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Philosophical Studies

On this page, you will find some recommendations on what to watch, read, listen and do to engage with your subject. As well as feeding your intellectual curiosity, these links may provide useful material for your UCAS statement. Once you have engaged with the links, make sure that you practise putting your thoughts into words with the writing activity at the end.

Watch

The School of Life, Western Philosophy Series

Would you sacrifice one person to save five?

The illusion of consciousness

What is Philosophy? Crash Course

Read

We obsess about death, so why don’t we think more about being born?

Sense and nonsense

About time: why western philosophy can only teach us so much

Are bosses dictators?

AccessEd Reading List

Listen

The Limits of Freewill

Composing A Life

Philosophy: The Classics

The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

Why? Philosophical Discussions About Everyday Life

Do

  • Complete a free online course – this is a great way to  explore your interests. Why not try this one from The University of Edinburgh, called Introduction to Philosophy.
  • Take a masterclass – they are a great opportunity to undertake super-curricular activities and explore subjects beyond the school curriculum. Each university will post dates for masterclasses on their website. Here are upcoming Subject Masterclasses at the University of Cambridge.
  • Attend a free lecture or seminar –  a great way to develop your interests further and to explore if the subject is right for you. Check out upcoming events at the Institute of Philosophy. Can you work with your teacher to organise a class trip to London to attend a free event?

Write

  • To apply to university, you need to demonstrate that you are well informed about the subject and have a strong interest in studying it at greater depth. To get started, practice writing about your subject interests by composing short responses to the following questions:
  1. What have you watched, read or listened to that has inspired you?
  2. Why was it interesting?
  3. What new issues did you learn about?
  4. What do you want to find out next?
  5. What excites you about the subject?
  6. Why do you think studying the subject is important?
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