Philosophy in all Honour Schools including Philosophy

Differences from 2013/14 to 2023/24

Candidates offering Philosophy papers1 in any honour school must conform to the General Regulations below, and to those for their particular school, as specified elsewhere. When papers are introduced or withdrawn, the regulations will show the year of first examination, or of last examination, respectively.  Candidates taking Philosophy must consult both the regulations for their particular school, and the present regulations.  Those for their particular school are the normal place for the availability of Philosophy papers in the school. These regulations define (i) the syllabuses of Philosophy papers, and (ii) any general regulations which apply in one or more schools.  Candidates must read both the syllabuses and the general regulations.

Subjects in Philosophy

The syllabuses of the subjects in Philosophy are specified below. AWith the exception of 199, and any 198 Special Subject where an alternative method is stipulated, all subjects will be examined by a three-hour written examination paper; candidates for Part C of the Honour Schools of Computer Science & Philosophy, Mathematics & Philosophy, and Physics & Philosophy will in addition be examined by a submitted essay, as described in the General Regulations below. So as to prevent duplication of material by the same candidate across different papers, the examiners may, at their discretion, forbid candidates taking a given paper to answer specified questions in another paper. Prohibited questions and which candidates are subject to the prohibition will be setclearly indicated in each subject, except 199, and any other paper wherethat expresslyincludes indicatedsuch belowquestions. 

101. Early Modern Philosophy

Candidates will be expected to show critical appreciation of the main philosophical ideas of the period. The subject will be studied in connection with the following texts: Descartes, Meditations, Objections and Replies; Spinoza, Ethics; Leibniz, Monadology, Discourse on Metaphysics; Locke, Essay Concerning Human Understanding; Berkeley, Principles of Human Knowledge, Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous; Hume, Treatise of Human Nature. The paper will consist of threetwo sections; Section A will include questions about Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz; Section B will include questions about Locke, Berkeley and Hume. Candidates will be required to answer three questions, with at least one question from Section A and at least one question from Section B.

102. Knowledge and Reality

Candidates will be expected to show knowledge in some of the following areas: knowledge and justification; perception; memory; induction; other minds; a priori knowledge; necessity and possibility; reference; truth; facts and propositions; definition; existence; identity, including personal identity; substances, change, events; properties; causation; space; time; essence; natural kinds; realism and idealism; primary and secondary qualities.

103. Ethics

Candidates will be given an opportunity to show some first-hand knowledge of some principal historical writings on this subject, including those of Aristotle, Hume, and Kant, but will not be required to do so. Questions will normally be set on the following topics:

  • 1. The Metaphysics of Ethics: including the nature of morality and moral properties, the truth-aptness of moral judgements, moral knowledge and moral relativism.

  • 2. Value and Normativity: including good and right, reasons, rationality, motivation, moral dilemmas.

  • 3. Self-interest, Altruism, and Amoralism.

  • 4. Ethical Theories: including consequentialism, utilitarianism, and contractualism.

  • 5. Specific Moral Concepts: including happiness, well-being, rights, virtue, fairness, equality, and desert.

  • 6. Moral Psychology: including conscience, guilt and shame, freedom and responsibility.

  • 7. Applied Ethics, including medical ethics.

104. Philosophy of Mind

Topics to be studied include the nature of persons, the relation of mind and body, self-knowledge, knowledge of other persons, consciousness, perception, memory, imagination, thinking, belief, feeling and emotion, desire, action, the explanation of action, subconscious and unconscious mental processes.

106. Philosophy of Science and Social Science

The paper will include such topics as:

Part A: the nature of theories; scientific observation and method; scientific explanation; the interpretation of laws and probability; rationality and scientific change; major schools of philosophy of science.

Part B: social meaning; individualism; rationality; rational choice theory; prediction and explanation in economics; the explanation of social action; historical explanation, ideology.

Candidates in the Honour School of Physics and Philosophy will be required to answer at least one question from each part of the paper. Candidates in other schools will be required to answer at least one question from Part B, and may answer exclusively from Part B if they wish.

107. Philosophy of Religion

The subject will include an examination of claims about the existence of God, and God's relation to the world; their meaning, the possibility of their truth, and the kind of justification which can or needs to be provided for them; and the philosophical problems raised by the existence of different religions. One or two questions may also be set on central claims peculiar to Christianity, such as the doctrines of the Trinity, Incarnation, and Atonement.

