Natural Sciences

Philosophy within Natural Sciences 2023-2024

This pages is primarily intended for existing students. It consists of modules available to Natural Sciences students, Joint-Honours regulations and general advice (which includes links to Departmental advice.)

The following lists the module code and the title of each module by the level of each module - clicking on the link will take you to further details listed in the Faculty Handbooks.

The last digit of the module code indicates whether the module is single, double or triple. The level indicates the year in which modules are normally taken, but it is often the case that students take modules from the adjacent level beneath the year of study. Visit the Subjects page for the general overarching rules and structure.

Please note that the modules on offer and the requirements for progression can change from year to year and that the only combinations of modules that are guaranteed to fit in the timetable are those splits between the two departments on an approved Joint Honours route (MSci and BSc).

Within Natural Sciences, Philosophy has BSc Joint-Honours programmes with: Mathematics; Physics.

In BSc students' final year, they are required to take no less than 20 credits and no more than 60 credits of Capstone Modules. These modules are denoted with G

Philosophy modules available to Natural Sciences students

Level 1 modules

Ethics And Values (PHIL1011)
Knowledge And Reality (PHIL1021)
Reading Philosophy (PHIL1041)
The Philosophical Traditions (PHIL1091)
Being Human: An Introduction To Post-kantian Philosophy (PHIL1101)
Science, Medicine, And Society (PHIL1111)

Level 2 modules

Philosophy Of Mind (PHIL2011)
Language, Logic And Reality (PHIL2021)
Early Modern Philosophy (PHIL2031)
Moral Theory (PHIL2041)
Political And Social Philosophy (PHIL2081)
Philosophy Of Religion (PHIL2091)
Philosophy Of Science (PHIL2151)
The Philosophy Of Economics And Politics: Theory, Methods,and Values (PHIL2171)
Fundamentals Of Logics (PHIL2181)
History, Science And Medicine (PHIL2191)
Feminist Philosophy (PHIL2201)

Level 3 modules

Revolutions In Modern Philosophy: Kant And Othertrailblazers (PHIL3011)
Philosophical Issues In Contemporary Science (PHIL3021)
Aesthetics (PHIL3031)
20th-century European Philosophy (PHIL3051)
Applied Ethics (PHIL3071)
Philosophy Long DissertationG (PHIL3112)
Issues In Contemporary Ethics (PHIL3131)
Metaphysics (PHIL3171)
History And Philosophy Of Psychiatry (PHIL3181)
Ethics In Business Practice (PHIL3191)
Formal And Philosophical Logic (PHIL3201)
Biomedical Ethics Past And Present (PHIL3211)
Philosophy, Climate Change And The Environment (PHIL3221)

Requirements for Joint Honours (BSc Programmes)

There are 2 routes within Philosophy: Philosophy and Physics route and Philosophy and Maths route.
Philosophy and Maths
Year 1

40 credits: Knowledge And Reality (PHIL1021), Science, Medicine, And Society (PHIL1111)

Year 2

60 credits: Taken from the list: Philosophy Of Mind (PHIL2011); Language, Logic And Reality (PHIL2021); Early Modern Philosophy (PHIL2031); Philosophy Of Science (PHIL2151); The Philosophy Of Economics And Politics: Theory, Methods,and Values (PHIL2171); Fundamentals Of Logics (PHIL2181); History, Science And Medicine (PHIL2191).

Year 3

40 credits: Taken from the list: Philosophical Issues In Contemporary Science (PHIL3021); Philosophy Long Dissertation (PHIL3112); Metaphysics (PHIL3171); History And Philosophy Of Psychiatry (PHIL3181); Formal And Philosophical Logic (PHIL3201); Biomedical Ethics Past And Present (PHIL3211).

Philosophy and Physics
Year 1

40 credits: Knowledge And Reality (PHIL1021), Science, Medicine, And Society (PHIL1111)

Year 2

60 credits: Taken from the list: Philosophy Of Mind (PHIL2011); Language, Logic And Reality (PHIL2021); Early Modern Philosophy (PHIL2031); Philosophy Of Science (PHIL2151); The Philosophy Of Economics And Politics: Theory, Methods,and Values (PHIL2171); Fundamentals Of Logics (PHIL2181); History, Science And Medicine (PHIL2191).

Year 3

40 credits: Taken from the list: Philosophical Issues In Contemporary Science (PHIL3021); Philosophy Long Dissertation (PHIL3112); Metaphysics (PHIL3171); History And Philosophy Of Psychiatry (PHIL3181); Formal And Philosophical Logic (PHIL3201); Biomedical Ethics Past And Present (PHIL3211).

Advice for progression and other aspects

Department advice: See handbook
Natural Sciences advice
Year 1

If you want to take any Philosophy at Level 1, then you need to take at least 40 credits. It is highly likely that combining Philosophy with any Science subject will work in Year 1, but we are unable to guarantee which modules timetable except in the cases of Mathematics and Physics - see bottom of that webpage. Also, modules can change from year to year.
Students are advised to attend an Academic Writing workshop and an Presentations and Seminars workshop.

Year 2

Philosophy Of Mind (PHIL2011), Language, Logic And Reality (PHIL2021), Early Modern Philosophy (PHIL2031) and Moral Theory (PHIL2041) are recommended.
Fundamentals Of Logics (PHIL2181) can be taken without having taken any Philosophy at Level 1.
Students are advised to attend an Academic Writing workshop and an Presentations and Seminars workshop.
Progression from: PHIL2011; PHIL2021; PHIL2031; PHIL2041; PHIL2181.

Year 3


Formal And Philosophical Logic (PHIL3201) is the only module that doesn't require students to take an additional 20 credits of Philosophy at Level 3. Further, its an option if you've taken Computational Thinking (COMP1051) and have't taken any Philosophy before.
Students are advised to attend an Academic Writing workshop and an Presentations and Seminars workshop.
Progression from: COMP1051; PHIL3201.

For more information about the Natural Sciences degree programme, please contact:

Prof James Blowey
Deputy Head of Faculty
Faculty of Science Office
Level 3 Chemistry Building
Durham University
DH1 3LE
UK

Email: Natural Sciences Director

WWW: Natural Sciences home page

The Natural Sciences web pages are maintained by James Blowey