You are in: Churchill College » Admissions » Undergraduate Admissions » Courses » Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the most ancient of academic disciplines, and Cambridge is an excellent place to study it. The so-called 'analytic' school of philosophy originated in Cambridge in the early 20th century, when Russell, Moore, and Wittgenstein were here. Today, the philosophy course is among the most rigorous and rewarding in the world, and the Cambridge Faculty is ranked among the very best Philosophy departments in the UK for both teaching and research, as regularly shown in the Guardian and Times newspapers, and the internationally renowned Philosophical Gourmet Report.
Philosophy at Cambridge
Undergraduates reading Philosophy at Churchill all take one or more parts of the Cambridge Philosophy Tripos. The Philosophy Tripos is probably the most rigorous undergraduate Philosophy course in the world. The Tripos is run by the Faculty of Philosophy, and students from all colleges attend the same lectures, seminars and discussion groups, and sit the same University exams. In addition, each college provides individual tutoring through the supervision system. The main focus of the supervision is an essay submitted by the student and marked by the supervisor in advance. The supervision itself is devoted to a critical discussion of the essay topic. Philosophy students at Cambridge normally have one supervision per week, either individually or in a pair.
It is possible to change both into and out of Philosophy after the first or second year, but all applicants are initially admitted to one Tripos only, and most of our students take the full three-year course. In each year, each student takes five papers that are each examined at the end of the year. In the first year (Part IA), all papers are compulsory. In the second year (Part IB), there are two optional papers. In the third year (Part II), all papers are optional. Although students are eventually able to choose from a wide variety of subjects, the Philosophy Tripos is distinctive in placing a heavy emphasis on core areas of metaphysics and logic, both of which are compulsory for the first two years. There is also a heavy emphasis on contemporary philosophy and on philosophy in the 'analytical', and 'western', tradition.
Philosophy at Churchill
Churchill has a tradition of excellence in philosophy going back to the earliest days of the College. Edward Craig, until 2006 the Knightbridge Professor of Philosophy, has been a Fellow of the College since 1966. Simon Blackburn, until 2011 the Bertrand Russell Professor of Philosophy, started his career as a Junior Research Fellow at Churchill in 1967. Since then, the College has been host to a number of highly successful Fellows in philosophy who have gone on to hold prestigious positions both in the UK and elsewhere.
Today philosophy at Churchill stands out for its diversity and its focus on developing the academic potential of each individual student. Our undergraduates come from a wide range of educational backgrounds, both in the UK and abroad. What they all have in common is a desire to excel academically, and an understanding that working hard is an essential prerequisite for doing so.
People
 Dr Hallvard Lillehammer |
 Professor Matthew Kramer |
 Dr Will Davies |
The current Director of Studies in philosophy is Dr Hallvard Lillehammer. Dr Lillehammer is a Senior Research Fellow at Churchill, the Sidgwick Lecturer and a University Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Philosophy, where he teaches mainly moral and political philosophy.
Other philosophers at Churchill include Professor Matthew Kramer, who is a Fellow in Law and Director of the Cambridge Forum for Legal and Political Philosophy; and Dr Will Davies, a Junior Research Fellow, working on the philosophy of mind and psychology.
Admissions
Churchill currently admits two or three philosophers a year, although the College sets no maximum number and an exceptional field of applicants could result in us taking more. We invite applications from all qualified candidates, whatever subjects they may have taken at school. A mixture of arts and science subjects can be beneficial, however, since philosophy has a foot in both realms. More information about typical Churchill offers.
Admission is based on previous academic achievement and academic potential, as measured by a combination of exam results, references, personal statement, admissions interviews, and a brief written test. What matters is not so much your current knowledge of the subject, as much as your aptitude for it and your motivation and depth of interest. We are looking for people who are both creative and logically disciplined, who care deeply about what they say and think, and who have the sincerity, tenacity and humility without which real depth in philosophy is impossible.
We ask applicants to submit two pieces of written work (usually essays of around 1500-2500 words) on a relevant subject as a part of their application. Details of written work requirements are circulated after initial applications are received. Generally, we prefer marked essays that have been written as a part of the candidate's normal studies.
Most applicants are invited to an interview at Churchill. Typically, candidates have two 25-30 minute interviews with Fellows of the College. During these admissions interviews we engage applicants in an informal discussion about a philosophical topic that is relevant to the course, and see what they can do with it — whether they understand the problem at hand, whether they can see the point of objections and challenges, and whether they are able to make progress with a given line of thought. In many ways, the interview is a taste of what it is like to have a supervision.
The written test, which is shared between the Cambridge colleges, is designed to gauge a candidate's grasp of the logical relations between ideas. Again, what we are looking for isn't prior knowledge of the subject, but the ability to think clearly and analytically about complex and abstract ideas.
The best way to prepare for your admissions visit to Churchill is not to read vast amounts of philosophy and try to absorb the views proposed there, but to read in a focused and discriminating way, and to think carefully and critically about what is being said. Writing notes and discussing the issues with friends and teachers can also be helpful. No candidate is ever admitted to read Philosophy at Cambridge on the basis of the interview alone. Yet the interview is one place where you can show that you have a genuine interest in some area of the subject, and that you have tried to engage critically with some philosophical ideas.
Reading Lists
There are many good introductory philosophy books, and many lists of suggested reading for beginners. Our philosophers have compiled a suggested reading list, but any philosophy reading you do will help, as long as you read it critically. Try a number of authors. If you find one dull or exasperating or hard to understand, try another.
Career Prospects
Past students of philosophy at Churchill have gone on to a variety of careers, including: law, media, management consulting, engineering, science, school teaching, investment banking, medicine, policing, and others. Some of our former students are also teaching philosophy at university themselves.
More generally, Cambridge Philosophy graduates pursue a wide variety of career paths. More than a third go on to postgraduate study, with a significant number of Cambridge philosophy students going on to pursue a career in the profession. Other common destinations for Cambridge philosophy graduates are law, civil service, teaching and business. Statistics are available in the Faculty Undergraduate Prospectus and the University Undergraduate Prospectus.