108. The Philosophy of Logic and Language

The subject will include questions on such topics as: meaning, truth, logical form, necessity, existence, entailment, proper and general names, pronouns, definite descriptions, intensional contexts, adjectives and nominalization, adverbs, metaphor,  pragmatics and pragmaticsFrege’s work on the paradox of the ‘concept “horse”’ and on sense and reference. Some questions will be set which allow candidates to make use of knowledge of linguistics.

109. Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Criticism

Candidates will have the opportunity to show first-hand knowledge of some principal authorities on the subject, including Plato, Ion and Republic; Aristotle, Poetics; Hume, Of the Standard of Taste; Kant, Critique of Aesthetic Judgement. Questions will normally be set on the following topics: the nature of aesthetic value; the definition of art; art, society, and morality; criticism and interpretation; metaphor; expression; pictorial representation.

110. Medieval Philosophy: Aquinas

The subject will be studied in the following text (The Fathers of the English Dominican Province edition, 1911, rev. 1920):

Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, Ia, 2-11, 75-89 (God, Metaphysics, and Mind); or Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, Ia IIae qq. 1-10, 90-97 (Action and Will; Natural Law). This paper will include an optional question containing passages for comment. This subject may not be combined with subject 111.

111. Medieval Philosophy: Duns Scotus, Ockham

The subject will be studied in the following texts:

Duns Scotus, Philosophical Writings, tr. Wolter (Hackett) pp. 13-95 (chapters II-IV); Spade, Five Texts, pp. 57-113. Ockham, Philosophical Writings, tr. Boehner (Hackett), pp. 17-27, 96-126 (chapters II §§1-2, chapters VIII-IX); Spade, Five Texts, pp. 114-231. This paper will include an optional question containing passages for comment. This subject may not be combined with subject 110.

112. The Philosophy of Kant

Critique of Pure Reason, Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals. The editions to be used are Critique of Pure Reason, ed. and trans. by P. Guyer and A. Wood (Cambridge University Press, 1998) and Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, ed. and trans. by M. Gregor (Cambridge University Press, 1997).

Candidates may answer no more than one question on Kant's moral philosophy.

113. Post-Kantian Philosophy

The main developments of philosophy in Continental Europe after Kant, excluding Marxism and analytical philosophy. Questions on the following authors will regularly be set: Hegel, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty. There will be some general and/or comparative questions, and questions on other authors may be set from time to time. Candidates will be required to show adequate first-hand knowledge of works of at least two authors (who may be studied in translation).

114. Theory of Politics

The critical study of political values and of the concepts used in political analysis: the concept of the political; power, authority, and related concepts; the state; law; liberty and rights; justice and equality; public interest and common good; democracy and representation; political obligation and civil disobedience; ideology; liberalism, socialism, and conservatism.

115. Plato: Republic, tr. Grube, revised Reeve (Hackett).

There will be a compulsory question containing passages for comment.

116. Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics, tr. Irwin (Hackett, second edition).

There will be a compulsory question containing passages for comment.

117. Frege, Russell, and Wittgenstein

Works principally to be studied are:

Frege, Foundations of Arithmetic, trans. Austin; Begriffsschrift ch. 1, ‘Function and Concept’, ‘Sense and Meaning’, ‘Concept and Object’, and ‘Frege on Russell’s Paradox', in Geach and Black, eds. Translations from the Philosophical Writings of Gottlob Frege;

Russell, ‘On Denoting’, ‘Mathematical Logic as Based on the theory of Types’, and ‘On the Nature of Acquaintance’, in Marsh, ed., Logic and Knowledge; ‘The Ultimate Constituents of Matter’, ‘The Relation of Sense-Data to Physics’, and ‘Knowledge by Acquaintance and Knowledge by Description’, in Mysticism and Logic; Our Knowledge of the External World, chs. I-IV; either Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy, chs. 1-3 and 12-18, or ‘The Philosophy of Logical Atomism’, in Marsh, ed., Logic and Knowledge;

Wittgenstein, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus.

Candidates will be required to show adequate knowledge of at least two authors.

118. The Later Philosophy of Wittgenstein

Works principally to be studied are Philosophical Investigations and The Blue and Brown Books.

119. Formal Logic

This paper was examined for the last time in Trinity Term 2014 and will not be available thereafter. Students in all Philosophy Honour Schools except Mathematics and Philosophy, and Computer Science and Philosophy may, after Trinity Term 2014 and until further notice, offer the paper(s) in Set Theory and Logic from part B of the Honour School of Mathematics, which shall count as one Philosophy paper.

