Politics, International Relations & Philosophy

Overview

The Keele philosophy undergraduate programme specialises in dual honours philosophy. Most other universities offer dual honours as a by-product of their single honours course, but Keele’s specialisation ensures a properly designed and balanced course, making it the perfect choice for students who want to combine philosophy with another subject.

Keele has enjoyed a strong reputation for philosophy since the 1950s, and is today  a small, friendly and research-led programme, which provides students with the opportunity to engage with the cutting-edge ideas from Universities all around the UK though our Royal Institute of Philosophy lectures, in which leading philosophers are regularly invited to Keele to talk about their latest work.

In 2011/12, Keele Philosophy received a score of 4.6 / 5.0 in the National Student Survey for overall student satisfaction: one of the highest scores at Keele. More information here about the Philosophy Programme as a whole.

Prospective students should have a keen interest in philosophical issues, but need not have studied philosophy before. 

Course Content

The programme is designed to build and develop knowledge of philosophy progressively. The first and the second years provide a solid foundation in the key areas and enable students to specialise in their chosen areas in the third year. After the first year, you may choose to major in philosophy if you would like to increase the proportion of philosophy you study in your degree. One of the benefits of being in the School of Politics, International Relations and Philosophy is the range of extra modules in political philosophy available to philosophy students.

The following provides an indication of the current core offering; please see the Keele module catalogue for detailed information on our modules.

First year

• How to Think (introduction to logic and analysis)
• 10 Problems of Philosophy (introduction to metaphysics and epistemology)
• Moral Philosophy (introduction to moral philosophy and philosophy of religion)
• Justice, Authority and Power (introduction to political philosophy)

Second year

• Epistemology and Metaphysics I (Descartes, Locke and Berkeley)
• Pursuit of the Good (moral philosophies of Aristotle and Kant)
• Philosophy of Mind (contemporary theories of the connection between mind and brain)
• Philosophy of Religion (arguments concerning religious belief and atheism)
• Freedom and Equality (contemporary political philosophy)

Third year

• Epistemology and Metaphysics II (Hume, Leibniz and Kant)
• Philosophy of Art (the nature of aesthetic experience and the value of art)
• Metaphysics (great metaphysical systems, from ancient Greece and China to the present day)
  
• Great Philosophers of the 20th Century (Heidegger and Collingwood)
• Rorty and the Mirror of Nature (American neopragmatism and philosophy-scepticism)
• Dissertation (on any approved topic)

Also political philosophy modules such as:

• Feminist Theory
• Toleration
• The Individual and the Community

Codes and Combinations

Students are candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) (BA Hons) if their two Principal courses are in humanities and/or social science subjects.

All students who study a science subject are candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Science (with Honours) (BSc Hons).

Dual Honours course can be combined with:

Popular Combinations

Philosophy and Politics
In the case of Philosophy and Politics, there is considerable conceptual overlap, and shared concern in a wide range of contemporary issues, such as environmental matters, genetic engineering, and relationships with the Third World. Both disciplines are interested in issues about government, social structures, power, justice, and the relationship between the individual and the state. The clarity and precision in analysis provided by a training in philosophy complements the wide-ranging scope of political concerns, many of which have profound ethical implications of the kind dealt with in moral philosophy.

Philosophy and English
Philosophy and English interact and complement each other in many ways. Many literary texts, from Thomas More’s Utopia in the 16th century, to 20th-century and 21st-century science fiction, raise deep philosophical issues. Both subjects require students to develop an alert awareness of the use of language, and indeed encourage complementary skills and sensitivities in language use and interpretation.

Philosophy and International Relations
Questions of International Relations often conceptually overlap with questions of political and moral philosophy, and there is a shared concern between the two disciplines with a wide range of contemporary issues, such as climate change, genetic engineering and global inequality. Both are interested in issues about government, social structures, power, justice and the relationship between the individual and the state. The clarity and precision in analysis provided by training in Philosophy complements the wide-ranging scope of International Relations concerns, many of which have profound ethical implications of the kind dealt with in moral philosophy.

