"we come to know what it means to think when we ourselves are thinking" Heidegger

MA Continental Philosophy

This MA provides students of various backgrounds with a rigorous grounding in Continental Philosophy from Kant and Hegel to the present. With its tailor-made taught modules, it offers an introduction to the various strands of Continental thought, including genealogy, phenomenology, hermeneutics, deconstruction and Critical Theory. It combines teaching, which analyses and explains these various traditions of thought, with the experience of reading some of the major works of these traditions in detail. Students will also have the opportunity to study some of the most recent developments in Continental Philosophy.

Course Structure

All students take six modules, normally three in each term or their equivalent from the list below and complete a dissertation.  We strongly recommend (but do not require) that you take the MA Writing Workshop (PY951) in the Autumn Term.  This provides intensive skill-orientated training in philosophical writing at the postgraduate level.  At least four of the modules must be within Philosophy (indicated with a PY code) and the dissertation must be supervised within Philosophy and be on an area of Continental Philosophy. Part-time students will normally take four modules in their first year. In the second year they will take two modules and write their dissertation.

Module Code Module Title Credit value
PY981 7 FY DISSERTATION
which must be supervised within the Philosophy Department and be on an area of Continental Philosophy. The length of the dissertation is 15-16,000 words (core)
90
  PHILOSOPHY OPTION 15
  PHILOSOPHY OPTION 15
  PHILOSOPHY OPTION 15
  PHILOSOPHY OPTION 15
  PHILOSOPHY & ART HISTORY OPTION 20
  PHILOSOPHY & ART HISTORY OPTION 20
Total 180-190

Module Options:   Updated April 2012

A maximum of 2 x 20 credit modules may be taken. Not all modules will be available every year.

Module Code Module Title Credit value
AR936 7 SP ART, POLITICS AND ETHICS: CONTEMPORARY ART AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 20
PA928 7 SP

PSYCHOANALYTIC METHODOLOGY

20
PY500 7 AU KANT'S REVOLUTION IN PHILOSOPHY 15
PY904 7 AU ETHICS, POLITICS AND PUBLIC POLICY: MA SEMINAR 15
PY934 7 AU

NIETZSCHE

15
PY938 7 SP PHILOSOPHY AND PSYCHOANALYSIS 15
PY947 7 SP CONTEMPORARY FRENCH PHILOSOPHY 15
PY948 7 AU

THE FRANKFURT SCHOOL AND CONTEMPORARY CRITICAL THEORY

15
PY949 7 SP PHENOMENOLOGY AND EXISTENTIALISM 15
PY950 7 SP TOPICS IN CONTINENTAL PHILOSOPHY 15
PY951 7 AU MA WRITING WORKSHOP (RECOMMENDED) 15

More information on these options is available through the online Module Directory. Please note that not all options will be available in any given year.

More Information

For a detailed programme specification of this and other courses, please see the Philosophy entries in the University's Programme Specifications Catalogue.

MA Continental Philosophy Module Map.  The module map is being updated for 12/13 and will be posted here shortly.