English and Philosophy BA

Core English Literature pathway modules:

Renaissance to Revolution: Early Modern Literature

This module will introduce you to literary study at degree level by focusing on the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, a period of enormous innovation in English literature. You will study writers such as Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, Philip Sidney, Mary Wroth, John Donne, and Aemelia Lanyer, and you will develop close reading skills by analysing the ways in which these writers used formal and stylistic techniques. You will examine how the literature of the period related to the surrounding culture, society, and politics, and consider the different ways in which texts could be produced, read, and performed.

20 credits

Writing Revolutions: Restoration to Romanticism

'Writing Revolutions: Restoration to Romanticism' starts with the literature of the second half of the seventeenth century (including Marvell and Milton) and moves through to the late eighteenth century (including writers such as Behn, Pope, Heywood, Gray, Equiano, and Burney). Building on the work you completed on 'Renaissance to Revolution: Early Modern Literature', you will continue to think about the relationships between literary texts and the social, cultural and political contexts in which they were produced. You will also explore the evolution of forms and genres through the period.

20 credits

Optional English Literature modules, students will choose 20 credits from the following:

Contemporary Literature

This module introduces you to a diverse range of texts in English (prose, poetry, and film) with a focus on texts published since 2000. Texts will be chosen to provoke thinking and debate on urgent and controversial topics that might include: globalisation and neoliberalism; ecology and animal lives; artificial intelligence and the posthuman; political activism and social justice; migration and displacement; state violence and armed conflict. We will discuss formally and conceptually challenging works, raise ethical and philosophical questions and begin to discover how current critical and theoretical approaches can help us to engage with contemporary texts.

20 credits

Hybrid Forms: Reading Genre

This module gives you the opportunity to study developments in comedy and tragedy from classical antiquity to the present day. This focus on genre enables you to take a broadly comparative approach, setting, for instance, works of classical antiquity alongside those of the early modern, modern, and contemporary worlds. As such, the module equips you to draw connections between periods studied separately at different points of your degree and between disparate forms, e.g. drama and the novel. Over the course of this module we will consider questions such as: what is genre, and why is it important? How does genre reflect or respond to historical change? Is there any such thing as a 'pure' genre or is hybridization a defining feature of genre itself? We will answer these questions by reading texts by authors such as Angela Carter, Noel Coward, Plautus, Shakespeare, Sophocles, and Michaela Coel.

20 credits

Wonders, Warriors, and Werewolves: Intro to Medieval Literature and Language

This module is of particular interest to anyone who wants to know more about the first c.900 years of English literature and language. We will analyse a wide range of the earliest English literary texts (c. 600-1500), including the oldest known English poem and the first autobiographical work by a woman, covering texts that are well known (e.g. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales) and texts that you will probably never encounter elsewhere. You will look at Old English texts (in translation) and Middle English texts (in translation or in the original with notes and glosses as appropriate).

We will open up discussions around issues that preoccupied the English of the time, from glorious monster-slaying to the first expressions of love and desire, from religious devotion to comedy, from the power of insults to the status of English in a multilingual society. You will investigate medieval English literature in an international context, explore medieval worldviews and how they might differ from modern ones, query what it means when we say something is medieval, and explore some medieval afterlives.

You will be introduced to a variety of techniques and methodologies - literary, linguistic, cultural-historical - to analyse medieval texts and topics in the lectures and seminars; you can engage with these different scholarly approaches in assessments as you prefer. No prior knowledge of Old or Middle English is required; students will be given the opportunity to examine texts in the original language but where necessary translations will be provided. Two additional sessions will be held to help you develop your skills and confidence to read Middle English.

In short, this module aims to give you an overview of early English literature, language, and cultural history (c. 600-1500); to develop your skills and confidence in reading and analysing medieval English texts; to give you the opportunity to engage critically and creatively with both primary and secondary works from perspectives of your choice; and to encourage you to reflect on why and how the medieval is used in modern culture.

20 credits

Reading Theatre and Film

This core module explores the development of theatre and film from 1900 to the present, tracking that journey through a series of canonical and counter-canonical examples from each medium. These two art forms have much that connects them as representational, performance-based and commercial cultural practices, but also much that separates them as human, technical and technological spectacles. The module offers a practical introduction to theatre and film criticism, theory and interpretation that will help to interrogate such medial distinctions as well as their common ground. By means of weekly lectures and seminar-workshops, you will encounter a wide range of plays and films, located in their original historical, ideological and aesthetic contexts but equally considered for their afterlife, relevance and currency today.

20 credits

Myth, Scripture and Story: Biblical and Classical Sources in English Literature

The Bible, Greek and Roman mythology, represent some of the central sources for European literary imaginations. In this module you will explore the range of literature indebted to biblical and classical literature, themes, and characters. Featuring a range of lecturers from across the School of English, the module will help you learn to think critically about biblical and classical themes such as divine destruction, love, gender, homecoming, colonialism, nostalgia, and empire, and read a variety of authors, from Amelia Lanyer and Shakespeare to Derek Walcott and Margaret Atwood. When we understand the ways in which biblical and classical writers shaped their narratives, and how creative authors revised, resisted or radicalised their themes, we have several important keys to unlock crucial facets of English literary tradition.

20 credits

Introduction to Creative Writing

The aim of this unit is to help you to develop your expressive and technical skills in writing poetry and prose and to improve your abilities as an editor and critic of your own and other people's writing. You will be guided in the production of new work and encouraged to develop an analytical awareness of both the craft elements and the wider cultural and theoretical contexts of writing. This module explores poetic and prose techniques for creating new poems and narrative techniques for generating some prose work through the critical study of published examples, imaginative exercises, discussion and feedback on your own writing. This exploration will help you develop your own creative work while sharpening critical appreciation of published poetry and modern and contemporary fiction. The course is designed to give you the experience of being workshopped as well as to establish basic creative writing techniques at Level 1 in preparation for the challenges of Creative Writing Level 2 and/or 3.

20 credits

Darwin, Marx, Freud

This course is structured around the writings of Darwin, Marx, Freud. We will consider selections from all three philosophers' writings, such as, for example, Darwin's The Origin of Species; cover key concepts from Marx's work—commodity fetishism; alienation—and investigate Freud's philosophy of the subject through selected readings from his writings. We will dismantle cultural prejudice and engage with, and in, revolutionary thinking. This course will prepare you for modules like Critical and Literary Thought but, most importantly, it will help you become critical, potentially revolutionary, thinkers.

20 credits

Core Linguistics Pathway modules:

Sounds and Structures of English

This module is an introduction to the subdisciplines of linguistics known as phonetics and phonology (sounds), and morphology, syntax, and semantics (structures). The module is designed to provide you with an understanding of the key concepts and terminology necessary to describe and explain sounds and structures of English, and of other languages. Lectures will cover major topics in the formal descriptions of speech sounds and morpho-syntax. Seminar activities will help equip you with the practical skills necessary to accurately describe and transcribe speech sounds, and to analyse word and sentence structure and meaning. The module serves as an essential basis for more advanced study across linguistic subdisciplines.

