The School of Philosophy at UEA can offer graduates a broad and deep education in many areas of philosophy – in, for example, Wittgenstein, Kant and Chomsky, phenomenology, metaphilosophy, C20th analytic and Classical philosophy – but the School has a distinctive concentration of expertise in the area of philosophy and literature. UEA was one of the first departments to concentrate its research efforts on this subject, largely because of its Wittgensteinian leanings, and it is currently one of the country’s leading centres for research in this area. One member of staff focuses almost exclusively on philosophy and literature, and at least three others have made distinctive contributions to its development. In all cases, their research into the subject is informed by a wide knowledge of other arts, especially music and film.
The Subject
Philosophy and literature is one of the most exciting growth areas in modern Anglo-American philosophy. Over the last thirty years, under the influence of such major figures as Stanley Cavell and Martha Nussbaum, the subject has transformed itself from a minority interest to a major component in the curriculum. It is now widely acknowledged that because the literary form of philosophy is part of its philosophical value, and the philosophical knowledge provided by literature is part of its literary value, both subjects suffer impoverishment when kept unnaturally apart:
The MA
The MA in Philosophy and Literature offers a one-year interdisciplinary course in the two subjects, and explores the deep links between them at many levels. Students can choose from a wide range of modules in both subjects, while sharing a research workshop and core units jointly taught by philosophers and literary specialists. This makes the MA a genuinely joint degree, and not one in which the two subjects are only taught in parallel.
Students select four modules (two per semester) each of which is assessed by two coursework essays, and also write a 12-15,000 word dissertation to be handed in at the end of the summer vacation. Students can approach any willing member of staff to supervise this dissertation and negotiate an appropriate topic with him or her.
When studied part-time, students take two modules a year for two years and write their dissertation during the second year.
The MA is an ideal supplement to an undergraduate degree in either philosophy or literature, and an excellent introduction to advanced research work in either field.
Dr. Mark Rowe
The UEA School of Philosophy stands out through its range of distinctive research strengths. These include original, interdisciplinary work at the intersection of philosophy and linguistics, literature, environmental sciences, economics, and cognitive psychology, as well as innovative work in competing philosophical methodologies and in philosophical-historical scholarship (in particular on Wittgenstein, Kant, and ancient philosophy). In research and graduate teaching, the School collaborates in particular with UEA's internationally leading Schools of Literature and Creative Writing, Environmental Sciences, and Economics. The School of Philosophy offers a vigorous and lively research environment that is an integral part of the UEA's vibrant Graduate School of the Humanities. Philosophy's international, collegial graduate community of about 30 Masters and PhD students works on a rich variety of research topics, reflecting the distinctive, partially unique, expertise of our academic staff. The School's high academic standing was recognized in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, where 35% of its contributions were rated world-leading or internationally excellent.
The main aim of this course is to explore philosophical themes which arise naturally in the reading of literature, and literary issues which arise naturally in the study of philosophy. Literary texts may well include a selection from: Shakespeare, Pope, Wordsworth, Keats, Tennyson, Arnold, Conrad and Beckett. Philosophical texts may well include a selection from: Plato, Augustine, Montaigne, Descartes, Goethe, Nietzsche and Wittgenstein. Two important themes for discussion will be the rise of physical science and its impact on philosophy and literature; and how different conceptions of philosophy and literature affect the way in which they are written (or not written). Assessment will be by two coursework essays.
The topics of this module will be chosen from amongst the following: the definition and purpose of literature; the nature of literary language, fiction, fictional characters, narrative, genre, literary criticism and interpretation; the relevance of author's intention, the role of the reader, and the relationship between literature which is read and that which is heard and seen; aesthetic evaluation, taste, subjectivity and objectivity; whether literature can convey truth and knowledge, and the relationship between aesthetic judgement and ethics. Students submit two essays of 2,500 words each.
Option A Study (20 credits)
Students will select 20 credits from the following modules:
The course introduces students to the major shifts in philosophical thinking about the Western self from Descartes to the twentieth century. The course will provide students with a training in theoretical debate through the analysis and discussion of a selection of the important thinkers on this list: Descartes, Rousseau, Hegel, Kant, Marx, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Bakhtin, Sartre, Foucault, Derrida, Irigaray, Deleuze and Butler. Through acquaintance with different theoretical traditions, students will have the opportunity to reflect critically on the processes and implications of cultural change; and to relate their understanding of the self and philosophy to other fields such as literature.