Other classic combinations:

• Philosophy and Psychology
• Philosophy and History
• Philosophy and Maths

… but philosophy is such a wide-ranging and general discipline that it fits well with almost anything else!

Major and Foundation course available:

Teaching and Assessment

Philosophers use analysis and rigorous argument to explore fundamental issues overlooked in everyday life, and so although students are expected to learn about the views of the great philosophers, they are also expected to subject those views to independent scrutiny in order to achieve a satisfying overall intellectual picture of the world. Since debate and a grasp of logical analysis are central to the discipline, seminars play a key role in our teaching.

Students participate in a variety of presentations and innovative seminar games, which develop analytical, argumentative and public speaking skills. The use of interactive and virtual learning facilities are integral to the programme, and assessment is through a varied combination of portfolios, essays, oral presentations and written examinations.

Teaching on the philosophy programme has consistently received student satisfaction ratings above the University average, and the University average is among the highest in the UK. One of our philosophy lecturers was awarded a Keele individual teaching excellence award in 2011.

Programme specifications (new window)

Skills and Careers

The skills acquired by philosophy students are widely recognised as directly relevant to the needs of today’s employers: see, for instance, this article in The Guardian. Keele philosophy graduates have an excellent record of career-placement in a wide variety of occupations, such as law, computing and journalism, and many have gone on to study philosophy to a higher level.

Philosophy is particularly good at developing the following skills:

• Strong analytical skills: philosophy students learn how to spot the arguments people are using, and how to evaluate them.
• Rationality: philosophy students learn to only hold beliefs that can be justified, which makes them particularly good team-players.
• Comprehension: philosophy students learn to interpret complex philosophical texts, which provides the skills needed to interpret complex texts in the workplace, such as legal documents, etc.
• Originality: to do well in philosophy, you have to think for yourself, which is something employers really value.
• Oral Communication: philosophy students develop strong debating and presentation skills.

Read our statement about 'The Keele Philosophy Graduate and Employability'

Philosophy destinations for graduates who completed their undergraduate course in 2011:

Of those who responded:

Want to work in?

Many students are excited by careers that utilise the academic knowledge and skills developed on their degree:

• HE Lecturer
• Lexicographer
• Editorial Assistant
• Social Researcher

What else?

For those who do not wish to pursue a career directly related to their degree, here are some career ideas to open up options:

• Solicitor
• Barrister
• Civil Service Fast Streamer
• Local Government Officer
• Public Affairs Consultant
• Health Service Manager

Visit our Careers pages (new window)

• Royal Institute of Philosophy lectures
• Keele Philosophy Society (PhilSoc) 
• Keele Philosophy Weblog 

SPIRE is a thoroughly international school, and is particularly welcoming to international students, as well as providing plenty of opportunities for home students to broaden their horizons.

We have staff with educational backgrounds in a wide variety of countries, such as Columbia, Canada, Bulgaria, Italy, Austria, Romania, and Turkey, who present their research all around the world. Students have the opportunity to hear visiting lecturers from various different countries, arranged through our ERASMUS partnerships, and many of our students also take up the opportunity to study abroad  as part of their degree; students have, in recent years, studied in South Africa, Korea, USA, and Hong Kong, to name just a few of the possible destinations.

International students will join established international communities at Keele, and will find plenty of support mechanisms in place to help them make the transition to study in the UK (see the ‘International Applicants’ button above).

All SPIRE students have the opportunity to take a work experience module in their second year, which provides real work-based experience in a professional context.

Students are prepared for their placement through a series of workshops, spend a minimum of 75 hours in their chosen workplace, gaining valuable hands-on experience in the world of work, and then in light of that experience, reflect on their own capacities, attributes and career plans, in an academic essay which makes special reference to politics, international relations or philosophy.

International Admissions
Tel: +44(0) 1782 733274
Email: international@keele.ac.uk