20 credits

Linguistic Theory

This module explores how language is structured by examining central issues in linguistic theory, building upon the concepts introduced in EGH105 Sounds of English and EGH106 Structures of English. Students will be instructed in (1) foundational theories and concepts in areas such as phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics, (2) the linguistic evidence that informs these approaches, (3) the analytical techniques required to apply these theories to language data, and (4) the relevance of such theoretical models for the wider study of language. This inclusive module will develop analytical tools and problem-solving skills in using linguistic theory, training students to think critically to interpret data from any language within theoretical frameworks.

20 credits

Optional Linguistics pathway modules, students will choose 20 credits from the following:

History of English

What is English? Taking this question as a point of departure, this module introduces students to the exceptionally dynamic linguistic history of English(es). Changing linguistic forms and functions are contextualized within their historical moment, and language external factors such as language contact, imperialism and racism are also discussed as they pertain to periods of English. To be clear: this is not just a module about old forms of language (although there is plenty of that!) - it's about gaining historical linguistic perspective on current Englishes (including related Creoles) and their place within a much bigger story.

20 credits

Early Englishes

This module is of particular interest to anyone who wants to know more about the first 1000 years of English language and literature. Early Englishes works backward over a whole millennium of English, 1600 to 600. Each week's lectures and seminar focus on one century and one text representative of that century (for example, Margery Kempe's Book, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, and Beowulf). We will use a variety of techniques - literary, linguistic, anthropological, cultural-historical - to analyse each text, thereby opening up discussion of issues that preoccupied the English of the time, from glorious monster-slaying to the first expressions of love and desire, from religious devotion to comedy, from the power of insults to the status of English. We will investigate international influences on English language and literature, explore medieval worldviews and how they might differ from modern ones, and query what it means when we say something is medieval. No prior knowledge of Old or Middle English is necessary; students will be given the opportunity to examine texts in the original language but where necessary translations will be provided.

20 credits

Language and Creativity

Creativity is a core property of human language use. Speakers of English and all other languages can use their knowledge of the language to produce endless utterances that have never been heard before. What's more, listeners can understand these utterances, despite the fact that they are completely new. In this module you will learn about the creative dimensions of human language through a series of practical experiments, writing and rewriting texts and reflecting on what that process teaches us. You don't have to be 'good at creative writing' to do this. The focus isn't on producing wonderful poems and stories but rather on learning about language through creative experimentation - through a process of doing and then thinking about what you've done. We'll look at creative language use in a range of everyday contexts and we'll think about popular forms of writing like comics, journalism, interactive digital narratives, and spoken-word forms like podcasts.

Learning by doing is an important aspect of many jobs, especially the ones that English graduates often go into, and so the experience this module offers will stand you in good stead for later life. The creative properties of language use are also important for the communication of identity and there will be plenty of opportunity to think about this in relation to aspects of identity that are important to you.

By taking this module you will learn more about language by actually using it, a process that is both rewarding and fun.

20 credits

Living Englishes

Discover the extraordinary diversity of English today! This module explores varieties of English in Britain and worldwide, shaped by expansion, colonialism, and globalisation. You'll analyse spoken and written language using linguistic tools, gaining insight into sociolinguistic and ideological issues. From local dialects to global Englishes, you'll engage with language in real-world contexts while developing key transferable skills in communication, analysis, and reflection. Perfect for students excited to explore language variation and its impact on society.

20 credits

Core philosophy modules:

Writing Philosophy

Philosophical writing is a skill that you, the student, must hone early on in order to succeed in your degree. It is also a transferable skill that will serve you in your post-academic career. Philosophical writing combines the general virtues of clarity, organisation, focus and style found in other academic writing with particular philosophical virtues; namely, the ability to expose the implicit assumptions of analysed texts and to make explicit the logical structure of one's own and other people's arguments. A precondition of philosophical writing is a unique form of textual analysis that pays particular attention to its argumentative structure. In this module you will learn and practice philosophical writing. You will learn how to read in preparation for philosophical writing, learn how to plan an essay, learn how to rework your drafts and learn how to use feedback constructively.  Short writing exercises will help you hone specific writing skills. You will bring these skills together by writing a number of complete essays. The lectures in the course will be split between lectures on the art of writing and lectures on philosophical topics in the domain of fact and value. Essay topics will be based on the topical lectures and their associated readings.

20 credits

Reason and Argument

This module teaches basic philosophical concepts and skills to do with argument.  The first part of the course deals with arguments in ordinary language.  It teaches techniques for recognizing, interpreting, analyzing, and assessing arguments of various kinds.  It also teaches important concepts related to arguments, such as truth, validity, explanation, entailment, consistency, and necessity.  The second part of the course is a basic introduction to formal logic.  It teaches how to translate ordinary-language arguments into formal languages, which enables you to rigorously prove validity, consistency, and so on.

20 credits

Optional philosophy modules:

Mind and World

This module is an introduction to a range of topics in epistemology, metaphysics, and the philosophy of mind. In the first half of the module we consider questions such as: How should we understand knowledge? What implications does cognitive and cultural diversity have for our understanding of knowledge? Should we privilege some points of view? Should we trust others? Can we wrong them if we don't? And what should we say about disagreement? In the second half of the module we ask questions such as: Is the mind a physical thing? Can a machine have a mind? Can you survive the destruction of your body? Do you have free will? And can a machine be responsible for its own actions?

20 credits

History of Philosophy

In Philosophy the past can be a guide to the present.  The ideas that shape and guide philosophical thought can be understood by examining their historical development.  This module will introduce students to key debates and the thought of key figures from the history of philosophy. The focus will be on a number of selected readings covering topics of central philosophical importance from philosophy's long past.

20 credits

Death and Killing

This module introduces students to some key philosophical questions about life and death. What is death? What happens to us when we die? Could there be an afterlife? Would it be a good thing if there were? Is it rational to fear death? Do we have moral duties towards the dead? If death is usually bad for us then killing someone, or allowing them to die, is usually wrong. But it is not always wrong. There are exceptions. The module looks at a range of life-and-death situations that may include euthanasia, abortion, killing non-human animals, war and capital punishment.

20 credits

Religion, Reason and Reality

Religious traditions typically understand reality as involving more than just the tangible physical world.  This module tackles philosophical questions about religion and reality.  These include questions about different conceptions of God and the justification for religious beliefs, such as belief in God, supernatural forces and an afterlife.  And questions about the nature of religious 'beliefs': are these the same kind of thing as mundane 'beliefs'?   They also include questions about reality, raised by potential technological advances, like the question of whether we are living in a simulation, and how we should think about God if we think we are.  And the question of whether technologies like virtual reality can offer what people have long sought from religion.

