Course Summary

How are our minds related to our bodies? Do we really have free will? What is knowledge (as distinct from merely true belief) and what can we really know – about the world around us, about other people, or about ourselves? How can we be confident we know what is right and wrong, just and unjust? And what would it take to live a morally good life? You have just been posed some typical philosophical questions, and if you seriously want to search for the answers then this is the course for you. Our degree course will challenge you to develop a strong set of critical, imaginative and informed reasoning skills, and deepen your understanding of the nature of the human mind, of language, of morality and politics, of art, of science, and of logic. We offer breadth and variety in this course. Some modules focus on particular historical figures, allowing students to really get to grips with one famous philosopher’s ideas – and how subsequent generations have argued over those ideas. Thinkers whom we study in depth include Aristotle, Descartes, Kant, Mill, Marx, Wittgenstein, and Heidegger. Other modules focus on specific philosophical topics, such as the theory of knowledge; logic; metaphysics; philosophy of mind; moral philosophy; philosophy of science; environmental ethics; and many more. During your study at Stirling you will be introduced to the key issues in a wide range of topics within philosophy in your first two years. Then it is largely up to you which areas you wish to focus on – and you will be able, on the basis of what you have learned so far, to make informed choices among the range of higher-level modules available. If, for example, questions about the fundamental nature of reality really interest you, then you might choose modules such as Relativism and Reality or Materialism and Idealism, to name but two. If questions about how we should treat others (including animals and the planet itself), and whether there can be any objective answers to such questions, are what interest you, modules such as Meta-Ethics or Environmental Ethics or Politics, Law, and Society, and others will suit your interests nicely. Or, if you find questions about rationality, logic, and how to think philosophically are especially stimulating, you can choose to take modules on the nature of knowledge; the nature of language; philosophical paradoxes; and so on. The choice is up to you! Understanding religion in different contexts and developing the transferable skills of critical thinking, communication, research and analysis, make Religion graduates an invaluable resource for today’s employers. At Stirling we are committed to approaching ‘religion’ in a critical manner, in two broad senses: Firstly: We question the fundamental category of ‘religion’. It is sometimes assumed to be a ‘thing’ that simply exists, and this is where, in part, the idea that we can study ‘religions’ as entities in any society or context comes from. This, of course, implies that what ‘religion’ actually is stands as common knowledge and applies to all contexts. But where does religion begin, end or move into other areas? This is just one of the intellectually challenging questions we ask during this course. Secondly: Rather than hold religion to suspicion, or blame, or discredit, or incredulity – a growing tendency amongst certain public intellectuals, even if against the tide of global demographics – we examine religion from a positive critical standpoint. What this means is that in our studies we consider how open to re-interpretation or re-conceptualisation the term ‘religion’ is today in our intellectual, social, and cultural spheres. In coming to Stirling to study Religion, every student is thus exposed to a broad and interdisciplinary vision that can be life-changing in many rich and unexpected ways. Please note that Religion is studied as a Combined degree. You will take Religion plus two other subjects in Year 1.

Course Details - Modules

Modules are not listed for this Course.

Course Details – Assessment Method

Assessment Methods are not listed for this Course.

Course Details – Professional Bodies

Professional Bodies are not listed for this Course.

How to Apply

26 January This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application Codes

Course code: VV56

Institution code: S75

Campus Name: Main Site

Campus code:

Points of Entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

Year 1

Entry Requirements for Advanced Entry (Year 2 and Beyond)

Entry Requirements for Advanced Entry are not listed for this Course.

International applicants

Standard Qualification Requirements

AABB over 2 sittings


Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Minimum Further Information are not listed for this Course.

English language requirements

Test Grade AdditionalDetails
IELTS (Academic) 6.0 Obtain IELTS 6.0 with 5.5 minimum in each skill or equivalent.

If you don’t meet the entry requirements there are English language courses which can help you prepare for your degree: https://www.stir.ac.uk/international/international-students/pre-sessional-english-language-courses/

English language requirements

https://www.stir.ac.uk/international/international-students/english-language-requirements/

Unistats information

Student satisfaction : 0%

Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs): 0%

Go onto work and study: 0%

Fees and funding

Additional Fee Information

Fee rates have still to be confirmed for the 2022/3 Academic Session. To view the fee rates for last session, please review on our website: https://www.stir.ac.uk/courses/?filter__level=&filter__method=&filter__faculty=&filter__startdate=

Provider information

Address1 are not listed for this Course.
Address2 are not listed for this Course.
Address3 are not listed for this Course.
Stirling
FK9 4LA

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