External summary

Philosophy has been at the core of Western intellectual life for at least 2,500 years and is central to our understanding of the world and of our place in and interaction with it. Philosophy provides the tools whereby the presuppositions of all areas of intellectual and practical activity may be systematically and critically examined. While there are different approaches that philosophers have taken, characteristic of Philosophy is the emphasis on the use of argument, critical enquiry, rigour in reasoning, and clarity of expression, including the making of pertinent distinctions.

As the historic home of David Hume and Adam Smith, the city of Edinburgh is a fitting place to study philosophy. The University, too, has a strong historic connection to the subject, counting Adam Ferguson and Sir William Hamilton among its former students. Edinburgh has one of the UK’s largest Philosophy departments and the Philosophy Society attracts high-profile speakers. An advantage of the four- year course at Edinburgh is that it is structured in such a way that students cover the basics of Western Philosophy and have the opportunity and time to specialize in the areas of most interest.

Educational aims of programme

• a thorough knowledge of the ideas and arguments employed by the main philosophers of past and present, studied through their texts, and an understanding of the main areas of Philosophy and an appreciation of the significance of these in world culture
• a knowledge of specific areas of philosophy or philosophers in yet greater depth, for example, mathematical logic, philosophy of language, philosophy of mathematics, philosophy of psychology, philosophy of religion, philosophy of science, Wittgenstein, aesthetics, philosophy of law, applied ethics
• how philosophical problems may be generated by conceptual or foundational issues in other areas of inquiry
• the skills required not only to understand philosophical debates but also to take part in such debates constructively and intelligently
• transferable skills of use in virtually every area of employment, including everything requisite for fostering independent critical thinking, self-directed research and sustained analytical activity

Programme outcomes: Knowledge and understanding

On completion of the programme, students will have acquired a good knowledge and understanding of:

• the problems, theories, and arguments of the main areas of philosophy, specifically: metaphysics, epistemology, logic, philosophy of mind, philosophy of science and moral philosophy.  Students in the Single Honours programme will have studied all, or most, of these fields in considerable depth. The achievement of increasing depth is intimately related to student progression
• the views and arguments of some of the most important philosophers of the past, including: Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Kant, and Mill.  Students in the Single Honours programme will study all, or most, of these philosophers in considerable depth.
• the works of historical philosophers not simply as self-contained bodies of doctrine but as attempts to solve real philosophical problems. In the pre-honours years we achieve this by studying historical philosophers in the context of problem-oriented courses.

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in research and enquiry

Throughout the course of the programme, students acquire key philosophical abilities, including the ability to:

• analyse a text and reconstruct its arguments, to find its premises, and the inferences drawn from them
• look for counter-examples to general claims
• use examples appropriately in support of general claims
• articulate underlying issues in all kinds of debate
• construct clearly organized arguments
• be sensitive to ambiguity and multiplicity of meanings
• understand and appreciate the significance of new ideas
• assess critically the presuppositions and methods of familiar ways of thinking within and outwith philosophy

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in personal and intellectual autonomy

• analytical thinking skills—the abilities to understand difficult pieces of text, to reconstruct arguments and views, to assimilate and explain difficult ideas
• critical thinking skills—the abilities to draw conclusions from positions or bodies of data, to question arguments and (wherever appropriate) to show their flaws, to generate alternative ideas and new solutions to problems
• independent thinking skills—the abilities to approach a problem with an open mind and to address problems with an original approach
• be able to distinguish between validity and soundness, and to assess arguments for both
• distinguish relevant from irrelevant considerations in argument

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in communication

Students should acquire skills that can be used in a wide variety of intellectual contexts and forms of employment. These include:

• written communication skills — students should be able to construct a lengthy, coherent piece of prose that constitutes a well-structured argument or investigation
• oral communication skills — students should be able to explain their ideas to others in a discussion
• being able to take part in a debate, keeping to the goal of the discussion, maintaining the thread of argument, to be able to argue their point forcefully and to disagree with others while showing respect for their opinions and without causing or taking offence.