20 credits

Ethics and Society

This module introduces students to some core questions in ethics, political philosophy, and social philosophy. We ask questions such as: What is a good life for you? What is a morally good life? Does being virtuous matter? What kind of moral consideration do we owe to non-human animals and the environment? Turning to political philosophy, we consider how societies should be organised if they are to realise values such as freedom, equality, and community. How should we understand these values? And what role might the state play in promoting (or undermining) them? We also look at some questions in social philosophy. For example: What are social groups? And when and why are social norms oppressive?

20 credits

Science, Medicine and Society

This is a module on the relationship between science, society, and values and serves as an introduction to the philosophy of science and bioethics.

Science plays an essential role in modern society. We trust science, and its results, on a day to day basis as we navigate our worlds and interact with each other. Yet, what is it about science, or scientific methodology, that makes it so trustworthy? We will investigate a range of questions that concern the epistemology and social structure of science. These include: What is the relationship between evidence, observation, and theory? Is there a distinctive scientific methodology? Does the social structure of science help or hinder scientific research? After considering these theoretical questions, we will turn to questions of value and a range of problems that arise with the application of science. Some of these problems are historic but many have emerged as we move through the 21st century. In a pandemic, for example, how should we balance concerns for liberty and protecting the vulnerable? Should we try to 'enhance' human beings, or should we be happy with the way we are? How might the use of artificial intelligence impact trust in the healthcare system? This module thus moves from the theoretical to the practical.

20 credits

Bodies, Sex and Desires

This module introduces students to some key topics in the Philosophy of Sex and Queer Theory. We will begin with the surprisingly difficult questions of what sex is, and what a sexual orientation is, examining these questions from the perspective of contemporary philosophy, and also the history of sexuality and desire. We will consider a range of issues around the nature of embodiment, for example, whether there are only two biological sexes (male and female), as well as social and political implications of these categorisations. We will also discuss the nature of intimacy and relationships, including asexuality, aromanticism, polyamory; 'sexual racism'; how we should understand consent; and whether having power over someone makes it impermissible to have sex with them. Finally, we will think about some issues surrounding sex work, focusing on whether or not it is inherently different from other jobs, and whether there is anything morally problematic about pornography.The readings and perspectives covered in this module are diverse, and include examples from empirical studies, media and popular culture. You can develop knowledge of your favourite topics in the portfolio assessment, engaging with module readings in Philosophy of Sex, and Queer theory.

20 credits

Try a new subject:

The flexible structure of your first year at Sheffield means that you also have the chance to experience modules from outside of English and Philosophy - you can choose up to 40 credits of modules from a list approved by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. A final guided module list is made available to new students when you select your modules as part of registration.

English Literature pathway core modules:

Romanticism to Modernism (a)

This module focuses on a diverse range of texts (including poetry, prose, drama and film) produced between the late eighteenth to the late twentieth century. It pays detailed attention to the varied styles, issues, and movements produced by the rapid technological, political and cultural shifts that characterise these two centuries. Drawing on the expertise of the teaching team, the module introduces cutting-edge research carried out within the department in areas such as romanticism, the Gothic and science fiction, experimental literature, colonial and postcolonial contexts, war studies, and animal studies

40 credits

English Literature Pathway optional modules:

English Works: Foundations

Students taking this module will connect their academic studies to future careers. Teaching from experts across the School's different subject areas - linguistics, language, literature, screen studies and creative practice - will challenge students to think deeply (critically, creatively, reflectively) about the meanings and practices of work and education. Sessions dedicated to career-decision planning (e.g. applications and interviews; online profiles and networking) will enable students to reflect on their values, motivations and career aspirations in addition to providing practical guidance and support. This module provides opportunities to gain career insights and access to work-related learning (e.g. workplace visits; virtual internships and projects). Together, through a series of interactive workshops, students will think about their future careers while making novel connections between English studies and the worlds of education and work.

20 credits

Creative Writing: Poetry, Experimentation, De/Construction

This module offers a practical and theoretical workshop which is designed to look at current methods of creative writing exploring a wide range of forms of poetry and poetics, prose poetry, poetic prose and hybrid writing. During the term our core readings and discussions (critical and creative) will be focusing on producing new work, new texts while we will be revisiting, reconfiguring and deconstructing concepts of poetry, contemporary poetry and its various new, experimental formations, poetics of fusion and the hybrid while discovering themes and concepts of self and selves, borders and boundaries of both psyche and language, the liminal, memory, as creative source of self invention, concepts of I as Non-I, Anti-I, gender, history, identity and culture as complex components of identity, identity as construction, identity as self-theory, as text(s). During the module you will be given the opportunity to develop your writing in various contemporary formations of more established and currently forming conventions/experimentations; your critical thinking through a wide range of creative samples by currently published authors of both poetry and prose and other speculative genres of fusion; and through the weekly workshops to sharpen your editorial skills.

20 credits

Shakespeare: Page, Stage, Screen

This module focuses on the poetry and plays of William Shakespeare. You will read a wide range of his works and analyse them in the context of the cultural and historical energies of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England, as well as exploring how they have been reinvented and reimagined through performance and as texts which have been refashioned through editorial intervention or adaptation. The module considers the range of dramatic styles and genres that Shakespeare uses, alongside the conditions of performance, kinds of publication, and the characteristics of the language in which he worked. It also relates the texts to critical methods that help illuminate the relationships between drama and the culture, politics, and religion of the period and the ways in which Shakespeare's works have been remade for different times and contexts.

20 credits

Hollywood Cinema

This module introduces you to the study of Hollywood's films, methods, meanings and creative figures, and the history and significance of American filmmaking in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. You will examine key examples of films and filmmakers from the period of silent cinema up to the present day. You will learn about the characteristics of Hollywood style and narrative, the evolution of film genres such as the Western, the Musical and the Horror film, the progression of the cinema's treatment of subjects such as race, gender, politics and war, and developments in business and technology which have underpinned the international dominance of Hollywood film. As well learning to analyse the details of film form, and gaining understanding of aspects such as editing, lighting and shot composition, you will also engage with the political and cultural readings of popular entertainment cinema, and the history of film theory and criticism. Watching and discussing film texts from different eras will equip you with the analytical and communication skills to debate controversial subjects, to understand the contexts of diverse representations, balance and evaluate differing opinions on challenging subjects, and appreciate the importance of popular cinema.

20 credits

English Works: Enhanced

Students taking this module go beyond English Works: Foundations. They will continue to explore ideas of education and work from across the School's subject areas - linguistics, language, literature, screen studies and creative practice - while undertaking short-term work experience as an integrated part of their learning. An embedded peer coaching programme provides an effective support structure for students undertaking their work experience and develops valuable coaching and leadership skills. Students will be empowered to design their own work experience with dedicated support from the module team, and will reflect on their professional development in a showcase event. Together, through a series of interactive workshops, peer coaching and work experience, students will test their ambitions and build career confidence while advocating for the vital skills and contributions made by English studies to the workplace and wider society.