120. Intermediate Philosophy of Physics

The paper will consist of two sections. Section A will include philosophical problems associated with classical physics and some basic philosophical issues raised by the Special Theory of Relativity. Section B will be concerned with introductory philosophical problems related to the interpretation of quantum mechanics. Candidates will be required to answer at least one question from each section.

121. Advanced Philosophy of Physics

The subject will include advanced topics in the philosophy of space, time, and relativity and in the philosophical foundations of quantum mechanics. It will also include some philosophical issues raised by thermodynamics and statistical mechanics.This paper will be examined by two submitted essays of 5,000 words each. There will be no written paper in this subject. The submitted essays will be of the kind for Philosophy specified under the regulations for the Honour School of Physics and Philosophy, part C, except that (i) candidates must submit two essays for this subject, rather than one, and (ii) candidates will not select essay titles from past papers but seek approval for their titles in the way set out in the Physics and Philosophy regulations referred to.

122. Philosophy of Mathematics

Questions may be set which relate to the following issues: Incommensurables in the development of Greek geometry. Comparisons between geometry and other branches of mathematics. The significance of non-Euclidean geometry. The problem of mathematical rigour in the development of the calculus. The place of intuition in mathematics (Kant, Poincaréé). The idea that mathematics needs foundations. The role of logic and set theory (Dedekind, Cantor, Frege, Russell). The claim that mathematics must be constructive (Brouwer). The finitary study of formal systems as a means of justifying infinitary mathematics (Hilbert). Limits to the formalization of mathematics (Göödel). Anti-foundational views of mathematics. Mathematical objects and structures. The nature of infinity. The applicability of mathematics. Russell’s work on type theory and the vicious circle principle.

124. Philosophy of Science

This paper will include such topics as: scientific method, including induction, confirmation, corroboration, and explanation; the structure of scientific theories, including syntactic and semantic approaches, the nature of scientific laws, the theory-observation distinction, inter-theory reduction, theory unification, and emergence; debates over realism, including the aims of science, the under-determination of theory by data, and structuralism; and scientific rationality, including theory change, epistemological naturalism, and Bayesian epistemology. Questions will also be set on historical schools in the philosophy of science, in particular logical positivism and logical empiricism, on aspects of the history of science, and on the philosophy of probability, including the nature of probabilistic laws.

125. Philosophy of Cognitive Science

Topics to be studied include: levels of description, including personal and subpersonal levels, and relationships between levels; the nature of cognitive scientific theories; information and representation, including representational format, the language of thought, and connectionist alternatives; information processing, including algorithms, and tacit knowledge of rules; cognitive architecture, including modularity, and homuncular functionalism; explanation in cognitive science, including functional explanation and mechanistic explanation; methods in cognitive science, including cognitive neuropsychology, computational modelling, and experimental cognitive psychology; the scientific study of consciousness, including the status of introspective reports and non-verbal measures, and the notion of a neural and computational correlate of consciousness. Questions will also be set on philosophical issues arising from aspects of the history of cognitive science and from areas of active research in cognitive science.

126. The Philosophy and Economics of the Environment 2

Philosophical foundations: justice and goodness, theories of value; decision-making under uncertainty. Economic foundations: externalities, public goods, international environmental agreements. Politics and the environment. Intergenerational ethics, discounting. The choice of instruments: taxes, permits and command-and-control; environmental instruments in practice. Valuing human life. Valuing nature. Cost-benefit analysis: foundations and critiques; valuation methods.

127. Philosophical Logic

Topics to be studied include: classical and non-classical propositional logic, modal propositional logic, deontic, epistemic and tense logic, counterfactuals, predicate logic and its extensions, and quantified modal logic. These topics shall be studied in conjunction with Theodore Sider's Logic for Philosophy, published by Oxford University Press. The logical symbols to be used are those found in this publication. This subject will be available in all Honour Schools involving Philosophy.

128. Practical Ethics

Topics to be studied include: animals, war (including terrorism and torture), collective agency and collective responsibility, punishment, race and gender, abortion (including prenatal injury and infanticide), causing people to exist (including some discussion of disability), reproductive technologies, genetic modification or enhancement, duties to aid (including effective altruism and issues involving numbers), euthanasia and assisted death, ethics of the market (including commodification of organs), consent in medical ethics (including advance directives), neuroethics, killing and letting die, and the relevance of intention to permissibility.