This module addresses the relation between art and politics by examining the attempt to unmask the aesthetic as ideological. In order to do this, we will acquire a firm grasp of the meaning of 'the aesthetic' and of what it is often taken to conceal, 'ideology'. We will, therefore, begin by exploring what has been called the 'invention' of the aesthetic in modernity, paying particular attention to the emergence of the aesthetic as a category in the eighteenth century as part of debates concerning the public sphere, disinterestedness, and universality. Key figures here will include the third Earl of Shaftesbury, Immanuel Kant, and Friedrich Schiller. We will then move on to consider the precise meaning of 'ideology' in its various forms in the work of Karl Marx, Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, and Theodor Adorno. Our focus in particular will be on the way in which the aesthetic has been thought to relate to 'ideology' by these, and numerous other, thinkers from fields such as sociology, anthropology, literary criticism, and art history. But far from simply deploying the tools of ideological analysis as a means to expose the covert politics of the aesthetic as such, we will ask whether the aesthetic is as vulnerable to so-called ideology - critique as has sometime been claimed. We will thus evaluate recent attempts to renovate the aesthetic by figures such as Jacques Ranciere, Isobel Armstrong, J.M. Berstein and others. This module, therefore, will address concerns central to those interested in the history and theory of literary and art criticism, and also in cultural and educational policy.
This is the second year of your taught Masters programme.
Compulsory Study (100 credits)
Students must study the following modules for 100 credits:
For students taking the MA in Social Philosophy. Students are required to write a dissertation of a length as specified in their MA Course Guide on a topic approved by the Course Director or other authorised person.
The weekly workshop enables students to present their own work in short presentations and to contribute to discussions on each other's work. There will also be meetings where research methods and tactics are discussed, such as journal publication. Each student must produce a presentation and meaningfully contribute to the meetings in order to pass the module.
Option A Study (20 credits)
Students will select 20 credits from the following modules:
The module explores a more challenging area of Classical Philosophy with detailed attention to selected texts and issues. The topic will be chosen by the lecturer from the following: (a) Mind and Perception; (b) Language and Reality; (c) Image and Illusion. Syllabus: for (a) Plato "Republic"; "Phaedrus"; Aristotle "De Anima"; for (b) Plato "Cratylus"; "Sophist"; Augustine "Confessions" 1; Aristotle "Categories"; for (c) Primary/secondary qualities in Democritus; Plato "Republic" 10, "Sophist"; Epicurean perception theory. This module is linked to the advanced undergraduate module, Classical Philosophy Special Subject.
The course introduces students to the major shifts in philosophical thinking about the Western self from Descartes to the twentieth century. The course will provide students with a training in theoretical debate through the analysis and discussion of a selection of the important thinkers on this list: Descartes, Rousseau, Hegel, Kant, Marx, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Bakhtin, Sartre, Foucault, Derrida, Irigaray, Deleuze and Butler. Through acquaintance with different theoretical traditions, students will have the opportunity to reflect critically on the processes and implications of cultural change; and to relate their understanding of the self and philosophy to other fields such as literature.
The module provides commencing graduate students with the methodological foundations for independent philosophical research. Through practical exercises complementing theoretical discussion and philosophical case studies, the module examines nature, structure, and genesis of key problems and theories from different areas of philosophy; on this basis, it discusses the scope, strengths, and weaknesses of both well-established and innovative philosophical methodologies as well as key questions about the nature of philosophy. Methods covered include different forms of conceptual and linguistic analysis, ways of explaining and assessing philosophical intuitions, naturalist approaches, and competing hermeneutic approaches to the interpretation of philosophical texts from different periods and traditions. Meta-philosophical questions addressed include: What are the proper aims and purposes of philosophy (theoretical vs. elucidatory vs. therapeutic conceptions)? In what ways is philosophy similar to, and different from various sciences? In what ways can methods and insights from other disciplines (sciences, literature, and the arts) be put to use for philosophical purposes? The module is taught through a weekly lecture and seminar (total 3 hours/week). Topics of the two 3000-word essays are individually agreed. This module is intended primarily for students on the MRes in Philosophy and the MA in Philosophy and Literature. Students on other MA/MSc programmes can participate with the consent of the module organiser, who will expect substantive prior exposure to philosophy (ca. 6 undergraduate modules in philosophy).