20 credits

Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer is not only the most famous medieval English writer, he is also one of the most varied, controversial, and gritty writers at the time. This course aims to introduce students to a wide range of Chaucer's writings, including the Canterbury Tales, while situating Chaucerian writing in its medieval context, which will also allow us to assess the commonly held notion of Chaucer as the father of English literature. We will explore literary, linguistic, material, cultural, religious, and political aspects of his fascinatingly rich body of texts to gauge Chaucer's status as a medieval poet, and interrogate questions of society, gender, tradition and philosophy that his work continues to inspire.

20 credits

Good Books: Intertextual Approaches to Literature and the Bible

Literature, film and television constantly return to the Bible as a source of narrative, character and image. Biblical texts are translated, rewritten, transposed and radically challenged by literature from the medieval period to the present day and so intertextual readings of the Bible and literature provide insight into the ways authors engage with politics, philosophy, and tradition. In this module you will explore a range of intertextual relationships, from the ancient texts describing Lilith to Zora Neale Hurston's literature of the Harlem Renaissance through to recent cinematic approaches to the Bible, including a range of genres and approaches. You will learn to critically analyse film, TV and visual media as well as literary forms, to explore the ways in which creative writers interpret and re-imagine biblical narratives and tropes.

20 credits

The Art and Politics of Hip Hop

This module will introduce you to Hip Hop as a musical, cultural and (especially) literary phenomenon. Both extremely popular and at times highly controversial, we will explore various forms of the art of Hip Hop from its early developments to the present.The module is organised around two principal ideas. The first is that Hip Hop is poetical; the second is that Hip Hop is political.Working mainly in a North American context, over the course of the module, we will reflect upon the various ways in which Hip Hop fuses manner and matter, combining aesthetic innovation and different kinds of social commentary.Each week, we will focus on a specific artist or group, and attend principally to one album. Expect to study some 'mainstream' work (e.g., Fugees or Cardi B, but definitely NOT Vanilla Ice). You will also encounter underground, 'conscious' and alternative artists.Seminars are complemented by 'listening sessions' wherein we gather to collectively experience albums (i.e., 'sound works') in a specially-dedicated space in Western Bank Library, using a specially-dedicated collection of vinyl recordings.Throughout, we consider how radical forms of rhetoric, prosody, intertextuality, performance relate to explicit expressions of power, hope, marginalisation, identity, community. Our aim is to start understanding Hip Hop in its troubling and ingenious complexities.

20 credits

English Language core modules:

Phonetics

The first year module Sounds of English will be expanded upon in order to give a practical knowledge of a much broader range of speech sounds, how they are produced and how they can be analysed by careful listening and by examination of their acoustic properties. A working knowledge of phonetics is fundamental to the wider study of linguistics, both theoretical and applied. You will be given straightforward access to other bodies of knowledge which are often denied to students of the humanities but which inform the study of phonetics, such as the biological and physical sciences. The module has a practical as well as a theoretical component which involves learning to recognise, produce and transcribe the sounds of the International Phonetic Alphabet.

20 credits

First Language Acquisition

This second-year module is aimed at students who have already taken Linguistic Theory in Level 1. In this course, we focus specifically on the first language acquisition of phonetic, phonological, and morpho-syntactic knowledge. Addressing both theoretical and methodological issues, the course explores the relationship between the logical problem of language acquisition -- how very young children manage to acquire quite abstract and subtle properties of their target grammars in the absence of clear positive evidence -- and the developmental problem of acquisition -- how children recover from systematic errors, and acquire subtle language-specific properties. We also explore the related tension between nativist vs. emergentist explanations for language acquisition and development.

20 credits

English Language optional modules:

Narrative Experiments

Historical Linguistics

Language change is a fact of all living languages, and historical linguistics is as much about the present and future as it is about its past. This module introduces the study of how and why languages change, and how languages are related. Students are encouraged to reflect on the ways in which historical linguistics bears on other areas of linguistics. The subject will be approached by 1) levels of inquiry, e.g. semantic, phonological, morphological, syntactic and pragmatic change; and 2) 'big questions', e.g. language families and linguistic prehistory, the role of acquisition in change, linguistic reconstruction, and historical sociolinguistics.

20 credits

Syntax

This module builds on what students have learnt in the Level 1 Structure of English and Linguistic Theory modules, providing a more in-depth look at the structure and organising principles of sentences cross-linguistically. We will discuss how syntactic structures form a system of cognitive representation that can be used for any language, including constraints on the grouping of words into phrases, and various operations that move elements inside sentences to generate word orders. This module will also begin to introduce the interfaces between syntax and other areas of language, particularly phonology, meaning, and sentence processing.

20 credits

Phonology

This module examines phonological theories and the data on which they are constructed, exploring how languages across the world organise their systems of speech sounds, and critically interrogating how their phonological processes can be analysed. Sound-based and prosodic (e.g. syllable-based) phenomena will be investigated, using rule- and constraint-based frameworks. Problem-solving, data-handling, and critical thinking are key skills developed in this module, and by treating all languages equally in terms of what they can tell us about human communication, the module is inherently diverse and inclusive. As well as being a core part of theoretical linguistics, an understanding of phonology is essential to the studies of historical linguistics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, speech pathologies, language acquisition, and computerised speech synthesis and recognition technologies.

20 credits

The History of Persuasion

This module focuses on why some written texts seem more persuasive (or authoritative) than others. To answer this question we will look at non-literary writing from a range of different contexts: journalism, advertising, political speaking, science writing, and religious communication. You'll look closely at the language used in each context, think about what constitutes persuasive writing in each, and talk about why this differs from context to context. You'll also have a chance to look at the histories of these different kinds of text. Examples from earlier periods look different from what we are used to in the 21st century and it is fascinating to explore how journalism, for example, has come to look as it does today. All these types of writing are associated with powerful institutions: journalism with the national press, advertising with big corporations, political speaking with the major political parties. But we will also explore how people with more marginalised identities use them, resist them, and are represented through them. The overall aim is help you become more critical in your response to the different kinds of written communication that surround us and this is valuable in many of the careers that English graduates go into.

20 credits

Sociolinguistics

Is there any use of language that isn't social? To what extent do situation and context affect how we speak? In this module, we will explore the relationship between how we speak and our social class, gender, race, ethnicity, age and social connections. We also examine what constrains our ability to vary language use across space and time. You will be provided with the methodological tools necessary to carry out independent fieldwork and undertake your own exploration of language in social contexts. We consider both language practice (how people use language to do social action) and language perceptions (what we think and believe about speakers on the basis of their language variety). Consequently, in the course of this module, you will develop a sense of your own ethical responsibilities as language users and analysts.