The availability of this paper may vary across the Philosophy joint schools, and candidates should consult regulations specific to their school to be sure of any conditions for taking the paper.

129. The Philosophy of Wittgenstein

This paper will cover the philosophical work of Wittgenstein.  The paper will be in two parts, part A and part B.  Part A will cover the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus.  Part B will principally cover Philosophical Investigations, The Blue and Brown Books, and On Certainty.  Candidates must answer at least one question from part B.  They may answer from part A, but are not required to do so.

130. Plato, Republic

Candidates will be expected to have read books I, IVVII, X in Greek (Slings Oxford Classical Text), and books IIIII, VIIIIX in translation (Grube, revised Reeve, Hackett). There will be a compulsory question containing passages for translation and comment from the books read in Greek; any passages for comment from the remaining books will be accompanied by a translation.

131. Plato on Knowledge, Language & Reality in the Theaetetus  and  Sophist (in Greek)

Candidates will be expected to have read both dialogues in Greek (Duke  et al., Oxford Classical Text). There will be a compulsory question containing passages for translation and comment.

132. Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics

Candidates will be expected to have read books IIII, VIVII, X in Greek (Bywater, Oxford Classical Text), and books IVV, VIIIIX in translation (Irwin, Hackett second edition). There will be a compulsory question containing passages for translation and comment from the books read in Greek; any passages for comment from the remaining books will be accompanied by a translation.

133. Aristotle on Nature, PhysicsLife and Mind (in Greek)

Candidates will be expected to have read Aristotle: (1) Physics, books I–IVII, III and VIIIIV in Greek (Ross, Oxford Classical Texts); (2) Parts of Animals I, and books V–VII in translation (Lennox, Clarendon commentary series), and (3) De Anima, I.1, II. 1-7, 9-12, III.1-5 in BarnesGreek (Ross, ed., The Complete Works of Aristotle: The Revised Oxford TranslationClassical (PrincetonTexts).   Candidates must attempt two essay questions, vol.and 1). There will be aone compulsory question containing passages for translation and comment.  Passages for translation will come only from thePhysics booksII, readIII, IV and De Anima  I.1, II. 1-7, 9-12, III.1-5.  Passages for commentary can also come from Parts of Animals I, in Greek;which anycase passages for comment from the remaining booksthey will be accompanied by a translation.

134. Knowledge and Scepticism in Hellensitic Philosophy (in Greek)

Candidates will be expected to have read: (1) in Greek, Sextus Empiricus:, Outlines of Pyrrhonism, I.1-39 and 164-241, II.1-204, III.1-81 and 168-281 (Bury, Loeb)

There; will(2) in translation, Cicero, Academic Books (Brittain, Hackett); (3) selections from The Hellenistic Philosophers (Long and Sedley, CUP), sections 1-3 (Pyrrho), 15-19 (Epicureans), 39-42 (Stoics), 68-70 (Academics) and 71-72 (Aenesidemus).  Candidates must attempt three questions, of which one shall be a compulsory question containingrequiring two translations from Sextus Empiricus, and three commentaries.  The passages for translationcommentary may come from any of the set texts: candidates must attempt at least one commentary on a passage from Cicero or from Long and commentSedley.

135. Latin Philosophy

Cicero: De Finibus III (Reynolds, Oxford Classical Text), De Officiis I in translation (Griffin and Atkins, Cicero, On Duties, Cambridge); Seneca, Epistulae Morales 92, 95, 121, De Constantia, De Vita Beata (Reynolds, Oxford Classical Text).

There will be a compulsory question containing passages for translation and comment from the texts read in Latin; any passages for comment from Cicero, De Officiis I will be accompanied by a translation.

136. Knowledge and Scepticism in Hellenistic Philosophy (in Latin)

Candidates will be expected to have read: (1) in translation, Sextus Empiricus, Outlines of Pyrrhonism, I.1-39 and 164-241, II.1-204, III.1-81 and 168-281 (Annas and Barnes, CUP); (2) in Latin, Cicero, Academic Books (Rackham, Loeb); (3) The Hellenistic Philosophers (Long and Sedley, CUP), sections 1-3 (Pyrrho), 15-19 (Epicureans), 39-42 (Stoics), 68-70 (Academics) and 71-72 (Aenesidemus).  Candidates must attempt three questions, of which one shall be a compulsory question requiring two translations from Cicero, and three commentaries.  The passages for commentary may come from any of the set texts: candidates must attempt at least one commentary on a passage from Sextus Empiricus or from Long and Sedley.

