"I am that gadfly which God has attached to the state" Socrates

Courses in Philosophy

Below is a list of all currently offered courses in philosophy. Clicking on a link will take you to the associated online profile for this particular course which will take you away from this web site. If you still wish to keep this web site open then right-click on the link and select 'open in a new window'.

If you wish to apply for one of the courses below please go to http://www.essex.ac.uk/ug/applying_to_essex/

Module maps will need to be looked at in conjunction with the programme specficiation for that specific course.  Programme specifications are available at:  http://www.essex.ac.uk/programmespecs/.

For new course starting in October 2009

***BA Philosophy and Film***

The new BA in Philosophy and Film, jointly taught by the Departments of Philosophy and Literature, Film and Theatre Studies, gives equal weight to both disciplines. The Department of Philosophy has a leading reputation in continental philosophy, the very field in which many
philosophical debates on film originated. The BA offers a wide ranging and flexible philosophy curriculum, including texts and authors (such as Deleuze or Bergson) central to the philosophy of film. It exposes students to a wide range of cinematic genres and traditions and familiarises them with the essential concepts and theories of film. More generally, it provides students with the training required for the analysis of cultural forms and of the various philosophical assumptions re: gender, race, sexuality, technology (amongst others) conveyed by the film industry. It helps the students develop a number of theoretical and applied skills such as the capacity for logical analysis and problem solving as well as the ability to use philosophy in aesthetic and cultural inquiry. In doing so, the degree prepares the students to a variety of careers, in particular in philosophy, film or the media.  

Course Structure
Year 1:
Introduction to Philosophy (30 credits)
Introduction to Film (30 credits)
The Enlightenment (30 credits)
Death, God and the Meaning of Life or
Introduction to Literature or
one other optional module (30 credits)

Year 2:
Philosophy and Film I (15 credits)
Philosophy and Film II (15 credits)
Philosophy and Literature or a philosophy module (30 credits)
Two film modules (60 credits)

Year 3:
20th Century Continental Philosophy or a philosophy module (15 credits)
Philosophy and the Arts:  Aesthetics of the Visual Arts or a philosophy module (15 credits)
2 x 15 credit or 1 x 30 credit philosophy module (30 credits)
Two film modules (60 credits)

Single honours courses

  • Philosophy (V500 BA/Ph) module map

    In the second and third years pathways can also be taken through the BA Philosophy that allow students to specialise, should they wish to, in either contemporary ethics and political philosophy, or in Continental philosophy. For example students interested in ethical and political issues would take Ethics, Philosophy and Rights, Contemporary Political Philosophy, Joint Seminar in Philosophy and Law, along with a range of other modules. Students interested in Continental philosophy would take 19th Century Continental Philosophy, 20th Century Continental Philosophy, Kant's Revolution in Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind II: Freud and Issues in Psychoanalysis, along with a range of other modules.
     
  • Philosophy (International Exchange) (V501 BA/Ph4) Module Map

This four-year version of our BA Philosophy (see above) commenced in October 2007.  It gives students the opportunity to spend a year abroad (year 3) in a European country, Latin America, the US, Canada or Australia, providing they have taken relevant options in their first and second year.  For more information regarding the year abroad please refer to the University's Study Abroad web site.

Joint honours courses