Philosophy

Philosophy at the University of Essex has never been quite like philosophy anywhere else.

Essex Philosophy has long been the place to go if you suspect that something has gone fundamentally wrong in modern life – and to figure out what makes life modern anyway.

If you want to read Marx seriously..., if you want to read sacred texts critically..., if you want to apply lessons from Hegel and Heidegger to questions about psychiatric coercion and human rights..., then Essex is the place for you.

Philosophers at Essex use the tools of philosophy and the study of its history to engage with the most pressing issues of our time: climate change, capitalism & inequality, gender & justice, and the epidemic of mental illness.

At Essex, philosophy has never been boxed in by the usual reading lists or disciplinary boundaries. We've never been afraid to read the books or think the thoughts that others dismiss.

We are 7th in the UK for research impact in philosophy (Grade Point Average, REF2021) and 9th for philosophy for overall positivity score (National Student Survey 2023, English Broad Discipline Institutions).

We study real-world problems, both political and existential, to gain a critical perspective on the personal, political, and socio-economic challenges we face today. Join our tight-knit school that is praised for its collaborative and supportive ethos and teaching environment.

We're 9th for philosophy for overall positivity score (National Student Survey 2023, English Broad Discipline Institutions).

We have two major funded research projects: The Ethics of Powerlessness and The Essex Autonomy Project. 

That's not all though. We have expertise in all sorts of philosophical themes and many of our academics are open to supervision.  

 Use our research finder to find a topic and a supervisor to suit you, or find out more about our School of Philosophy and Art History.

Our research clusters