Philosophy

Philosophy is the oldest of the academic disciplines and in many ways the most ambitious: it asks the questions that other subjects take for granted. What can we know, and how do we know it? What makes an action right or wrong?

What does it mean for something to exist? How should power be organised and justified? These questions are not merely abstract; they shape how we understand science, politics, language, art and our own minds.

Studying philosophy at the University of the Highlands and Islands over four years of full-time study gives you sustained engagement with these questions and with the traditions of argument that have accumulated around them.

You will work through the major areas of philosophy including epistemology, ethics, logic, political philosophy, metaphysics and the philosophy of mind, as well as engaging with significant historical figures from Plato and Aristotle to Kant, Hume and the analytic and continental traditions of the twentieth century. The programme develops your ability to read complex texts with care, construct valid arguments and identify the assumptions that underpin even apparently obvious claims. These skills are built gradually but are genuinely transferable, and philosophy graduates are consistently among the most intellectually versatile of any discipline.

A typical entry tariff of around 120 points is expected.

Philosophy graduates are found in law, journalism, the civil service, policy research, education, management and the technology sector, where ethical and conceptual analysis is increasingly in demand. Many go on to postgraduate study in philosophy, law or related humanities disciplines, while others bring their analytical training to careers in fields that benefit from clear, rigorous thinking. The degree is also excellent preparation for any profession that requires careful reasoning under uncertainty.