Magister Course in Theoretical Philosophy
The one-year Master’s course in theoretical philosophy offers an intellectually stimulating and supportive postgraduate environment. You will be taught and supervised by members of faculty who are internationally well connected and actively involved in research.
The Master's course in theoretical philosophy includes such fields as philosophy of language, logic, epistemology, philosophy of science and the history of theoretical philosophy. The course is for students who are well-trained in analytical philosophy and who aim to pursue doctoral studies. It includes a thesis of 30 credits.
Admission
Admission is offered only once a year, for the autumn semester.
Application period
March 15–April 15, 2022
Requirements
Bachelor course in theoretical philosophy (90 ECTS credits) or equivalent.
Eligibility criteria
If there are more applications than positions, the positions will be allocated based on the grades and the relevance of academic courses, the quality/subject of the bachelor thesis and motivation letter. Please do not forget to upload the motivation letter when you apply!
About the motivation letter and writing sample
How to apply
Click on the application box in the right hand column.
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Course structure
The first semester: Four course modules of 7,5 credits each
One of the modules is mandatory -
Scientific Method and Research Ethics
- and the other three are chosen by the student in consultation with the course convener. Under the heading Modules you’ll find a list of courses to choose from, all taught in English.
In addition to the courses listed under Modules, you can also opt for courses at the undergraduate level. Since these courses will be credited at the advanced level, the exam requirements will be adapted to the advanced level. This could be an option for students with a particular interest in any of those courses for the the purpose of preparing for the master thesis the following semester, or if the student has a lacuna in his or her education that needs to eliminated. At most two of the literature courses can be of this kind, and the decision to follow those undergraduate courses instead of the course modules must be approved of by the course convenor.
The student must pass the examinations of the first semester in order to proceed to the second semester.
The second semester: Thesis work (30 credits)
Instructor: Kathrin Glüer-Pagin
The second semester consists of a thesis work (30 credits). The topic is elective but must be approved by the convenor and must fit the research profile of the members of the faculty. A supervisor will be allocated to the student, based on her or his project description. The final grade of the entire course is determined by the grade of the thesis. The exam of the thesis part consists in the thesis itself, a defence of it at a seminar, and an opposition on another student’s thesis at a seminar. It is recommended to study the grading criteria and the guidelines for the thesis.
Since an entire semester is devoted to writing the thesis, the demands are higher than for a bachelor’s thesis, with respect to volume (approximately 40 pages), content, and degree of independence in the writing process. This is reflected in the grading criteria.
Modules
Literature course 1, 1st half of semester: TBA, 7.5 credits.
Description of course content: TBA
Instructor: Anandi Hattiangadi
Literature: TBA
Examination: Assignments/essayLiterature course 2, 1st half of semester: TBA, 7.5 credits.
Description of course content: TBA
Instructors: Henrik Lagerlund and Miira Tuominen.
Literature: TBA
Examination: Assignments/essayLiterature course 3, 2nd half of semester: TBA, 7.5 credits.
Description of course content: TBA
Instructor: TBA
Literature: TBA
Examination: Assignments/essay
Description of course content:
In this course we will jump straight into the most popular philosophical frameworks for thinking about causation, causal claims, and causal reasoning. These are mechanisms, interventionism, and causal powers.
Just as in the current philosophy of causation in general, we will employ examples of causal claims and reasoning mainly from science. The course will be loosely organized around two broad questions. First, how do these frameworks relate to those that came before and why did these recent changes in our ways of thinking about causation in philosophy happen? Second, how do these frameworks relate to each other? Both of these are to a large extent live research questions in the current philosophy of causation.
In the process of approaching these questions, we shall study specific theories about causal mechanisms, interpreting causal claims in terms of intervention counterfactuals, and primitivist causal powers. We will also look at some applications of these theories to philosophical and scientific questions.
Students will have an opportunity to focus to a larger or smaller extent on formal aspects of the theories we encounter, according to individual preference.
Examination is done by writing a 2,500-3,500 word essay at the end of the course. The course assumes a basic familiarity with the regularity theory of causation, the counterfactual theory of causation, and the covering-law model of explanation.
The course literature consists of primary and secondary texts that will all be available in digital format.
Assessment
Examination: Assignments/essay
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Schedule
The schedule will be available no later than one month before the start of the course. We do not recommend print-outs as changes can occur. At the start of the course, your department will advise where you can find your schedule during the course.Literature courses schedule
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Course literature
Note that the course literature can be changed up to two months before the start of the course. -
Contact
Course convenor: Professor Kathrin Glüer-Pagin