137. Plato on Knowledge, Language, & Reality in the Theaetetus & Sophist (in translation)

Candidates will be expected to have read in translation both the Theaetetus (Levett revised Burnyeat, Hackett) and the Sophist (White, Hackett).  (Candidates may alternatively read from Cooper J. (ed.), Plato: Complete Works, Hackett 1977.)  Candidates must attempt two essay questions, and one compulsory question containing passages for comment.

138. Aristotle on Nature, Life and Mind (in translation)

Candidates will be expected to have read Aristotle: (1) Physics, books II, III and IV in translation (Reeve, published by Hackett 2018, for II; Clarendon commentary series: Hussey for III and IV); (2) Parts of Animals I, in translation (Lennox, Clarendon commentary series), and (3) De Anima, I.1, II. 1-7, 9-12, III.1-5 in translation (Shields, Clarendon commentary series).  Candidates must attempt three questions, of which one shall be a compulsory question containing passages for comment, which may be taken from any of the set texts.

139. Knowledge and Scepticism in Hellenistic Philosophy (in translation)

Candidates will be expected to have read: (1) in translation, Sextus Empiricus, Outlines of Pyrrhonism, I.1-39 and 164-241, II.1-204, III.1-81 and 168-281 (Annas and Barnes, CUP); (2) in translation, Cicero, Academic Books (Brittain, Hackett); (3) The Hellenistic Philosophers (Long and Sedley, CUP), sections 1-3 (Pyrrho), 15-19 (Epicureans), 39-42 (Stoics), 68-70 (Academics) and 71-72 (Aenesidemus).  Candidates must attempt three questions, of which one shall be a compulsory question requiring four commentaries.  The passages for commentary may come from any of the set texts: candidates must attempt at least one commentary on a passage from Sextus Empiricus and one from Cicero.

150. Jurisprudence

As specified in the regulations for the Honour School of Jurisprudence. This subject may be offered only by candidates in PPE, and cannot be combined with either subject 114 or subject 203. Tutorial provision will be subject to the availability of Law tutors and will normally take place in either Hilary or Trinity Term.

180. The Rise of Modern Logic

The original authorities for the Rise of Modern Logic. The period of scientific thought to be covered is from 1879 to 1931 and includes principally the logical and foundational works of Frege, Russell, Hilbert, Brouwer, and Gödel that fall within this period. Questions may also be asked concerning Cantor, Dedekind, Poincaré, Zermelo, Skolem, Wittgenstein (Tractatus only), and Ramsey.

198. Special Subjects

From time to time special subjects may be approved by the Undergraduate Studies Committee of the Faculty of Philosophy. Special subjects will be communicated to college tutors and to undergraduates by the end of the fifth week of Hilary Term one year before examination. The Undergraduate Studies Committee will (a) agree the method of assessment for each special subject offered, which may be by written paper, submitted essay and/or other method (b) forbid, where it sees fit, a combination of a special subject with other subjects (c) forbid, where it sees fit, candidates taking any particular special subject to answer certain questions on the papers for other subjects (d) place restrictions, where it sees fit, on the number of candidates that may take any special subject in any year. No candidate may offer more than one special subject. Subject to these qualifications, any candidate may offer any special subject.

199. Thesis:

  • 1. Subject

    The subject of every thesis should fall within the scope of philosophy. The subject may but need not overlap any subject on which the candidate offers papers. Candidates are warned that they should avoid repetition in papers of material used in their theses and that substantial repetition may be penalised. Every candidate shall submit for approval by the Director of Undergraduate Studies of the Faculty of Philosophy, c/o the Undergraduate Studies Administrator at Philosophy Centre, Radcliffe Humanities Building, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG, the title he or she proposes, together with (a) an explanation of the subject in about 100 words; and (b) a letter of approval from his or her tutor, not earlier than the first day of the Trinity Full Term of the year before that in which he or she is to be examined and not later than Friday of the fourth week of the Michaelmas Full Term preceding his or her examination. (The date before which a proposal cannot be submitted is different in certain circumstances in the case of the Honour School of Philosophy and Modern Languages. See the regulations below for that honour school.) The Director of Undergraduate Studies of the Faculty of Philosophy shall decide as soon as possible whether or not to approve the title and shall advise the candidate immediately. No decision shall be deferred beyond the end of the fifth week of Michaelmas Full Term. If a candidate wishes to change the title, subject or focus of his or her thesis after his or her thesis proposal has already been approved by the body responsible: he or she should write to the Director of Undergraduate Studies of the Faculty of Philosophy, c/o the Undergraduate Studies Administrator, to seek approval. The Undergraduate Studies Administrator will inform the candidate whether the change to the thesis has been approved, and communicate any change, where approved, to the appropriate chair of examiners.

