COURSE CURRICULUM

The BA Philosophy and Politics degree is structured across three years, offering a combination of compulsory and optional modules that build a comprehensive understanding of philosophical and political thought. In the first year, students study foundational topics including comparative politics, ethics, international relations, reason and argument, and truth, knowledge, and objectivity, while also choosing from modules such as applied ethics, epistemology, existentialism, and political thinking. Year two deepens this knowledge, with core modules exploring the philosophy of politics and economics, and the theory and practice of democracy, alongside optional modules covering global issues, justice, ethics, Chinese politics, gender, and environmental concerns. Students develop research, analytical, and critical thinking skills through qualitative and experimental methods in social sciences. In the final year, students select advanced modules tailored to their interests, including American political thought, anarchism, crime and punishment, philosophy dissertations, ethics of war and public policy, global migration, and the philosophy of mind, among others. Across all three years, the program emphasizes engagement with contemporary and historical political challenges, moral and ethical reasoning, and the development of independent research abilities, preparing students for careers in policy, research, academia, or related fields while fostering a nuanced understanding of the intersections between philosophy, politics, and society.