Postgraduate Philosophy 2021-2022

This course will introduce and investigate a number of legal and ethical issues around the ethics of technology, particularly around the ethics of artificial intelligence. We will address questions such as the moral status of artificial agents; the difference, if any, between human rights and artificial rights, problems of data bias. We will also consider the question of responsibility in this arena and review regulatory frameworks. This course would be of interest to students from computer science, philosophy, law and health sciences.

This team taught-course, linked to the Centre for Knowledge and Society (CEKAS), examines key issues in contemporary applied philosophical research, with special emphasis on topics associated with CEKAS research streams. Students will engage with philosophical arguments and concepts central to a variety of applied domains, including science, medicine, technology education and the arts. Students will be taught by a research expert in each topic and will have the opportunity to select their own topic for their assessments (essay and presentation).

Readings in Philosophy and Society is a directed reading course offering students the opportunity to engage at length and in depth with the philosophical literature on a topic relevant to problems or questions concerning society. Students will choose from a list of approved topics made available at the beginning of each year and will be subject to the availability of Philosophy staff to supervise. Assessment will include one review of a paper/book of 1,500 words (20%) and one essay of 4,000 words (80%).

Readings in Philosophy and Society is a directed reading course offering students the opportunity to engage at length and in depth with the philosophical literature on a topic relevant to problems or questions concerning society. Students will choose from a list of approved topics made available at the beginning of each year and will be subject to the availability of Philosophy staff to supervise. Assessment will include one review of a paper/book of 1,500 words (20%) and one essay of 4,000 words (80%).

On this course, students will learn to identify and develop the non-academic impact of their philosophy research. They will learn a range of skills and techniques for engaging with the public, exchanging knowledge with organizations outside the university, and communicating their research to diverse audiences. Students will develop engagement and impact activities and develop links with outside organizations based on their own research interests, with guidance and training from academic staff and public engagement experts.

The Philosophy and Society Dissertation is a largely student-led course in which students work with a supervisor to develop a 12,000-word thesis on a topic of their choosing. In addition to the 12,000-word thesis, students also complete a 2,000-word impact statement discussing how their research project may lead to societal impact.