Religion, Philosophy and Ethics - U6UREPYE

This module delves into how both philosophers and non-philosophers have understood human nature and its role in moral, political, and broader philosophical debates. You’ll explore a range of topics, including: 

• Early religious and secular views of human nature and their implications for life, organisation, purpose, and morality
• Modern views of human nature, including the impact of evolutionary theory and psychology.
• Human nature as an ideological construct
• The challenge of deriving human values from human facts
• Biological determinism and transcendence
   

The module aims to introduce and compare different approaches to human nature, exploring questions about the human condition, such as what makes life meaningful. 
 

This module can be taken independently or alongside its counterpart, part B, for a more comprehensive understanding.  

This module delves into how philosophers have tackled questions about the meaning and purpose of life. You’ll explore whether life is meaningful and, if so, what makes it so. Topics may vary each year but typically include: 

• Religious and secular approaches to the meaning of life
• The difference between the meaning of life and meaning in life
• Nihilism and its implications
• Objective versus subjective approaches to meaning
• How a meaningful life relates to wellbeing, education, work, recreation, and authenticity
   

The module aims to introduce and compare different philosophical approaches to what makes life meaningful, addressing these issues from a theoretical perspective. You’ll also explore how various answers impact human lives and wellbeing. 

This module will cover a selection of contemporary debates within political philosophy, with a particular focus on feminist philosophy. We will look at key concepts such as oppression, ideology, freedom, democracy, and policing, and consider how these concepts apply to issues of gender.*

Questions covered may include the following:

• What is oppression? 
• What is gender oppression?
• How does this intersect with race, disability, class, sexuality, and other axes of oppression?
• What is freedom? 
• How does attention to gender affect the way we understand freedom?
• What is state violence and what functions does it serve? 
• How can we make sense of gendered violence? 
• What forms of violence are normalised and legitimised in dominant discourses? 
• Should there be a distinction between the public and the private? 
• Does it make sense to think of our personal lives as ‘political’?

* Note: the concepts of political obligation and state legitimacy may be introduced but will not be covered in detail, as they are addressed in the Level 2 module Freedom and Obligation.

This module delves into how different cultures and traditions tackle philosophical problems and themes. You’ll explore a variety of topics, which may change each year, such as the nature of reality, human flourishing, the environment, beauty, tradition, wisdom, optimism, religion, mind and reason, social order, and principles for co-existence.

The course introduces and compares a wide range of philosophical traditions and theories, considering their historical and cultural contexts. You’ll make connections to relevant second-year optional philosophy modules and core project options.

Join us to gain a global perspective on philosophy and understand how diverse cultures address fundamental human questions.

Come and explore some fundamental thinking about the world around us and our knowledge of it.

You'll look at questions such as:

• metaphysics – how should we think about the identity of things over time and through change? What does your personal identity over time consist in?
• philosophy of science – is science the guide to all of reality? Is there a scientific method?
• philosophy of language – what is truth? Is truth relative? Does language create reality?

An ideal introduction to metaphysics, epistemology, the philosophy of science, and the philosophy of language.

This module is worth 10 credits.

This module will investigate the phenomenon of atheism, both traditional and ‘old’ and the cultural phenomenon sometimes referred to as ‘new atheism'. It aims to place atheism in a broader historical and intellectual context by addressing several key questions. These questions include:

• Where does atheism come from?
• What are the sources and roots of contemporary atheism?
• How can we explain the transition in Western society from belief as the norm to agnosticism or atheism as the majority position?
• What are the most convincing arguments for atheism, and what are its most radical and interesting versions?

The module will involve an examination of recent writers (e.g. Dawkins, Dennett, Hitchens), atheists of the Enlightenment, and thinkers such as Nietzsche and Feuerbach. The concept of secularization and the various ways in which scholars have tried to understand it will also be explored. The module will conclude with an examination of Atheism in the Middle East.

In this module, you will be introduced to the contents of Jewish and Christian biblical texts, together with their geographical, historical, cultural and social contexts. You will also assess how these texts have been interpreted and adapted in artistic traditions. 

You will address the question of ‘Whose bible?’ and the question of the ‘canon’, including the Jewish Tanakh as well as the Christian Bible. The module will be structured around the contents and themes of biblical texts, including the recurring Jewish and Christian themes of creation, revelation and catastrophe. There is a weekly workshop where you will consider the bible in light of objects such as artworks, maps and manuscripts.

In this module, you will explore the key skills and academic approaches that you will need to study theology and religion successfully at university. 

You’ll examine how peace and justice are understood in different religious traditions, using examples of important texts, debates and practices. You will learn how to analyse religious texts and ideas in an academic context, how to discuss your own ideas constructively, how to deliver an oral presentation, and how to write effectively for an academic audience.  

You will also develop an understanding of the methods, strengths and distinctive features of some major disciplinary approaches to the academic study of theology and religion.