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in personal effectiveness

• the confidence to rely on one’s own intellectual capacities
• the ability to motivate oneself, to plan one’s own work, and to set one’s own goals and deadlines
• ability to apply philosophical skills and techniques to issues arising outwith philosophy
• the ability to work autonomously
• time and priority management skills
• construct clearly organized arguments
• understand and appreciate the significance of new ideas
• plan, undertake, and (in a scholarly and literate fashion) report on a piece of self-initiated research

Programme outcomes: Technical/practical skills

Students should acquire skills that can be used in a wide variety of intellectual contexts and forms of employment. These include:

• computing skills — the ability to use computers for writing, information storage and for retrieving information from the world wide web
• use of libraries—the ability to use libraries for the recovery of information, and related research skills, including the ability to discriminate between different sources of information and suggested readings
• correct use of the internet for research

Programme structure and features

Full details of the degree programme and structure can be seen at <http://www.drps.ed.ac.uk>

Courses are taught through a combination of lectures and tutorials. Optional courses in Years 3 and 4 are taught through seminars.

Alternative Exit Points – students who do not progress into Honours may graduate after three years of full-time study, or a longer prescribed period of part-time study, with a B.A. in Humanities and Social Science. 

Progression Requirements – Students are normally expected to have gained 120 credits at the end of each Year

Teaching and learning methods and strategies

Years 1 and 2

Philosophy courses in Years 1 and 2 are taught by a combination of lectures and tutorials. Typically, for each course, a student attends three one-hour lectures and one one-hour tutorial per week. Lectures introduce and explain ideas relevant to the course, and tutorials provide an opportunity for students to discuss and clarify these ideas in a small group setting.

Students also take courses outside Philosophy in subject areas of their choosing. The teaching methods of these courses are determined by the relevant subject area.

Years 3 and 4

Philosophy courses in Years 3 and 4 are taught primarily by weekly two-hour seminars. The seminar format puts strong emphasis on group discussion and student participation. Often seminars are based on pre-assigned readings which students are expected to read in preparation for the seminar. For some courses, students may give a short presentation to the class on an assigned topic. In Year 4, students are required to satisfy a dissertation requirement. This provides an opportunity for students to undertake extended, independent research, under the supervision of an appropriate member of staff.

Facilities

The main university library houses extensive holdings in philosophy, including online access to journal articles and a growing number of online books. A second smaller library, shared with Psychology, houses philosophy materials for use by staff, graduates and Honours students and offers further study space.

Assessment methods and strategies

Philosophy courses in Years 1 and 2 are assessed by a combination of essays and exams. In most cases, a course will have one 1500-word mid-term essay, worth 25% of the overall mark for the course, and one end-of-term exam, worth 75%. In Years 3 and 4, there is greater variation in assessment methods between courses. The most commonly used methods are essays and exams, but different courses may combine these in different ways. Other assessment methods used in some cases include take-home exams and class presentations.

As stated above, students taking this degree also take courses outside Philosophy, especially in Years 1 and 2. These are assessed by methods determined by the relevant subject areas.

Career opportunities

The Philosophy courses studied throughout this degree provide students with analytical skills and the ability to think clearly, which are vital transferable skills for the workplace. Previous graduates have gone on to work in education, commerce, journalism, finance, law, and computing. Some graduates also choose to continue with their studies and pursue a research or academic career.

Other items

• all students are assigned a Director of Studies on admission to the degree programme, who oversees the course of the student’s degree programme and offers advice on academic matters
• student opinion is actively sought through participation in Staff-Student Liaison Committees, through the election of class and tutorial representatives, and by the wide circulation and review of detailed student questionnaires each semester.  In  addition,  Philosophy student representatives are invited to attend, and to contribute to, selected Philosophy subject-area meetings
• students are encouraged to take the opportunity to study abroad in their third year. Consultation with staff before leaving helps to advise students on the most appropriate courses to take while away
• the main university library houses extensive holdings in Philosophy, including online access to journal articles and a growing number of online books.  A second smaller library, shared with Psychology, houses Philosophy materials for use by staff, graduates and Honours students and offers further study space.
• further information about Philosophy can be found at http://www.philosophy.ed.ac.uk