English and Philosophy MA (Hons)

Combining your English and philosophy studies gives you a very wide range of modules to choose from.<br/><br/>You can study the history of English literature from the medieval period right up to the present day.<br/><br/>You have the option of studying anything from Shakespeare to science fiction, Romantic poetry to contemporary poetry, creative writing to visual culture, or Victorian novels to Hollywood films.<br/><br/>We start by covering topics such as how to analyse a poem and how to read a novel as a literary critic, moving on to historical surveys of literature. We then explore in more detail many of the periods, movements and topics previously covered.<br/><br/>Philosophy explores our existence using critical thinking and argument. We specialise in continental (European) philosophy and teach key texts from the European tradition.<br/><br/>We help you look at how philosophy is important to real-world concerns and contemporary issues by:<br/><br/><br/>- exploring films and artwork<br/><br/><br/>- discussing important scientific and technological developments<br/><br/><br/>- debating controversial ethical issues<br/><br/><br/>- looking at how texts written three hundred years ago can be relevant to political situations today<br/><br/><br/>At Levels 1 and 2 you will receive a grounding in ancient and modern philosophy and be introduced to fundamental ideas concerning ethics, epistemology (the nature of knowledge), and metaphysics (the nature of reality). You then specialise in Levels 3 and 4 in areas that suit your own interests.