Politics and World Philosophies

Politics and World Philosophies is an unusual and intellectually ambitious combination, bringing together the study of political institutions, power, and governance with the philosophical traditions that have shaped ethical and political thought across different cultures and civilisations. Where many politics degrees lean heavily on Western liberal theory, this programme at SOAS draws on the full breadth of global intellectual traditions, including South Asian, East Asian, African, and Middle Eastern thought alongside the European canon. The result is a degree that encourages genuinely comparative and critical thinking about how human societies organise themselves and what values should guide them.

You will study political theory, international relations, comparative politics, and the history and philosophy of non-Western thought, developing both a rigorous analytical framework and a broad cultural and intellectual range. The foundation year gives you the opportunity to build the academic skills and subject knowledge needed to thrive on the degree, making the programme accessible to students who may not have studied philosophy or politics before. SOAS's London location and distinctive global focus mean that the political questions you engage with are rarely abstract: the university has deep expertise in the Global South and in the political and philosophical traditions that are too often marginalised in British higher education.

This degree develops strong analytical reasoning, the ability to engage with complex texts from different traditions, and a sophisticated understanding of power, justice, and legitimacy across different cultural contexts. These are highly transferable capacities. Graduates move into careers in international organisations, diplomacy and the foreign service, NGOs and development work, journalism, think tanks, public policy, and advocacy.

Some enter law or postgraduate study in political theory, international relations, area studies, or philosophy. The programme is particularly well suited to those interested in working in or on regions of the world where Western frameworks alone are insufficient.