All religions have a distinctive philosophical framework. Together we'll look at some of the common concerns such as:

• the variety of conceptions of ultimate reality
• goals for the spiritual life
• the nature of religious experience
• the relations of religion and morality
• explanations of suffering and evil
• human nature and continuing existence after death

As there is such a range of beliefs we'll also look at the problems of religious diversity.

Some of the sources we draw on might include (but is not limited to):

• atheists - Feuerbach, Nietzsche
• Buddhists - Śāntideva, Dōgen, Thich Nhat Hanh
• Christians - Augustine, Pascal, Weil
• Hindus - such as the writers of the Upanisads and Shankara
• Jews - Spinoza, Buber
• Muslims - Mulla Sadra, Nasr
• Taoists - Zhuangzi

More contemporary thinkers might also be included.

With such a wide range of issues and traditions the exact mix will vary - each year will focus on a few key thinkers and themes.

This module is worth 10 credits.

This module introduces religious traditions from Africa and Asia, including Traditional African Religion, Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Daoism.

We live in a media environment, surrounded by social media, videogames, TV, movies, 24-hour news and more.

The media teach us what to think about each other, how to talk to each other, and who we want to be.

This course invites us to think more critically and imaginatively about the media.

Together we will:

• explore how the media portrays religion, and ask why stereotypes persist
• see how the media challenges religion, and provokes new religious creativity
• ask what the big ideas of religious ethics could teach us about how to use media more wisely
• start to learn the key skills we need to be more effective media communicators

Watch Dr Tim Hutchings give an overview of this module in just 80 seconds.

How can the arts help us think about health and cope with illness?  What can the arts contribute to healthcare practice and policy?

You will explore big questions like these, looking at how the arts can engage with the crucial issues in health today and build a better vision of health for the future.

We will cover major themes including:

• Representing health - look critically at representations of good and poor health, found in politics, religion, art, film, literature, and philosophy.
• Mental health - explore what mental health is, and how it differs from physical health. You’ll look critically at themes such as the marketisation of mental health, the history of mental health institutions, and the ethics of psychiatry.
• Communicating health - how health is communicated in personal, public, and professional settings. We’ll explore questions such as why it is so important that patient voices are heard in communicating about health.
• Health inequalities - look critically at striking inequalities in health, including patterns of gender, race, class, sexuality and economic differences in health and access to healthcare.

From treatment, information, care, and outreach, understanding the health humanities provides career opportunities for the next century.

This module is worth 10 credits.

We live in a data-driven society. Information is used for everything from predicting our shopping habits, to understanding global weather patterns, and has radically changed our world.

From the development of Artificial Intelligence to robotics and the use of ‘big data’, the capture and use of information is essential in modern society. To make sure these developments help solve problems, and are not used for harm, we need the arts and humanities to set boundaries and ask questions.

You will:

• Explore topics such as privacy, surveillance, power and representation
• Learn how modern technology can replicate historical biases and ignore contemporary struggles
• Gain the background and context to contemporary issues on data and society
• Question the limits we place on technology in our world
• Explore how the arts and humanities shape, direct and protect against the way data is used

This module is worth 10 credits.

The digitisation of records and texts has revolutionised academic study. The ability to efficiently and confidently use data is a valuable skill for both your course and future career.

On this module, you will:

• Learn the basics of data and ‘text mining’ (using search terms to explore large amounts of information)
• Develop your skills and apply them to case studies
• See how your work can highlight issues and solve problems
• Understand how data analysis allows us to create narratives that inspire and drive change

We will use examples and case studies from across the faculty, where data and text analysis have been used by arts and humanities researchers within their work.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Learn the basics of creating and editing audio and visual material.

From podcasting, photo editing, photography, video editing and sound editing, you can work on how your digital skills can be used to communicate and inspire.

You will be guided through a series of tutorials and examples where you can develop your skills and produce your own content.

This work will be developed through examples and case studies from across the faculty, where audio and visual materials have been used by researchers within their work.

Examples include:

• Virtual reality renditions of historical photographs
•  Immersive museum experiences
• Audio installations to share stories about migration and sustainability
• Interactive events to inspire young people about languages and cultures past and present

This module is worth 10 credits.

Epidemics and infectious illnesses have shaped our world. Most recently, the Coronavirus pandemic dramatically changed the way we work and socialise, with lasting effect.

We will explore the past and present of infectious disease, including how cultures, religions, literature and art have been shaped by the interaction between humans and disease.

You will learn about:

• The variety of human responses to sickness
• How ideas about illness are expressed across the world
• Drug resistant bacteria and mutations of viruses
• How the arts help societies to process the impact of disease - it is often through music, literature, philosophy and media that suffering is expressed and issues raised

This module is worth 10 credits.

Our digital revolution has been led by the arts and humanities.

From mobile apps to learn languages, to video tutorials on how to play an instrument, the use of digital platforms has transformed our disciplines.

In an age defined by ecological issues, technological change and political upheaval across the world, it is the arts and humanities which provide vital links between the past, present and future. It is now more important than ever that we connect communities, challenge structures of power and address inequality.

