Philosophy and History in Wivenhoe Park

On 25 March 2025, we welcomed students in Years 12-13 to our campus for a day packed with activities. The event featured interactive workshops, taster sessions, and hands-on demonstrations, delivered by our departments in philosophical, historical, and interdisciplinary studies.

Students explored a variety of subjects, engaging with our academics and experiencing university-style learning first-hand. See the timetable below to get a sense of how the event ran, as we’ll be running a similar programme in 2026 and look forward to welcoming students back onto campus for even more dynamic activities.

2025 Event Programme

Session information:

• Witches, Witchcraft, and Witch-Trials in 16th and 17th century Europe:  From Harry Potter to #WitchTok, witchcraft remains a key part of popular culture—but in the 16th and 17th centuries, fear of witches led to the execution of around 50,000 people, mostly women. In this taster session, we’ll explore historical beliefs about witchcraft, examine primary sources from the trials, and consider what lessons this dark chapter of history holds for society today.
• Could something unethical ever be the right thing to do? In 1891, artist Paul Gauguin left his family to pursue his creative vision in French Polynesia. In the Bible, Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son in obedience to God. These seem to be cases in which individuals value something higher than their ethical obligations: in one case, their artistic creativity; in the other, their religious devotion. But could it ever really be justified for a person to override their ethical duties for the sake of some higher end?
• Is patience a virtue? We often view patience as a virtue, where good people put their own desires aside to help others. But what if impatience is necessary in some cases like when justice demands change too slowly, as Martin Luther King Jr. argued in Why We Can’t Wait? In this session, we’ll explore what patience really means, when it’s virtuous, and whether there’s such a thing as virtuous impatience. We’ll challenge the modern focus on personal agency and consider when moral passivity might actually be the best way to be.
• The Swinging Sixties - myth or reality? When you think of the 'Swinging Sixties,' you might picture miniskirts, the Beatles, and the vibrant energy of Carnaby Street. Symbols of youth revolution and sexual freedom. But was this really the full picture? In this session, we'll use film, memoirs, and interviews to explore what some historians call the ‘myth’ of the era. We’ll examine how popular culture shapes our understanding of the 1960s and uncover what it truly felt like to live through this transformative time.

Please do get in touch with us if you have any questions about the event in the meantime, we'd love to hear from you.