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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. In the most recent UK national assessment, the Faculty of Philosophy got perfect scores for both research and teaching, and the program is ranked first and second in the UK by the Times and Guardian respectively.
Philosophy at Churchill
Churchill has a tradition of excellence in philosophy. Simon Blackburn, the Professor of Philosophy at Cambridge, started his career way back in 1967 as a Junior Research Fellow at Churchill. Today the program in philosophy at Churchill stands out for its sense of community – two fellows in philosophy, including the Director of Studies, live in college, as does one of our two Junior Research Fellows in philosophy. There's also a philosophy club that meets fortnightly, in which students and fellows present work for general discussion.
The Cambridge Philosophy course is probably the most rigorous in the world. It is put on by the Faculty of Philosophy, and students from all Colleges attend the same lectures, seminars, and discussion groups and take the same exams. (The Colleges provide the individual tutoring or supervision for which Cambridge and Oxford are famous.) It is possible to change into or out of Philosophy after a year or two, but most of our students take the full three-year course. Though students can choose from a wide variety of subjects, from aesthetics to the philosophy of science, the course has a heavy emphasis on metaphysics and logic.
People
The Director of Studies in philosophy at Churchill is Dr Nick Treanor, who holds a college lecturership in philosophy at Churchill and Trinity and a fellowship at Churchill.
Other philosophers at Churchill include Professor Matthew Kramer, the Director of Studies in Law, who holds advanced degrees in both philosophy and law, and Edward Craig, who recently retired from the Knightbridge's Professorship of Philosophy.
Current and former students
In 2010-2011, Churchill has three students reading for the Philosophy Tripos.
Reading for Part IA: Zoe Asquith, Laura Hobbs
Reading for Part IB: Katie Rogers
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 some are teaching at universities themselves.
Admissions
Churchill admits two or three philosophers a year. We invite applications from all candidates, whatever subjects they may have taken at school. A mixture of arts and science subjects is beneficial, however, since philosophy has a foot in both realms. The standard entry requirements are available here. Mature students are also most welcome.
Admission is based on interviews and a brief written test. What matters isn't a candidate's knowledge of the subject, but their aptitude for it and the depth of their 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 and tenacity without which real depth in philosophy is impossible. A good philosopher also tempers confidence with humility — confidence that one can dig deeply into the nature of things by pure thought alone, and humility in recognizing how far one lies from the real truth of which our vague ideas are but shadows, as Bertrand Russell once put it. This is the sort of person we're looking for.
At the interviews we engage applicants in a discussion about some philosophical topic they are familiar with, and see how they do with it — whether they understand the problem at hand, whether they can see the point of objections and challenges, and whether they can think clearly and analytically. The written test, which is common to most 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 discipline but raw ability.
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 small amounts and think carefully about just what is being said. Writing notes to yourself and discussing the issues with friends and teachers can be helpful. Try to learn to think like a philosopher rather than memorize dogmas.
Reading Lists
There are many good introductory philosophy books, and many lists of suggested reading for beginners. Churchill's own suggestions are at http://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduates/courses/philosophy/reading_list.php, 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
Cambridge Philosophy graduates pursue a wide variety of career paths. About a third go on to postgraduate study (often after a year or two out to catch their breath). Law and government are common destinations. Job prospects are about the same as with other arts subjects. Few end up at a loss for something to do. Statistics are available in the Faculty Undergraduate Prospectus at http://www.phil.cam.ac.uk/pros_students/u_gradpros_2013-2014.html#Life after the Tripos and the University Undergraduate Prospectus, the link for which is at the bottom of this page.