.

Example modules

Introduction to Ancient Philosophy

The module is designed to fulfil two roles: it is both a critical survey of major thinkers and issues in Greek Philosophy from its beginning to Aristotle, and a general introduction to some of the central problems with which philosophers have been concerned ever since. This is a wide-ranging module, which explores issues in metaphysics, epistemology, psychology, ethics, politics and aesthetics. Philosophers studied include Heraclitus, Parmenides, Zeno, Democritus, Protagoras, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.

Issues in Philosophy

An introduction to some of the big questions in Philosophy and the methodologies and styles of argumentation used to tackle them. An overarching issue is the relation between subjects’ experiences, feelings, desires, and beliefs and their putative objects – what they seem to be about, including ethical and aesthetic values. In particular, we will consider the extent to which the objects of thought and experience are objective – crudely, independent of subjects’ experiences etc. – or subjective – crudely, determined by subjects’ experiences, etc. Topics covered to include: the nature of value (ethical and aesthetic); the existence of God; the nature of consciousness; philosophical method.

The department has a well-established tradition of receiving visiting students who wish to study Philosophy. Philosophy modules will run throughout
the year, and are subject to availability. Availability for Exchange students for Autumn and Autumn & Spring terms depends upon individual study modules.