Philosophy
The study of Philosophy
To study philosophy is to reflect upon and engage with the ideas and arguments of great thinkers in a tradition that stretches back over 2,500 years. This heritage and the great names that dominate it – Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, Kant, Nietzsche, Wittgenstein and Deleuze (to name but a few) - may seem daunting to students preparing for a first degree in philosophy, and it indeed continues to humble those of us who have studied the great works of our subject for decades. Philosophy’s continued popularity, from the stoa of Ancient Greece to the university seminar class today does not however stem from the wish to bow down to our forebears, but from the opportunity it offers to all who engage with it of embarking upon an exciting and challenging intellectual voyage whose horizons are infinite.
Philosophy requires an active engagement with the questions that lie at the very core of our existence. Questions of truth, meaning, being, power and desire are the life-blood of philosophy and form the focus of its major strands: Epistemology, Metaphysics, Ethics and Ontology.
Philosophy at Greenwich
The philosophy team at the University of Greenwich are committed to teaching and research in both the Continental and Analytic traditions. We offer a range of courses in all the key areas of Western philosophy on our BA in Philosophy, to students with and without prior qualifications in the subject area, taking single or combined honours degrees.
The Masters in Philosophy is taught on a part-time basis over a two-years and focuses on Kant, Spinoza and contemporary philosophy in the Continental tradition.
All members of the team are active in carrying out research in their specialist areas and participating in local, national and international philosophy events, including workshops and conferences held on the Greenwich campus. See Philosophy Research Seminar Series for details of forthcoming seminars.