20 credits

Language and Cognition

This module introduces you to the key theories and frameworks at the core of cognitive linguistics. The module explores the relationships between language and the human mind and considers how recent advances in the study of human cognition can enhance our understanding of the conceptual processes that underpin the production and reception of discourse. The module introduces you to such concepts as embodiment, prototypes, situated simulation, profiling, mental representation, conceptual mapping, and conceptual integration. The module equips you with the necessary knowledge and analytical skills to design and carry out your own investigations into language and cognition.

20 credits

Exiles and Monsters: An Introduction to Old English

This module explores the language and literature of early medieval England (500-1066), enabling you to read, translate, and understand the earliest English literature. You will learn Old English, developing a good understanding of Old English grammar and applying that knowledge as you translate Old English texts. You will also gain familiarity with Old English literature through translating a range of diverse texts. We normally start translating Old English prose in Week 2 and move on to poetry after a few weeks. Texts studied on this module might include Wulfstan's famous sermon to the English (in which he goes on about how sinful the English are), The Battle of Maldon (about a real battle in 991 in which the Vikings defeated the English), Judith (about a woman who chops off the head of the general whose army is besieging her city), and Beowulf (about a hero and several monsters). The module will briefly examine the historical background, cultural contexts, and stylistic features of these texts, introducing you to the breadth and variety of Old English texts and to differing critical approaches to them. No prior knowledge of Old English language or literature is required.

20 credits

Philosophy Core modules:

Ethics: From Theory to Practice

Ethical values shape our world and the lives we lead - from how we relate to our friends and community, to our social and political attitudes, to the aspirations and goals that guide our life choices. But ethics is also challenging. When our values clash, or we face unfamiliar problems, or we reflect on the objectionable values of people in the past, it becomes unclear what to do. Ethical theories attempt to help us solve these problems by giving a precise, unified and systematic account of moral values, ideals and duties.

This module introduces students to a range of contemporary and historical ethical theories. We discuss six broad approaches to ethical theorising, each centred on a core unifying value: altruism, relationships, freedom, agreements, rights and excellence. In doing so we will encounter theories such as Utilitarianism, Contractualism and Feminist Care Ethics, and the ideas of philosophers including JS Mill, Harriet Taylor, Simone de Beauvoir, Immanuel Kant, Thomas Hobbes, Mary Wollestonecraft, Aristotle and Freidrich Nietzsche.

Students will learn how to articulate the key concepts and theories in philosophical ethics, and to evaluate, compare and criticise different approaches to ethical theorising. They will also learn to employ philosophical concepts to uncover and analyse the ethical values and presuppositions made in contemporary moral and social debates.

20 credits

Philosophy of the Arts

This module introduces students to a broad range of issues in the philosophy of art. The first half asks 'What is art?'. It examines three approaches: expression theories, institutional accounts, and the cluster account. This is followed by two critiques focusing on the lack of women in the canon and problems surrounding 'primitive' art. The evolutionary approach to art is discussed , and two borderline cases: craft and pornography. The second half examines four issues: cultural appropriation of art, pictorial representation, aesthetic experience and the everyday, and the nature of artistic creativity.

20 credits

Philosophy optional modules:

Mind and Language
Science and the Search for Reality
Social Justice Today
Political Philosophy
Global History of Philosophy
Knowing and Being
Ethics and Politics Today

Formal Logic

The course will start by introducing some elementary concepts from set theory; along the way, we will consider some fundamental and philosophically interesting results and forms of argumentation. It will then examine the use of 'trees' as a method for proving the validity of arguments formalised in propositional and first-order logic. It will also show how we may prove a range of fundamental results about the use of trees within those logics, using certain ways of assigning meanings to the sentences of the languages which those logics employ.

20 credits

Feminism

Feminists have famously claimed that the personal is political. This module takes up various topics with that methodological idea in mind: the family, cultural critique, language. We examine feminist methodologies - how these topics might be addressed by a feminism that is inclusive of all women - and also turn attention to social structures within which personal choices are made - capitalism, and climate crisis .

20 credits

The Philosophy of AI and Robotics

This module will investigate a range of philosophical  issues pertaining to current developments in AI and  robotics. Example topics might include relationships with  AI and robots, responsibility concerns in regard to  autonomous technology such as self-driving cars, the rise of data ethics, and the rights of cyborgs and future  artificial beings. By studying these topics and others,  students will gain a broad knowledge of the philosophical  questions pertaining to contemporary and near-future  technology, develop their ability to critically assess and  discuss philosophy in regards to real world uses and  developments in AI and robotics, as well as improve their  understanding of how theoretical philosophical theories  can be applied and used to tackle practical challenges  posed by modern technology.

20 credits

Life Worth Living

What does it mean for a life to go well? How does one live life well? What is a flourishing life? These questions have shaped intellectual endeavour for millennia. Life Worth Living explores approaches to these questions through engagement with diverse traditions/thinkers including classical Greek philosophy, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Confucianism, Existentialism, Marx, and Nietzsche. The module includes historical analysis of these traditions, visits from individuals whose lives are shaped by them, fieldwork to discuss the ideas beyond the classroom, and assessments to help students develop their own vision of a life worth living.

20 credits

Religion and the Good Life

What, if anything, does religion have to do with a well-lived life? For example, does living well require obeying God's commands? Does it require atheism? Are the possibilities for a good life enhanced or only diminished if there is a God, or if Karma is true? Does living well take distinctive virtues like faith, mindfulness, or humility as these have been understood within religious traditions? In this module, we will examine recent philosophical work on questions like these while engaging with a variety of religions, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Daoism, Islam, and Judaism.

20 credits

English literature pathway core modules:

Research Project 1

English literature pathway optional modules:

The Invention of Romanticism

This module is about the birth and legacy of romantic-era writing. It studies famous figures such as William Wordsworth, John Keats and Emily Bronte alongside lesser-known writers such as Charlotte Smith, Charles Waterton and John Clare. It is taught by a team who use their research interests in fields such as environmental criticism, gender studies or colonial writing to think about how such authors inform our thinking about the world today. Over the year you'll write two essays and develop a proposal for an end-of-year module conference where, supported by your tutors, you can present your ideas and findings to the class. As well as helping you find your own critical voice and developing your academic writing and research skills, this module believes that the modern world and how we think of it was born and shaped by the literature of the Romantics and it encourages you to think critically about that legacy.

40 credits

Renaissance Literature, Modern Crisis

This module considers early modern and Renaissance literature in relation to some of the pressing concerns of the modern world, e.g. the climate emergency, decolonisation, and gender identity (topics may vary from year to year depending on staff expertise and current events). It will combine historicism (looking at texts in historical contexts) with presentism (thinking about how we read texts in our own historical context). You'll write a critical essay relating early modern literature to a modern priority, and then work on a project whose nature and scope you'll decide in dialogue with your tutor(s): for example, an edited collection of texts based around a shared theme; teaching materials; or a magazine-style article. As well as helping you hone your academic writing and your research and critical thinking skills, this module encourages you to think about how literary texts can speak to problems in the wider world.