This module addresses the relation between art and politics by examining the attempt to unmask the aesthetic as ideological. In order to do this, we will acquire a firm grasp of the meaning of 'the aesthetic' and of what it is often taken to conceal, 'ideology'. We will, therefore, begin by exploring what has been called the 'invention' of the aesthetic in modernity, paying particular attention to the emergence of the aesthetic as a category in the eighteenth century as part of debates concerning the public sphere, disinterestedness, and universality. Key figures here will include the third Earl of Shaftesbury, Immanuel Kant, and Friedrich Schiller. We will then move on to consider the precise meaning of 'ideology' in its various forms in the work of Karl Marx, Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, and Theodor Adorno. Our focus in particular will be on the way in which the aesthetic has been thought to relate to 'ideology' by these, and numerous other, thinkers from fields such as sociology, anthropology, literary criticism, and art history. But far from simply deploying the tools of ideological analysis as a means to expose the covert politics of the aesthetic as such, we will ask whether the aesthetic is as vulnerable to so-called ideology - critique as has sometime been claimed. We will thus evaluate recent attempts to renovate the aesthetic by figures such as Jacques Ranciere, Isobel Armstrong, J.M. Berstein and others. This module, therefore, will address concerns central to those interested in the history and theory of literary and art criticism, and also in cultural and educational policy.
This module addresses philosophical and methodological problems of the social sciences, including the normative issues involved in a number of current social and political debates.
This module will be devoted to the interpretation and discussion of important, advanced texts in modern political philosophy, in particular texts by John Rawls, perhaps the most significant political philosopher of the late twentieth century. Rawlsian political philosophy of liberalism will be tested with regard to its soundness in relation to equality, community/society, and ecology. Consideration will be given to looking at what political philosophy might viably challenge or replace liberalism, which tends to be the 'dominant paradigm' in political theory and practice today. Students will also have an opportunity to apply abstract philosophical ideas to current political controversies.
Disclaimer
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules and regular (five-yearly) review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff or sabbatical leave. Where this is the case, the University will endeavour to inform students.
Entry Requirements
Degree Subject:
Philosophy or a related subject
Degree Classification:
UK BA (Hons) 2.1 or equivalent
Special Entry Requirements:
A 3000 word essay from your previous degree should be uploaded to your online application.
Students for whom English is a Foreign language
We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English. To ensure such students benefit from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:
Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.
Other tests such as TOEIC and the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English are also accepted by the university. Please check with the Admissions Office for further details including the scores or grades required.
INTO UEA and INTO UEA London run pre-sessional courses which can be taken prior to the start of your course. For further information and to see if you qualify please contact intopre-sessional@uea.ac.uk (INTO UEA Norwich) or pseuealondon@into.uk.com (INTO UEA London).
Intakes
The School's annual intake is in September of each year.
Alternative Qualifications
If you have alternative qualifications that have not been mentioned above then please contact university directly for further information.
Assessment
All applications for postgraduate study are processed through the Faculty Admissions Office and then forwarded to the relevant School of Study for consideration. If you are currently completing your first degree or have not yet taken a required English language test, any offer of a place will be conditional upon you achieving this before you arrive.
Fees and Funding
Tuition fees
Tuition fees for Postgraduate students for the academic year 2013/14 are £5,000 for Home/EU students and £12,500 for International Students.
If you choose to study part-time, the fee per annum will be half the annual fee for that year, or a pro-rata fee for the module credit you are taking (only available for Home/EU students).
Please note that all the above fees are expected to rise for the year 2014/15. We estimate living expenses at £600/650 per month.
Scholarships and Awards:
The Faculty of Arts and Humanities has a number of Scholarships and Awards. For further information relevant to the School of Philosophy, please click here.
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
The School
The UEA School of Philosophy stands out through its range of distinctive research strengths. These include original, interdisciplinary work at the intersection of philosophy and linguistics, literature, environmental sciences, economics, and cognitive psychology, as well as innovative work in competing philosophical methodologies and in philosophical-historical scholarship (in particular on Wittgenstein, Kant, and ancient philosophy). In research and graduate teaching, the School collaborates in particular with UEA's internationally leading Schools of Literature and Creative Writing, Environmental Sciences, and Economics. The School of Philosophy offers a vigorous and lively research environment that is an integral part of the UEA's vibrant Graduate School of the Humanities. Philosophy's international, collegial graduate community of about 30 Masters and PhD students works on a rich variety of research topics, reflecting the distinctive, partially unique, expertise of our academic staff. The School's high academic standing was recognized in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, where 35% of its contributions were rated world-leading or internationally excellent.