  • 2. Authorship and origin

    Every thesis shall be the candidate's own work. A candidate's tutor may, however, discuss with the candidate the field of study, the sources available, and the method of presentation; the tutor may also read and comment on drafts. The amount of assistance the tutor may give is equivalent to the teaching of a normal paper. Every candidate shall sign a certificate to the effect that the Each thesis iswill his or her own work and the tutor shall countersign the certificate confirming, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, that this is so. This certificate shall be placed in a sealed envelope bearingrequire the candidate's examinationto number presented together with the thesis. No thesis shall be accepted which has already been submitted formake a degreedeclaration of this or any other university, and the certificate shall also stateindicating that the thesis has the same title as that previously approved by the Faculty Board, that it is their own work, and that it has not already been sosubmitted submitted(wholly or substantially) for an Honour School other than one involving Philosophy, or another degree of this University, or a degree of any other institution. No thesis shall, however, be ineligible because it has been or is being submitted for any prize of this university.

  • 3. Length and format

    No thesis shall exceed 15,000 words, or 20,000 words in the case of candidates for Part C of the Final Honour Schools of Computer Science and Philosophy, Mathematics and Philosophy, and Physics and Philosophy. This limit to includeincludes all notes and appendices but not including the bibliography; no person or body shall have authority to permit any excess, except that in Literae Humaniores, in a thesis consisting inof commentary on a text, quotation from the text will not be counted towards the word limit. The word count should be indicated at the front of the thesis. There shall be a select bibliography or a list of sources. AllThe theses must be typed in double spacing on one side of quarto or A4 paper with any notes and references at the foot of each page. Two copiesfront of the thesis shallshould be submitted tostate the examinerscandidate’s school and candidate number.

  • 4. Submission of thesis

    Every candidate shall submit the thesis, identifiedtogether bywith thetheir candidate's examination number onlydeclaration, not later than noon on Friday of the weekWeek before the Trinity Full Term of the examination. The thesis should be uploaded as a PDF file to the ExaminationUniversity Schools,approved Oxford,online addressedassessment to the Chair of the Examiners in the candidate's honour schoolplatform.

General Regulations

The following restrictions on combinations apply to candidates whatever their honour school:

  • (i) A candidate may not take both of subjects 106 and 124.

  • (ii) A candidate may not take both of subjects 115 and 130.

  • (iii) A candidate may not take both of subjects 116 and 132.

  • (iv) Both of subjects 117 and 118 may be offered only by candidates in Mathematics and Philosophy and Computer Science and Philosophy .

  • (v)  A candidate may not take subject 199 unless he or she also takes three other philosophy subjects.

  • (viv) Notwithstanding any contrary indication in these regulations, subjects 130, 131,to 132, 133, 134, and 135136 may be offered only by candidates in Classics and English, Classics and Modern Languages, Classics and Oriental Studies, Literae Humaniores, and Oriental Studies.

  • (viivi) A candidate may not take both of subjects 110 and 111.

  • (viii) Jurisprudence (subject 150) may be offered only by candidates in PPE, and cannot be combined with either subject 114 or subject 203.

  • (ix) The Rise of Modern Logic (180) may only be offered by candidates in Part C of the Honour Schools in Mathematics and Philosophy, Physics and Philosophy, and Computer Science and Philosophy.

    (xvii) Except in the school of Mathematics and Philosophy, and Computer Science and Philosophy, and in part C of the schools of Physics and Philosophy, the paper(s) from part B of the Honour School of Mathematics in Set Theory and Logic may be taken, and will count as one Philosophy paper.’ ‘

  • (xiviii) Whenever a new paper is introduced, the Faculty of Philosophy will publish, during the first academic year in which the paper is examined, a list of essay titles which the first cohort of candidates taking the new paper may offer for their extended essay, in those schools where they are required to offer an extended essay in addition to taking the written paper.

  • (ix) Whichever a candidate's honour school, where it is prescribed that he or she must take one or other of certain specified subjects and must take in addition some further subjects, a subject that is not chosen from among the specified ones may be chosen as a further subject.

