Curious about studying Continental Philosophy (Including Placement Year) - BA (Hons)at University of Essex? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Colchester Campus
Full Time
Oct 2026
4 Year
Our BA Continental Philosophy is for you, if you want to take philosophy back to its roots in lived experience and everyday existential, social and political problems; it is for you if you want to rigorously examine the fundamental questions of human life and embark with others on a journey that will transform how you understand yourself and the world you live in. The BA Continental Philosophy is for you, if you are not content with understanding the challenges that we are facing as individuals and societies, but want to be part of a community that creatively explores ways of thinking and living differently in response to these challenges. We offer the only BA in Continental Philosophy in the entire UK. Philosophy at Essex has an international reputation for being an outstanding centre for Continental Philosophy because we have leading expertise in: - Existentialism (e.g., Kierkegaard, Nietzsche) - Phenomenology (e.g., Husserl, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty) - Critical Theory (e.g., Marx or Frankfurt School theorists like Adorno, Habermas, Honneth) - German Idealism (e.g., Kant and Hegel) - Contemporary French Thought (e.g., Foucault, Derrida, Rancière) In addition to the areas mentioned above, students on our BA Continental Philosophy can study a wide range of topics (from the meaning of life to capitalism and its critics, from ancient philosophy to current debates about gender and sustainability) and modules (from ethics to political philosophy, from philosophy of religion to philosophy of mind). In short, at Essex we give you the flexibility to design a curriculum the suits your interests and passions. At Essex, we are involved in many exciting and interdisciplinary research projects, and have active links with other areas including Political Science, Law, Sociology, Psychoanalysis, and Art History. We are 7th in the UK for research impact in philosophy (Grade Point Average, REF2021).
Begin your study of philosophy with an exploration of epistemology (the theory of knowledge) and identity theory. What does it mean to say that we ‘know’ something? What if that something is ourselves? How do our modes of practical interaction with the world and each other shape our ability to know different kinds of objects? Are there vices of the mind that distort our reasoning and lead our practical deliberations astray? How important is trust in a functional knowledge community? What kind of creatures must we be in order to be capable of knowing things? What role does self-responsibility play in effective knowing? What is it to be a self? How does that differ from having an identity or identities? To what extent are our identities determined by others? Are they up to us? How can the study of philosophy help us with these questions?
Ask life’s big questions: What, if anything, is the meaning of our lives? How can we become wise? Can we make sense of human suffering? How should we think about our own deaths? You take up these questions, first, by examining a series of ancient narratives, including The Myth of Sisyphus and Eden and the Fall; and then through the study of key works of modern thinkers including Nietzsche, Freud, Sartre, and Marx.
This course introduces key academic, professional and personal skills to support a successful transition beyond undergraduate study. Students develop confidence in critical thinking, communication, teamwork and self reflection while exploring future study and career options.
What is the nature and limits of human knowledge? Does our common-sense view of the world have a philosophical foundation? Does sensory experience provide the only path to knowledge of the world or can we gain knowledge through the exercise of pure reason? What role, if any, does God play in knowledge? What is the relation between the body and the mind? Do we know that the sun will rise tomorrow? Study the philosophical texts of the modern era that helped lay the conceptual foundations for these questions and others. We will begin with a close reading of Descartes' Meditations before exploring both rationalist (Spinoza and Leibniz) and empiricist (Locke and Hume) responses.
This module introduces students to different traditions of “Critical Theory”. Critical Theory, a tradition associated with the Frankfurt School but also embodied by wider radical traditions, aims to reflect critically and holistically on society and the role of the theorist within it in order to tackle oppressions and the ideological forms of thought that underpin them, and thus to contribute to projects of emancipation.
This is an intensive final-year module running over five weeks during the summer term. It involves a guided and structured approach to support you in completing a research project of your own.
This course supports students as they prepare for life after university. It focuses on advanced professional skills, independent learning and personal development, helping students navigate work, further study and wider life challenges with confidence.
Placement Year
4.3