40 credits

Research Topics in Theatre and Film

This module introduces you to significant research topics that cut across theatre and film studies, opening up the synergies and divergence between these art forms. Key themes such as Bodies, Identities, Memory, Site and Migration will focus our analysis of diverse historical and contemporary examples, positioned critically alongside notable remakings and sometimes radical adaptations. Research into these case studies will uncover important contexts of creation, production and reception that serve to deepen and problematise their meanings. You will also explore current approaches in theory and criticism that reframe theatre and film in exciting and challenging ways. The module's year-long structure allows substantial time to pursue individual research interests, guided by your tutors and inspired by and extending beyond work we undertake as a group. Reflecting the creative mediums we focus on, this module includes supported assessment options for video essays and project pitches, building skills in editing and audiovisual presentation, as alternatives to the traditional essay. Whether or not you choose to experiment with these formats, you will acquire sophisticated knowledge of film and theatre, deepen your understanding of cinematic and performance languages, and gain valuable skills in creative thinking and expression beyond the written word.

40 credits

Mod Cons: Exploring the Long 20th Century

This module introduces you to current research in the study of literary and related forms of cultural text and practice, focusing on the modern and contemporary periods from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present. With a curriculum adapted each year in response to the current research interests of academic staff, the module focuses on the ways in which literary and related works can be understood in terms of important aesthetic, cultural and socio-political concerns in the period. During this module you will be given the opportunity to develop your critical thinking and your writing and analytical skills through an in-depth engagement with a variety of text from the modern and contemporary periods.

40 credits

Middlemarch

Virginia Woolf famously described Middlemarch as 'one of the few English novels written for grown-up people.' Spanning eight books, it is widely regarded as George Eliot's masterpiece. Eliot described and defied her society; she scrutinised her Victorian moment. She lived and worked at odds with nineteenth-century religious institutions: for more than twenty years, she was the partner of George Henry Lewes, a married man, and in her writing she sought to portray life 'as it was', to represent and celebrate everyday life, to resist its injustices. She is also one of the few pseudonymous women to retain their pen name in posterity. This module focuses on Middlemarch's eight books, exploring a range of historical and thematic issues including: serialisation; gender and marriage; class, religion and politics; Victorian science; art and ethics.

20 credits

The Idea of America

If you are interested in how and why contemporary (1950-present day) American writers revise myths of America, then this module will appeal to you. We explore how foundational ideas of America (such freedom, equality, democracy, self-reliance, the frontier, capitalism and American exceptionalism) are reimagined by its poets, playwrights and prose writers. You might read works by authors such as Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, Cormac McCarthy, C Pam Zhang, Charles Yu, Arthur Miller and Ocean Vuong and the module is organised around a series of thematic strands that will help you to make connections between writers and key American mythologies. For example, the themes could include a focus on the ongoing legacies of slavery and settler colonisation and/or a study of the role of religion, region and place in shaping literary perspectives of America. You can expect to read a diverse range of works by Asian-American, Native-American, African-American and Arab-American authors and by the end of this module you will develop valuable leadership and employability skills including improved emotional intelligence and global awareness.

20 credits

Crime and Transgression in Romantic Literature

This module explores the themes of crime and transgression in the literature of the Romantic period across a range of Romantic texts, including fiction, drama, poetry and short essays. We will explore why, precisely, the literature of the Romantic period reflects crime and transgression so persistently, investigating that through a variety of texts. We will look, for example, at marriage laws through Mary Wollstonecraft's posthumously published The Wrongs of Woman, or Maria, at transgressive forms of literature through Charlotte Dacre's sexually-charged Gothic romance Zofloya, or the Moor, at the depiction of hatred and vengeance in Joanna Baillie's drama De Monfort, and at the themes of sexual transgression in Coleridge's ballad Christabel, and in John Keats's The Eve of St Agnes. In addition to these exciting texts, we'll also look at Thomas De Quincey's superbly disturbing essay 'On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts', before concluding the module by looking at Scottish author James Hogg's Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner. The course will be assessed through means of a portfolio of three shorter pieces, responses of 500 words apiece on individual texts (1500 words in total) and by a final summative comparative essay. Through developing your portfolio in consultation with the tutor and seminar discussions, you will emerge with a stronger contextual and literary understanding of the Romantic period across different literary forms.

20 credits

Fin de siècle Gothic

The module examines a range of Gothic texts and their fin de siècle contexts. You will explore writers such as R.L. Stevenson, Arthur Conan Doyle, Vernon Lee, Oscar Wilde, M.R. James, Bram Stoker, and H.G. Wells. You will explore a diverse range of contemporary contexts which will enable you to see how theories of degeneration, images of Empire, models of medicine, notions of decadence, and ideas about history can be applied to the fin de siècle Gothic. The focus on ghosts, vampires, and aliens will help identify how a language of 'otherness' articulated the culturally specific anxieties of fin de siècle Britain. You will look at novels, novels and short stories. The assessment enables you to develop and discuss an essay plan before starting your research essay. Teaching involves a mixture of lectures and seminars.

20 credits

Creative Writing Poetry Experiments: (De)Constructing Paper Selves

This module offers a practical and theoretical workshop which is designed to look at current methods of creative writing exploring a wide range of forms of poetry and poetics, prose poetry, poetic prose and hybrid writing. During the term our core readings and discussions (critical and creative) will be focusing on producing new work, new texts while we will be revisiting, reconfiguring and deconstructing concepts of poetry, contemporary poetry and its various new, experimental formations, poetics of fusion and the hybrid while thematically and theoretically we will explore concepts of borders and boundaries of the contemporary poem while looking at complex concepts of identity, self, form and language, inner and outer landscapes, gender and politics, trauma, historicity and phenomenology. We will be focussing on the manifold ways in which language constructs and deconstructs self and selves, breaches old paradigms, looks 'behind' itself (in panic?) and yet audaciously ploughs on towards the 'unforeseeable'. During the module you will be given the opportunity to develop your writing in various contemporary formations of more established and currently forming conventions/experimentations; your critical thinking through a wide range of creative samples by currently published authors of both poetry and prose and other speculative genres of fusion; and through the weekly workshops to sharpen your editorial skills.

20 credits

Writing Fiction 3

What is the relationship between creation and destruction? How might we creatively 'destroy' literary conventions, and to what ends, particularly in a time of widespread environmental destruction? This module considers the possibilities and potentials of experimental creative prose - not only the short story and the novel, but the creative essay, memoir and hybrid texts. You will read examples of work which deliberately destroys the boundaries between form and genre; you will also be encouraged to experiment in your own creative work.We will explore destructive writing from two angles. First, we will look at writing which breaks with the conventions of literary narrative, form, genre and language. We will focus, in particular, on texts that creatively engage with the failures writers experience during the writing process. Second, we will consider writing which explores destructive worlds - both internal and external, realist and dystopian and speculative. We will read examples of creative texts alongside craft essays and critical texts, relating our discussion of specific techniques and styles to broader questions about the ethical, political and philosophical purposes of creative prose.The seminars will alternate between text-based classes in which we will discuss set reading and engage in generative writing exercises, and workshops where you will exchange constructive critical feedback with your peers. You will be encouraged to take inspiration from the reading both in terms of writing process and in terms of technique.

