Studying Philosophy will expose you to the most important philosophical ideas, thinkers and frameworks – ancient and modern, western and eastern – enabling you to address contemporary problems in a globalised context.

In a friendly and supportive environment, you will learn to master complex material and apply it to concrete problems, to develop cogent and clear arguments and present them in professional contexts.

Philosophy at UCC has particular strengths in moral and political philosophy, as well as in philosophy of mind, body and action. Its greatest strength, however, is its commitment to pluralism and interdisciplinarity, which combines these fields with research and teaching in Aesthetics; Comparative Continental European and Asian Philosophy;  Philosophy of Science;  Philosophy of Economics; and Metaphysics and Epistemology. 

Year 1 Modules:

PH1001  Introduction to Philosophy (15 credits):  This may change from year to year, but is intended as an introductory survey covering some of the following areas:

• Ethics and Political Philosophy
• Metaphysics
• Philosophy of Mind
• Phenomenology

Year 2 Modules:

All students must take “Reasoning and Argument” and then at least one module from each of the following three groups:

Group 1 "Metaphysics and Mind": Philosophy of Mind, Knowledge and Reality, Philosophy of Science, Agency and Rationality, Phenomenology

Group 2 "Value Theory": Political Philosophy, Applied Ethics, Violence and War, Feminist Philosophy, Philosophy of Art

Group 3 "Comparative and Historical": History of Philosophy 1 & 2, Chinese Philosophy, Great Books in Philosophy, Continental Philosophy.

Year 3 Modules:

All students must take at least two modules from each of the following three groups:

Group 1: "Metaphysics and Mind": Mind and Machine, Social Reality, Free Will and Human Nature, Philosophy of Language

Group 2 "Value Theory": Responsibility, Moral Psychology, Professional Ethics, Philosophy of Education, Displacement and the Home.

Group 3 "Comparative and Historical": History of Philosophy 3 & 4, Korean Philosophy, Japanese Philosophy, Political Philosophy in Theory and Practice

Third year students may also choose the option of completing an extended essay under the close supervision of one member of the teaching staff.

See the College Calendar for additional information on the programme and the Book of Modules for further information on modules.

Refer to CK101 and CK108.

Refer to CK101 and CK108. Students choose Arts subjects when registering for first year. 

Expected lecture hours: In Year 1 you will have three hours of lectures a week, plus one hour of tutorials. In Years 2 and 3 all modules are two hours per week. 

Expected reading hours: You will be expected to read somewhere in the region of 25 to 35 pages per week per module.

Written exams will take place at the end of each semester.  Not all modules will have formal examinations.  Many modules use other types of assessment including in-class tests, attendance and participation during tutorials etc.

In Years 2 and 3, all courses are assessed by a mix of continuous assessment (i.e. essays) and exam. The exam will be either at the end of the first semester, or at the end of the academic year.

All the members of the teaching staff in the Department of Philosophy teach on this course. Tutorials are conducted by our PhD students, closely supervised by the lecturers in the Department of Philosophy.