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BA Philosophy
About this course
Philosophy is the discipline that takes seriously the questions that other subjects either answer too quickly or set aside altogether. What does it mean to know something? What makes an action right or wrong? Is the mind reducible to the brain? Do we have free will? What makes a just society? These are not peripheral puzzles but central questions about human life, and philosophy's distinctive contribution is to pursue them with rigour, precision, and a willingness to follow argument wherever it leads, even into uncomfortable territory. At Birkbeck College, this part-time degree in Philosophy is designed for students who bring intellectual curiosity and seriousness to these questions, and who want to develop their thinking in a supportive and academically challenging environment. You will engage with both ancient and contemporary approaches to philosophical problems, exploring the history of philosophy alongside current debates in ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, political philosophy, philosophy of mind, and aesthetics. Birkbeck's distinctive identity as an evening university means you will study alongside students from a wide range of backgrounds and professional experiences, enriching seminar discussion and grounding abstract argument in a diversity of perspectives. The part-time structure allows you to fit your studies around existing commitments. Philosophy graduates are found across an exceptionally wide range of careers. The skills the discipline develops, analytical rigour, clear writing, the ability to construct and evaluate arguments, and comfort with complexity and ambiguity, are valued in law, public policy, the civil service, journalism, management consultancy, technology, finance, and education. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in philosophy, law, politics, or areas where ethics and critical thinking are central, such as bioethics, AI policy, or environmental governance. The ability to think carefully about difficult problems remains in demand wherever those problems resist simple solutions.
Syllabus & Modules
Typical curriculumStudent Satisfaction
National Student Survey - 25 respondents (69% response rate)
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