BA (Hons) Philosophy and Politics Bachelor's degree at Keele University

This module addresses the contestable nature of politics and its relevance in contemporary society. You will explore the concepts of power, democracy and terrorism, applying these concepts to contemporary issues to better understand the political world. You will engage with external actors to reflect on how current national and/or world issues are framed from diverse perspectives and angles, working in small groups to develop your ideas.

This module opens your mind to philosophical questioning and gives you a logical toolbox to answer your new questions. You'll delve into core metaphysical and epistemological issues, emphasizing independent thought and philosophical relevance. Formal logical skills will be introduced, enhancing your academic and professional abilities. Additionally, you'll attend a Royal Institute of Philosophy session and report on it, offering an experiential learning opportunity that showcases philosophical d

This module transitions you to university scholarship and introduces the employability and professional skills that a social science degree provides through a range of action-focused activities, e.g. analysing local council budgets and making decisions about where to invest money. Overall, the module introduces you to vital academic and professional skills and competencies that will allow you to thrive in the first year of your undergraduate studies.

Ancient philosophy with a twist, for although Greek philosophy is discussed in depth, ideas from traditional Indian, Chinese and African philosophy are given prominence too. By seeing how similar philosophical concerns arose, you will come to a better understanding of how the past has shaped our thinking. You will write dialogues and empathetic monologues, in the spirit of ancient philosophy. For an unforgettable Experiential Learning, you will have an opportunity to perform these in the perfect

How did we get to the state we're in? This module focuses on the domestic and international dimensions of British politics, presenting an overview of the key debates that have shaped post-WW2 British politics. You will develop an understanding of key events and the importance of ideas such as welfare, decline, immigration, governability and populism. You will enhance your critical reading and analytical skills, developing a better understanding of how the past can help us make sense of the prese

How can we better understand the unequal world around us? This module explores the concept of (in)equality through the lens of political thought, focusing on economics, religion, gender and race. You will be introduced to classic texts and thinkers, developing an understanding of the foundations of political thought. You will critically reflect on your own perspectives relating to economic, religious, gender and racial inequalities through real-world political examples, exploring how these inequ

Few philosophers hold more fascination to the beginning student of philosophy than Friedrich Nietzsche, the prophetic and iconoclastic 19th-century philosopher who predicted a coming age of nihilism, which many think has now arrived; Nietzsche's final lapse of sanity is often connected to his uncompromising path of thought. The excitement of reading Nietzsche provides a perfect introduction to close textual reading and analysis, which will prove useful as the degree progresses, and which is anot

You will be introduced to the ethical, practical concerns of philosophy, centring on the ancient question "how should we live?". Religious belief and doubt usually had a role in these reflections, so this module makes an excellent link from Religious Studies, which you may have engaged in prior to university. You will have the opportunity to think philosophically in religious spaces through field trips and site visits.

In the face of challenges from above, below and within, democracy around the world is under threat. From challenges posed by populism and autocratic leadership to increasing political mistrust and declining levels of participation set against a backdrop of the threat posed by AI and misinformation, global democracies face numerous different threats. You will develop your data handling and analysis skills, exploring whether global democracy is resilient or in retreat and complete diverse assessme

This module is about applying philosophy to pressing issues such as environmental degradation and technological progress, particularly Artificial Intelligence. You'll evaluate leading philosophical perspectives on these topics, supported by site visits. Building on skills developed previously, you will tackle a contemporary local challenge set by Stoke City Council, a local business, or a third sector organization. Through vlogs and podcasts, you'll engage with the community, understand local ph

This module begins to introduce you to possible careers for social scientists and links to the work you are doing in your subject core and option modules asking the question 'how can we mobilise academic study into the real world?' You will also be encouraged to prepare for placement work that you may pursue and reflect on your social media footprint; developing your personal/professional brand and digital networking platforms.

This module introduces you to practical political research, through the study of elections, voting and public opinion. You will explore voting behaviour and examine why people vote the way they do. You will also work with elementary numerical political data and learn how to produce and interpret basic descriptive statistics, such as frequencies and cross-tabulations. This module provides you with a wide range of data analysis and report-writing skills necessary for success in a range of private

It is impossible to properly understand the rise of modern science and decline in the cultural influence of religion in Europe without understanding the rise of modern philosophy, and thus the great metaphysical and epistemological theories of Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume and Kant. A module such as this is essential to any serious study of philosophy. Transferable skills are developed through close textual reading and analysis, and through assessed group presentations, whic

This module introduces some of the key historical, theoretical and practical dimensions of environmental politics and policy. You will explore the political nature, and historical context, of environmental problems and controversies and the roles that countries, political institutions and social groups play in effecting environmental policy change. You will develop the skills you need to become as effective changemaker in society, developing the argumentation and communication skills necessary t

This module introduces key issues in contemporary Anglophone epistemology, metaphysics and philosophy of mind. Largely focusing on issues within the naturalistic analytic philosophy of the last 30 years, when philosophers have worked alongside science to answer currently critical questions such as whether a machine can think, this module allows students to utilize the logical and analytic skills they have developed to understand today's cutting-edge debates.