Philosophy major (MJD-PHILY)
The study of Philosophy involves thinking about some of the big questions we ask during our lifetime: Does God exist? Do the sciences tell us the truth about the world? How can we say what we mean? Are other people's experiences like our own? What does it mean to be conscious? What are emotions and how are they relevant to our lives? Philosophy teaches you to distinguish between good and bad arguments and make informed recommendations on contentious issues. Studying Philosophy allows you to explore a vast range of influential ideas, from the ancient philosophers, whose works are preserved in manuscripts from India, China and Greece, right down to cutting-edge contemporary work on pressing ethical issues, the nature of mind and artificial intelligence. UWA is the only university in Western Australia that teaches units in formal logic.
Outcomes
Students are able to (1) analyse and evaluate arguments; (2) distinguish between good arguments and bad arguments, irrespective of their subject matter, and thus make informed decisions and recommendations on contentious issues; (3) demonstrate clarity of thought; (4) separate distinct issues, consider them independently and think out the consequences of positions on them; (5) demonstrate the general skills for thinking about problems and tasks, and framing and evaluating solutions; (6) frame, express and convey ideas, their own and other people's, in a clear and convincing way; and (7) appreciate the value of different perspectives on life, society and knowledge.
Broadening guidelines
All students studying towards a Bachelor's Degree at UWA are required to Broaden their studies by completing a minimum of four units (24 points) of study outside their degree specific major. Broadening is your opportunity to explore other areas of interest, investigate new disciplines and knowledge paradigms and to shape your degree to suit your own aspirations and interests. Many of you will be able to undertake more than this minimum amount of broadening study and we encourage you to do so if this suits your aspirations. Over the next few months you will find here some broadening suggestions related to your degree-specific major. While we know that many students value guidance of this sort, these are only suggestions and students should not lose sight of the opportunity to explore that is afforded by your Broadening Choices. Advice can also be sought from your Allocated Student Advising Office.
Philosophy can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:
Overview of unit sequence
Philosophy is a degree-specific single major comprising:
- two Level 1 units
- three Level 2 units
- three Level 3 units
| Key to availability of units: |
|---|
| S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; SS = summer teaching period; N/A = not available in 2022 |
Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2023 or 2024.
Level 1
Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | PHIL1001 | Ethics for the Digital Age: An Introduction to Moral Philosophy |
|
| S1, SS | PHIL1002 | Introduction to Critical Thinking |
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| S2 | PHIL1003 | God, Mind and Knowledge |
|
Level 2
Take unit(s) to the value of 18 points:
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | PHIL2001 | Bioethics |
|
| S1 | PHIL2002 | Logic: How to Defeat Your Foes with Reasoning |
|
| N/A | PHIL2003 | Philosophy of Religion |
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| N/A | PHIL2004 | Philosophy of Mind |
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| N/A | PHIL2005 | Exploring the Nature of Science |
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| S2 | PHIL2006 | Philosophy of Psychology and Psychiatry |
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| N/A | PHIL2007 | Knowledge and the Justification of Belief |
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| S2 | PHIL2008 | Machine Minds and Superintelligence: The Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence |
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| S2 | PHIL2009 | Global and Environmental Justice |
|
| S1 | PPHE2001 | Integrating Philosophy, Politics, and Economics: The Philosophy of Economics and Political Science |
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| S2 | PPHE2211 | History of Political Ideas |
|
Level 3
Take unit(s) to the value of 18 points:
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | PHIL3001 | Metaphysics: a User's Guide to Time Travel |
|
| S2 | PHIL3002 | Aesthetics |
|
| S1 | PHIL3003 | Moral Theory |
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| S2 | PHIL3004 | Meaning, Truth and Language |
|
| S1 | PHIL3005 | Continental Philosophy: The Origin and Influence of Phenomenology |
|
| S1 | PHIL3006 | Philosophy East and West |
|
| N/A | PHIL3007 | Advanced Logic |
|
| S1 | PHIL3008 | What to Do? How to Make Rational Decisions under Uncertainty |
|
| S2 | PPHE3327 | Contemporary Political Theory |
|
Choosing your degree-specific major
General degrees
You must satisfy the requirements of a degree-specific major before you complete your course. The flexible structure of an undergraduate course allows you to try out a number of different subjects to see what interests you before nominating your degree-specific major. You have the choice to either nominate your degree-specific major when you first enrol in the course or delay nominating it until your second year.
To plan the first year of your study without nominating a degree-specific major, you are advised to choose units that will pave the way to two or more degree-specific majors that are of interest to you. For examples of the choice of units available in first year, search the first-year study plans .
To fully understand the structure of an undergraduate course, read the course structure information and the Undergraduate Degree Course Rules.
The following example illustrates how the Philosophy degree-specific major can be included in the Bachelor of Arts course.
Example Study Plan
There are more choices open to you. For more examples, search the study plans .
Specialised degrees – Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science (Honours), Bachelor of Automation and Robotics, Bachelor of Environmental Design, Bachelor of Music
You must satisfy the requirements of the degree-specific major in your degree before you complete your course.
Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics
This comprehensive degree does not require you to choose a degree-specific major.
Choosing a second major
You also have the option to choose a second major from those available in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Design Only available to re-enrolling students. and Bachelor of Science courses, giving you the opportunity to pursue your interests no matter how different they are.
For more examples of combinations of majors, search the study plans .