20 credits

Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer is not only the most famous medieval English writer, he is also one of the most varied, controversial, and gritty writers at the time. This course aims to introduce you to a wide range of Chaucer's writings, including the Canterbury Tales, while situating Chaucerian writing in its medieval context. We will explore literary, linguistic, material, cultural, religious, and political aspects of his fascinatingly rich body of texts to gauge Chaucer's status as a medieval poet, and interrogate questions of society, gender, and philosophy that his work continues to inspire.

20 credits

Life After Death? Romantic Poets and Writing the Afterlife

Kant's Critique of Pure Reason held that there were only two real questions: Is there a God and is there eternal life? Poets and philosophers (and for Coleridge, 'no man was ever yet a great poet, without being at the same time a profound philosopher') have sought to imagine, conjure, or deny the idea of a life after death. This module will explore the versions of eternity written by Romantic poets. From Keats's denial of eternity, Byron's questioning, Shelley's agnostic yearning, and Hemans's feminist redress of the issue, we will consider the idea of life after death in poetry. Starting with a grounding in key philosophical ideas from Plato's assertion of the soul's immortality and Lucretius' denial of any life after death, this module will look at the hell, purgatory, heaven, and nothingness of life after death as written by Romantic poets.

20 credits

Reading Animals

Contemporary literature is filled with stories about animals, and told by animals, which provide astonishing perspectives on animals' experiences—their ideas and feelings, needs and desires; their sense of place, of past and future; their sense of community, loneliness, freedom or danger, or solidarity with humans. In literature, animals tell us what it is like to live in family homes or factories; to go on adventures or to go extinct; to be wild or captive, domestic or feral; to lose their home; to be owned, watched, admired, hunted, worshipped, medically treated, and more. This module looks at literary texts in which nonhuman animals' lives are the central concern. We will study works by writers such as NoViolet Bulawayo, George Saunders, Sabrina Imbler, George Orwell, Yoko Tawada, and Ceridwen Dovey. We will ask: in what ways have authors given voice to animals' experience? What are the most effective literary strategies for representing animals (both portraying and speaking for them)? How have writers re-imagined the fable and other genres in which animals conventionally appear? How are portrayals altered in authors of different race, nation, or gender? And, perhaps most topically, how does literary writing help us rethink animals' importance in an age of extinction and industrial-scale consumption?

20 credits

Privilege and Subversion in Early Modern Drama, 1580-1700

This module surveys the theatre of early modern England, a cultural phenomenon that ranged from the scandalous and iconoclastic drama of Christopher Marlowe to the bawdy, urbane comedy of William Wycherley. We will interrogate the manifold ways in which the privileges and hierarchies of the period (relating, for example, to knowledge, power, gender, politics, sexuality and social class) were interrogated, subverted or upheld by dramatists such as Aphra Behn, John Dryden, Thomas Middleton and John Ford. We will read plays in a variety of genres and will analyse them in the context of landmark cultural and historical changes of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England, such as religious conflict, colonial expansion, and the growth of London as a centre of pleasure and consumption.The module considers the changing conditions of performance in pre- and post-civil-war theatre, the kinds of publication that dramatists used, and the characteristics of the language with which dramatists worked. It also relates the texts to critical methods that help illuminate the relationships between theatre and the explosive cultural, political, and religious differences of the period.

20 credits

English Language pathway core modules:

Research Project 1

English Language pathway optional modules:

Research Project 2
Language and Social Justice

Advanced Syntax

This module builds on the material covered in the module Syntax, focusing on both the universal and language-specific rules that govern syntactic structure in human language. The topics covered will intoduce new areas of syntactic structure, including further instances of movement, a more nuanced understanding of verbal structure, and a greater emphasis on data from languages other than English. It will also introduce more links between syntax and other areas of linguistic research, including prosodic intonation and language dialects.

20 credits

Historical Pragmatics

Historical pragmatics is an exciting and relatively new field which takes a holistic approach (i.e. inclusive of linguistic, social and historical factors) to studying how language users communicated and constructed meaning in earlier periods. Based on the study of English, the aims of this course are: 1) to introduce the study of historical discourse as evidenced by (for example) correspondence and courtroom dialogue; 2) to introduce topics such as sociopragmatics, (im)politeness, and the 'new philology', grounding them in historical pragmatic theory; and 3) to offer an opportunity to perform historical pragmatic analysis through textual study and corpus applications.

20 credits

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

This final-year module is designed to provide you with a thorough grounding on the key theoretical and practical aspects of teaching English as a second or foreign language. It reviews the historical developments, methodological approaches and principles underlying contemporary TESOL practices. It also explores and assesses what we know about teaching the grammar and vocabulary of English as a foreign or second language, the processes involved in language production and reception in a second language and the implications for teaching and assessing the four language skills (i.e., reading, listening, writing and speaking). Finally, it discusses context and learner differences that influence and determine the teaching of a second language. The module aims to help you uncover your individual beliefs about language teaching and guide you to critically explore a variety of language teaching techniques. It also encourages you to critically reflect on the complex and diverse nature of language teaching, as well as to design lesson plans for specific educational situations that involve research-informed choices. On completion of this course, you should be able to understand, identify and evaluate the various TESOL methodologies and techniques, and select and apply the most appropriate ones for different learning contexts, including the design of lesson plans and activities to teach and undertake research on the various language features and skills.

20 credits

Constructed Languages

This module builds on theories learned in Level 1 and 2 ELL and Language and Literature modules, applying them to the constructed languages ('conlangs') created specifically for books, television, and film. Topics covered will include the grammatical patterns underlying the sound and structural systems of conlangs, the similarities and differences between conlangs and 'natural' human languages, the representation of historical change in conlangs, and the textual use and representation of conlangs in literature.

20 credits

Second Language Acquisition

This module will introduce students to major theoretical notions and assumptions in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) - a theory that investigates how language speakers acquire a second language both in adulthood and childhood. The module focuses on the second language knowledge that is by formal linguistic constraints, as well as on how it interplays with language differencs, language input and classroom teaching. It provides a historical overview of how SLA theories have evolved and examines influential concepts to explore how different arguments have been developed and how they have been investigated empirically. At the same time, the module offers students hands-on training in analyzing second language learner data. This will help students relate data to theories they learn and learn how to extend the data with a follow-up study.