  • Regulations for Particular Honour Schools

    Computer Science and Philosophy / Mathematics and Philosophy / Physics and Philosophy Part C

    Candidates for Part C of these Honour Schools, if taking any paper listed in these regulations with the exceptions of 198 and 199, shall be examined by an essay in addition to a three-hour written exam. The relative weight of the essay to the three-hour exam shall be 1 to 3, i.e. the essay shall count for 25% of the mark in that subject.

    No essay shall exceed a word limit of 5,000 words, which includes all notes and appendices, but not the bibliography. The word count should be indicated on the front of the essay. There shall be a select bibliography or a list of sources. Candidates should avoid any substantial repetition of material between examination scripts and examination essays. The topic for a Philosophy examination essay in a given subject can be any question set for the most recent examination of that subject in Honour Schools with Philosophy, with the exception of questions which consist of multiple passages for comment (as in the commentary questions in Plato: Republic (115) and Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics (116)) or of questions of a mathematical or logical nature which do not permit of an essay-type answer (as in all questions on Philosophical Logic (127)). Candidates may apply for approval of other essay topics by writing to the Director of Undergraduate Studies, c/o The Undergraduate Studies Administrator, Philosophy Centre, Radcliffe Humanities Building, Woodstock Road, giving the title they propose, together with an explanation of the subject in about 100 words and enclosing a letter from their tutor attesting to the suitability of this topic for the candidate. This application may be made by email. Any such application must be received no later than Friday of the sixth week of the Hilary Term preceding the Part C examination for which the essay is to be submitted. Late applications will not be considered. Any such application shall be accepted or rejected by the Board within two weeks of its being received.

    Each essay shall be the candidate's own work, though it should show knowledge of relevant literature in the subject and may include passages of quotation or paraphrase so long as these passages are clearly indicated as such and the source properly attributed. The candidate may discuss a first draft of the essay with his or her tutor for that subject. The amount of assistance the tutor may give shall be limited to what can be provided in one of the candidate's tutorials for their study of that subject. Each essay will require the candidate to make a declaration indicating that the essay is their own work. 

    In the event that any candidate is taking a paper for which no previous examination paper exists, or any paper (such as Philosophical Logic (127)) for which no questions on the examination are appropriate as essay topics, the Examiners shall publish, by Friday of the fourth week of the Hilary Full Term preceding the Part C examination, a list of essay titles which candidates taking the appropriate paper may offer for their extended essay.

    The front of the thesis should state the candidate’s school, the subject for which the essay is being submitted, and the candidate’s candidate number.  Every candidate shall submit the essay, together with their declaration, not later than noon on Friday of the first week of the Trinity Full Term of the examination. The thesis should be uploaded as a PDF file to the University approved online assessment platformAssignments section of the Philosophy WebLearn site.

    Computer Science and Philosophy

    See SPECIAL REGULATIONS FOR THE HONOUR SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY.

    See also the regulations above for Computer Science and Philosophy / Mathematics and Philosophy / Physics and Philosophy Part C.

    Literae Humaniores

    The Honour School is divided into two Courses; for restrictions on entry to Course II, see the regulations under Honour School of Literae Humaniores. Candidates in either Course may offer any number of subjects in Philosophy up to five, or up to four if they are offering Second Classical Language in Course II. Any selection is permitted which conforms to the General Regulations above and also to (i)(v) following:

    • (i) candidates offering one Philosophy subject only may offer any of the subjects listed above except 121 and 199.

    • (ii) candidates offering at least two Philosophy subjects must select at least one subject in ancient philosophy, i.e., one of 115, 116, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, and 135.130 Thoseto offering three or more subjects must also select one subject from 101, 102, 103, and 108139.

    • (iii) candidates offering subject 199, Thesis in Philosophy, may not offer any other thesis except a Special Thesis;

    • (iv) all candidates must offer at least four text-based subjects, not necessarily in Philosophy (or three if offering Second Classical Language in Course II);

    • (v) all candidates in Course I must offer at least one text-based subject in each of classical Greek texts and classical Latin texts, not necessarily in Philosophy.

    The text-based subjects in Philosophy are 130 (Greek), 131 (Greek), 132 (Greek), 133 (Greek), 134 (Greek), 135 (Latin).

    Candidates may also offer a Special Thesis, which may be in Philosophy, in accordance with the regulations under Honour School of Literae Humaniores.

