Philosophy and Politics

Philosophy and politics is a pairing with a long and distinguished history, and for good reason: the most fundamental questions of political life, about justice, authority, rights, democracy, and the legitimate use of power, are philosophical questions. Philosophy provides the conceptual tools and argumentative methods needed to engage with them rigorously, while politics grounds that engagement in the real structures, institutions, and dynamics of political life. Together, they produce graduates who can think precisely about the most important questions facing organised societies.

At the University of Aberdeen, this four-year full-time programme takes you through both the philosophical tradition and the contemporary political world, examining how abstract argument applies to real political questions of fundamental importance. You will study the history of philosophy, logic and critical reasoning, ethics, and political philosophy, alongside modules covering political institutions, international relations, and contemporary policy issues. The combination encourages you to move between theoretical and applied perspectives, asking what philosophical analysis reveals about political questions and what the reality of political life reveals about the limitations and possibilities of political philosophy.

In your third year you will spend a year abroad, deepening your intellectual perspective through study in a different academic and political context. With a typical entry tariff of 168 UCAS points, this is a demanding programme.

Philosophy and politics graduates are well placed for a wide range of careers. The civil service and public policy, journalism and media, law, academia, think tanks, NGOs, international organisations, and the diplomatic service are all natural destinations. The combination of philosophical precision and political awareness is particularly valuable in roles that require careful thinking about how power should be exercised and how policy decisions are justified.

Postgraduate study in philosophy, politics, law, or international relations provides a natural continuation.