20 credits

Psychology of Language

This final-year module in psycholinguistics examines the relationship between the human mind and language, addressing both theoretical and methodological issues. We look at the processes involved in speaking, listening, and reading, exploring the ways in which we represent and store linguistic knowledge. The core linguistic components will be investigated: phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics. Evidence from speech errors, language impairments, and neuroscience alongside classic psychological experimental work in the field will be considered. Students will gain a firm grounding in psycholinguistic theory and practice, and should acquire the tools to undertake their own research in the future.

20 credits

Philosophy core modules:

Communicating Philosophy

Philosophy optional modules:
Modality and Logic

Ethics and Belief

We know things as individuals, but we also know things collectively. And what we know individually can depend on our relation to other knowers and collective knowledge. These relations are not merely epistemic, they are also practical and ethical. Knowledge can, for instance, be based on trust, while a failure to recognize someone as a knower can be a matter of injustice. Knowledge thereby has a social character and an ethical dimension. This course will introduce a broad range of topics in epistemology that explore this social and ethical turn.

20 credits

Global Justice

What are the demands of justice at the global level? On this module we will examine this question from the perspective of analytic Anglo-American political philosophy. We will start by looking at some debates about the nature of global justice, such as whether justice demands the eradication of global inequalities. We will then turn to various questions of justice that arise at the global level, potentially including: how jurisdiction over territory might be justified; whether states have a right to exclude would-be immigrants; whether reparations are owed for past international injustices such as colonialism; and how to identify responsibilities for combatting global injustice.

20 credits

Memory and the Self

Our memories of our personal past (i.e. our episodic memories) play an important role in our lives. They help us perform mundane tasks like finding our keys, but they arguably also form the foundation of our sense of self and personal identity. They let us know who we are by recording what we've done and experienced. In this module we will try to better understand what episodic memory is and to what extent it grounds our understanding of the self. This module will introduce students to the cognitive science of memory and to core issues in the philosophical foundations of cognitive science.In the first part of the module, we will look at methodological issues that arise when we attempt to describe the mind's structure within philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience. In the second part of the module, we will look towards the cognitive sciences to better understand what sort of thing episodic memory is. In the final part of the module, we will consider the relationship between episodic memory and our sense of the self. This is an interdisciplinary module. Understanding how the mind is structured is a complex project. In order to make progress we need to appeal to both empirical and philosophical work (and work that blurs this distinction). We'll read scientific and philosophical papers; however, no prior knowledge of cognitive science (or neuroscience) will be presumed.

20 credits

The Science of Consciousness

Consciousness is at once both something incredibly familiar and something utterly mysterious. Consciousness seems to be a subjective phenomenon to which we have a privileged first-person access Yet, this very subjective nature of consciousness makes it hard, if not impossible, to scientifically study. In this module we'll look at recent developments in the study of consciousness from across the cognitive sciences (including philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and biology). This module will also serve as an introduction to some core issues in the philosophical foundations of cognitive science.In the first part of the module, we will look at various theories of consciousness from across different disciplines. In the second part of the module, we'll look at specific methodological issues that arise in studying consciousness in human and non-human animals.This is an interdisciplinary module. Understanding how the mind is structured is a complex project. In order to make progress we need to appeal to both empirical and philosophical work (and work that blurs this distinction). We'll read scientific and philosophical papers; however, no prior knowledge of cognitive science (or neuroscience) will be presumed.

20 credits

Phenomenology

This module introduces students to Phenomenology - a philosophical tradition in continental European philosophy, which is closely related to Existentialism. Phenomenology seeks to understand the human condition. Its starting-point is everyday experience, where this includes both mundane and less ordinary forms of experience such as those typically associated with conditions such as schizophrenia. Whilst Phenomenology encompasses a diverse range of thinkers and ideas, there tends to be a focus on consciousness as embodied, situated in a particular physical, social, and cultural environment, essentially related to other people, and existing in time. (This is in contrast to the disembodied, universal, and isolated notion of the subject that comes largely from the Cartesian tradition.) There is a corresponding emphasis on the world we inhabit as a distinctively human environment that depends in certain ways on us for its character and existence. Some of the central topics addressed by Phenomenology include: embodiment; ageing and death; the lived experience of oppression; human freedom; our relations with and knowledge of, other people; the experience of time; and the nature of the world. In this module, we will discuss a selection of these and related topics, examining them through the work of key figures in the Phenomenological Movement, such as Edmund Husserl, Simone de Beauvoir, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Frantz Fanon, and Edith Stein.

20 credits

Pain, Pleasure, and Emotions

Affective states like pain, pleasure, and emotions have a profound bearing on the meaning and quality of our lives. Chronic pain can be completely disabling, while insensitivity to pain can be fatal. Analogously, a life without pleasure looks like a life of boredom, but excessive pleasure seeking can disrupt decision-making. In this module, we will explore recent advances in the study of the affective mind, by considering theoretical work in the philosophy of mind as well as empirical research in affective cognitive science. These are some of the problems that we will explore: Why does pain feel bad? What is the relation between pleasure and happiness? Are emotions cognitive states? Are moral judgments based on emotions? Can we know what other people are feeling?

20 credits

Bodies and Souls

Descartes is famous for his view that all mental activity takes place in an immaterial substance, so that what we call a human being is really two things: a thinking soul and an unthinking body. Aristotle thought that every living thing, whether conscious or not, was a compound of matter and form, and he called this form a 'soul'. This view, 'hylomorphism', dominated European philosophy throughout the middle ages. Both views are currently the subject of renewed interest. This module will examine them from a contemporary perspective.

20 credits

Plato's Symposium

The Symposium is a vivid, funny and moving dramatic dialogue in which a wide variety of characters - orators, doctor, comic poet, tragic poet, soldier-cum-statesman, philosopher and others - give widely differing accounts of the nature or erotic love (eros) at a banquet. Students should be willing to engage in close textual study, although no previous knowledge of either ancient philosophy or ancient Greek is required. We will be exploring the origins, definition, aims, objects and effects or eros, and asking whether it is viewed as a predominantly beneficial or harmful force. Are some manifestations or eros better than others? Is re-channelling either possible or desirable, and if so, how and in what contexts? What happens to eros if it is consummated? We will in addition explore the issues that the dialogue raises about relations between philosophy and literature, and the influence it has had on Western thought (e.g. Freud). The edition we will use is Rowe, C . J., 1998, Plato Symposium. Oxford: Aris and Phillips Classical texts.

20 credits

Language, Speakers and the World

This module explores in depth some of the most important notions in 20th and 21st century Philosophy of Language, an area of study which has often been seen as central to analytic philosophy more generally. As well as examining theories of central elements of language, such as names and descriptions, it investigates potentially puzzling phenomena such as fiction and the vagueness of language. And it explores issues in Applied Philosophy of Language including questions about lying and misleading, about forms of silencing, and about language and power. Language is at the heart of much distinctively human activity, and so study of language provides insight into us - its users/speakers - and also into how we relate to each other and to the world.

20 credits