Korean and World Philosophies

Korean and world philosophies is a genuinely unusual and intellectually rich combination that connects the study of one of East Asia's most dynamic modern cultures with a broad engagement with philosophical traditions from across the globe. Korean is the language of both the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, spoken by around 80 million people worldwide, and its significance has grown enormously as South Korea has emerged as a major economic power and a global exporter of popular culture, film, and technology. World philosophies extends philosophical inquiry beyond the European tradition to include Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist, African, Indian, and Indigenous philosophical systems, asking how different intellectual traditions have approached the fundamental questions of ethics, knowledge, reality, and the good life.

At the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, this four-year programme benefits from one of the world's leading centres for the study of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. SOAS is the natural home for this kind of interdisciplinary and global intellectual work, with scholarly expertise in Korean language and culture alongside a genuinely diverse engagement with philosophical traditions outside the Western canon. The programme includes a foundation year, which gives you an additional period of preparation before the main degree begins, making it accessible to students who are new to either Korean or to the academic study of philosophy.

You will develop linguistic competence in Korean alongside a deep engagement with philosophical thought from multiple traditions.

Graduates of this programme bring a rare combination of language skills, cultural knowledge, and philosophical sophistication to the job market. Career routes include work in Korean-connected business and trade, diplomacy, journalism, cultural organisations, education, translation, and the growing fields of Korean studies and comparative philosophy in academia. Postgraduate study in Korean studies, philosophy, or Asian area studies is a natural progression.