Philosophy
The Philosophy department is one of the foremost centres for the philosophy of biology in the world. It offers excellent training in rigorous thinking, asking some of the questions most fundamental to human life.
Based in the department of Social and Political Sciences, Philosophy, and Anthropology, our academic staff hold doctorates in Sociology, Philosophy, Anthropology, History, Biochemistry and Physics. We are one of the most diverse academic units in any UK university. This interdisciplinarity means we are able to provide research and teaching programmes that unite empirical, historical-epistemological, practical, theoretical and critical perspectives.
Our work is both descriptively and normatively oriented and our research has been published by Cambridge, Oxford, MIT, Chicago, University of California, Harvard, Routledge, Sage and other leading publishers.
8th for Philosophy in The Complete University Guide 2025
82% of our research is internationally excellent*
Based on research rated 4* + 3* in REF 2021, our research in Sociology, Philosophy, Anthropology and Criminology was returned to this UoA
88% of graduates in or due to start employment or further study fifteen months after graduation
Based on full-time, first degree, UK domiciled graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes survey 2020/21
100% of our research has internationally excellent impact*
Based on research impact rated 4* + 3* in REF 2021, our research in Sociology, Philosophy, Anthropology and Criminology was returned to this UoA
Study with us
Philosophy asks the questions most essential to human life. Studying Philosophy will teach you to think rigorously, to defend your views in a clear and consistent way, to understand the why and what-for of different points of view, and ultimately to develop a sharp, analytical and open mind.
Based in the Department of Social and Political Sciences, Philosophy, and Anthropology, our unique environment encourages a productive fusion of the three subjects. This creates cross-over research domains like the field of music, aesthetics and cognition, which researchers with diverse disciplinary training pursue together.
Postgraduate research
Whether your research interest concerns performance analysis, ethnographic methods, historical research or theatre practice, our supportive research environment, academic expertise and state of the art facilities are on hand to support you successfully throughout your PhD. As a doctoral candidate you will be a vital member of our research community, participating in research centres as well as department-level seminars and university-wide training that is tailored specifically to your stage in the research process.
Our research
Our world-leading research in Philosophy explores fundamental issues of societal concern from a pluralistic and interdisciplinary perspective. The department has distinctive strengths in the history and philosophy of scientific practice, including biology, medicine, and data studies, through Egenis, the University of Exeter's flagship centre for the study of life sciences. The department is known, too, for its internationally-recognised research in situated cognition, affectivity, and artificial intelligence. In collaboration with partner disciplines of Sociology and Anthropology, and in dialogue with the wider scholarly community, our expertise covers social and political philosophy, the philosophy of race and gender, and the philosophy of law.
Our academics publish widely, and are actively involved in research projects and grants, some examples here.
We offer excellent support for postgraduate study and postdoctoral research, and we welcome enquiries from prospective applicants.