    Mathematics and Philosophy

    See SPECIAL REGULATIONS FOR THE HONOUR SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICS AND PHILOSOPHY.

    See also the regulations above for Computer Science and Philosophy / Mathematics and Philosophy / Physics and Philosophy Part C.

    Philosophy and Modern Languages

    Candidates are required to take one of the following subjects: 101, 115, 116. In addition to this subject, they must take two or three or four further subjects in Philosophy, depending upon whether the number of subjects they take in part II in Modern Languages is three or two or one. Further subjects in Philosophy must be chosen in conformity with the General Regulations.

    Where subject 199 is taken, every candidate shall submit his or her application for approval of the subject not earlier than the first day of Trinity Full Term two years before the term of the written examination in the case of candidates planning to spend a year abroad.

    Candidates who wish to offer all of papers 103 (Ethics), 116 (Nicomachean Ethics) and 128 (Practical Ethics) may only do so if also offering at least one other paper assessed by written examination in Philosophy.

    Philosophy, Politics, and Economics

    AnySee candidateSPECIAL inREGULATIONS thisFOR schoolTHE offersHONOUR eitherSCHOOL PhilosophyOF Politics and Economics or Philosophy and Politics or Philosophy and Economics or Politics and Economics; and takes eight subjects in all. Subjects in Philosophy must be chosen in conformity with the regulations for the honour school and with the General Regulations above; and subject 114 may not be offered by any candidate who takes subject 203 in Politics.

    Candidates offering Philosophy Politics and Economics are required to take (i) either subject 101PHILOSOPHY, or subject 102POLITICS, orAND subject 115, or subject 116, and (ii) subject 103. In addition to these subjects, they may take one or two further subjects in Philosophy.

    Candidates offering Philosophy and Politics are required to take (i) either subject 101, or subject 102, or subject 115, or subject 116, and (ii) subject 103. In addition to these two, they must take one, and they may take two or three, further subjects in Philosophy.

    Candidates offering Philosophy and Economics are required to take (i) either subject 101 , or subject 102, or subject 115, or subject 116, and (ii) subject 103. In addition to these two, they must take one, and they may take two or three, further subjects in Philosophy.

    Candidates offering Politics and Economics may take any one subject in Philosophy.ECONOMICS

    Philosophy and Theology

    CandidatesSee areSPECIAL requiredREGULATIONS toFOR takeTHE (i)HONOUR subjectSCHOOL 107,OF (ii)PHILOSOPHY oneAND of the subjects 101, 115, and 116, and (iii) either subject 102 or subject 103. In addition to these three, they may take one or two further subjects in Philosophy, depending upon whether they take five or four or three subjects in all in Theology. Further subjects in Philosophy must be chosen in conformity with the General Regulations.

    Candidates taking subject 199 who wish to write their thesis during the Long Vacation may submit titles for approval before noon on Friday of the fourth week of the Trinity Term in the year preceding the examination, and approval will be notified before the end of that termTHEOLOGY.

    Physics and Philosophy

    See SPECIAL REGULATIONS FOR THE HONOUR SCHOOL OF PHYSICS AND PHILOSOPHY.

    PsychologySee also the regulations above for Computer Science and Philosophy

    Candidates may/ take at most five subjects in Philosophy. All candidates must take eight subjects in total. Candidates may only take subjects in Psychology if they offer Psychology Parts IMathematics and II.

    CandidatesPhilosophy who/ takePhysics one subject inand Philosophy mayPart take any subject, except 121, in conformity with the General RegulationsC. Candidates who take two subjects in Philosophy must take at least one of 101, 102, 104, or 125. Those offering three or more Philosophy subjects must choose at least two from the above list. Their further subjects taken in Philosophy must be chosen in conformity with the General Regulations. 

    Psychology, Philosophy, and Linguistics

    Candidates may take at most five subjects in Philosophy. All candidates must take eight subjects in total. Candidates may only take subjects in Psychology if they offer Psychology Parts I and II.

    Candidates who take one subject in Philosophy may take any subject, except 121, in conformity with the General Regulations. Candidates who take two subjects in Philosophy must take at least one of 101, 102, 104, 108, 124 or 125. Those offering three or more Philosophy subjects must choose at least two from the above list. Their further subjects taken in Philosophy must be chosen in conformity with the General Regulations.

     

    1 The paper for the supplementary subject "History and Philosophy of Science" is not here counted as a Philosophy paper, since it is a joint paper in both History and Philosophy.