BA (Hons) Philosophy Bachelor's degree at Coventry University

Explore different genres of poetry and songs and learn the skills and theories used to critique and/or produce a variety of poetic texts. You will have the opportunity to consider the cultural, political and philosophical assumptions of influential poets and artists from the Classical era to the present. This module also introduces you to key perspectives from the Philosophy of Aesthetics.

This module introduces you to methods and conventions of research, critical thinking and writing (from a film and major genres point of view) that will support your individual and group research projects. Learn to evaluate films (and, by extension, literature) through 'close reading' with the help of literary and film terminology. You'll also be introduced to critical and philosophical theories and their application.

Using texts that explore how our sense of the world can be altered, fragmented and reshaped, this module familiarises you with literary and creative conventions in general. You will practice the skills of close reading, applying and questioning critical and/or philosophical theories, and writing analytical and creative works that interrogate the nature of reality and how it is represented.

Develop knowledge about and help devise a group project that investigates issues of local interest while you learn skills in research, planning, group work and presentation. For example, you could design a potential workshop promoting literacy, raise environmental awareness about local waterways or learn about local refugee charities that teach language skills.

This module further develops two of the central branches of philosophy: epistemology (the study of knowledge) and metaphysics (the study of reality), exploring fundamental questions about the nature of our world and what we know about it. Topics include: What is knowledge? What is the nature of space and time? Does free will exist, or are our actions predetermined?

Explore fundamental questions in moral philosophy, including what morality is and why we should strive to do the right thing. From utilitarianism to Kantian ethics and moral particularism, you will engage with prominent theories on how we ought to act–and apply these to pressing real-world moral crises, including climate change ethics, AI ethics and social justice.

Language is central to how we understand the world and relate to one another. In this module, you will consider key debates in philosophy of language, including the question of how language works, how meaning is constructed, how language mediates reality, and the relationship between language and truth.

In this module, you'll dive into a topical area of contemporary applied philosophy. Through a sustained analysis of recent research and debates, you should learn to apply philosophical reasoning to analyse and resolve practical, real-world issues. Topics could include alternative facts and post-truth, technology and AI, and climate justice and inter-species thriving.

This module provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon and gain experience for an approved placement undertaken during your programme. A placement should usually be at least 26 weeks or equivalent; however, each placement will be considered on its own merits, having regard to the ability to achieve the learning outcomes.

This module provides you with an opportunity to reflect upon and gain experience for an approved international study/work placement undertaken during your programme. A work/study placement should usually be at least 26 weeks or equivalent; however, each placement will be considered on its own merits, having regard to the ability to achieve the learning outcomes.

Drawing on central debates in the philosophy of mind and the emerging field of philosophy of artificial intelligence, you will query the nature of the mind, consciousness and the self, exploring what, if anything, is distinctly human about the mind. Topics and questions may include what conscious experience is, and might AI one day become conscious? Can human consciousness be artificially extended? You will also examine the Turing Test, vibrant matter and intending objects.

In this module, you will engage a wide range of perspectives (including empiricism, rationalism, materialism, realism and flat ontologies) to critically analyse and query the values, objectives and methodologies underpinning science as a discipline and as a mode of inquiry. Topics will include paradigm shifts and scientific progress, the relationship between evidence and hypotheses, and the nature of scientific laws.

This module aims to develop your understanding of today's fractured political landscape, informed by traditional and contemporary political philosophy. Question distinctions between 'morality' and 'politics' and between 'left' and 'right', querying what rights, duties and obligations exist between citizens and the state. Explore the philosophy underpinning positions spanning the political spectrum, including anarchism, liberalism, socialism, conservatism, fascism and more.

This module aims to develop your independent learning and research skills. You will use these skills to conceive, plan and conduct an individual research programme specific to your discipline. This work will be done under the supervision of a member of staff. You will submit a final project in the form of a dissertation, portfolio or artefact.