You will examine how the digital arts changed the world, using examples from a range of mediums from across the globe. This could be a community walking app, that has brought hidden histories to light, a crowd-sourced projects that have given a platform to new voices, or social media forums that link music, philosophy and literature to contemporary debates.

This module is worth 10 credits.

We are in a state of climate emergency. Sustainability and climate change is on both political and personal agendas like never before.

On this module, you will:

• Examine the idea of ‘sustainability’ - looking at the social, cultural, political, economic and environmental challenges that sustainability aims to address
• Link issues of climate change, and our responses to them, to shifting ideas about nature and its distinctness from culture, the scientific and industrial revolutions, and the emergence of the Western world
• Examine Western culture’s way of defining the ‘environment’ and our relationship with nature
• Look at the diverse ways in which different cultures imagine nature

The arts and humanities do not offer quick fixes to our problems, but ways of thinking that can change the world. We do this through understanding context, process and change.

We show how the arts and humanities sheds light on the history of the present and directs us towards the future.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Explore how the arts and humanities contribute to sustainability.

From stories, to images and representation, the ways we understand the world also shape how we understand sustainability.

With a focus on globalisation, and the accelerating pace of climate change in the 20^th and 21^st centuries, we will think about the problems raised by the climate crisis. 

You will:

• Learn about debates around the Anthropocene, the era of humanity’s marked impact on the environment
• Examine the controversies and disputes that have emerged about our relationship with nature
• Explore how we can tell stories about climate change – for example through the literature and music of marginalised groups across the world, who feel the impact of climate change first

By considering how everyday life choices are linked to the environment, the module offers an imaginative way to explore the challenges of sustainable living.  You will gain the tools to challenge opinion and identify how local ideas can offer a solution to global problems.

This module is worth 10 credits.

From filters to fake news, we are exposed to a huge amount of information in our day-to-day lives.

Whether through advertising, promotion, policies or the media, the (mis)information we are exposed to is intended to influence us, change our minds, or maybe even censor and withhold information about important issues.

To challenge this, we need to think critically about data. This module will give you the skills to do just that.

You’ll gain the critical skills to observe, question, and act when the facts do not support what’s being represented. We will also introduce approaches you can use to question visual, textual, quantitative and qualitative information. This could include:

• Causality
• Statistics
• Bias
• Content analysis
• Language

Critical analysis is an important skill, not only so we can preserve our freedoms and protect from harm caused by misinformation, but in the workplace too. The ability to make judgements that are based on logic is a key transferable skill.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Writing inspires change. From the academic textbook that demonstrates a new concept, to a blog post that influences habits, writing can change the world.

On this module, you will learn to think critically about yourself and society, through reflecting on how you write.

Writing lets us occupy different spaces and identities. You can write to develop your sense of self, to enlighten others, or to build connections. Writing skills are more than just how to write an academic essay. Writing can give you an insight into who you are, your values and future direction.

During your studies, you will use writing to develop analytical approaches which can enhance your work and prepare you for your future career. Focusing on the diversity of experiences and backgrounds, interests and motivations, we show how meaningful writing can lead, inspire and transform. 

This module is worth 10 credits.

This module will explore key concepts and themes in Africana philosophies and religions, paying particular attention to Africana notions of the human person and human life within a spirit-filled cosmos.

After reviewing critiques of Eurocentric conceptions of philosophy and religion by decolonial thinkers such as Okot p’Bitek, Kwasi Wiredu and Sylvia Wynter, we discuss a variety of texts and sources that highlight and elaborate core concepts in indigenous African modes of thought, such as ‘vital force’, ubuntu, destiny and the world. Thereafter, we consider how Africana philosophies and religions offer fresh approaches to addressing various issues in the contemporary world.

The sort of questions we might consider here include:

• How might African accounts of humanity radicalise concepts of gender?
• Are Africana cosmological narratives able to counter heteronormativity?
• Can the philosophy of ubuntu promote environmental justice?
• What do Africana notions of witchcraft disclose about the dangers of human sociality and the possibility of trust?
• Can black humanity be affirmed in ways that refuse the social death of anti-black racism?

This module will introduce you to a range of topics in applied ethics, with a focus on either biomedical or business ethics. Through examination of case studies, in-class debates and critical analysis, you will develop the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate complex ethical issues in healthcare and/or business practice. 

You will gain an understanding of: 

• applying ethical reasoning to major practical themes

• debating contemporary and historical problem cases with appreciation for the perspectives of others 

• evaluating key ideas in primary and secondary literature

The group work assessment will require you to engage with others in approach to ethical dilemmas. You will draw on your own and others' lived experiences as examples to evaluate and respond to from an ethical perspective.

This module will introduce you to some central philosophical problems in aesthetics. It encourages your engagement with current views on aesthetic evaluations and has potential as a foundation for a level 3 research topic.

You’ll cover key topics and perspectives of aesthetics in philosophy, such as:

• contemporary views relating to the nature of aesthetics
• the relationship between artworks and other objects of aesthetic concern
• philosophical issues surrounding aesthetics
• critical discussion and evaluation of different philosophical views of aesthetics
• objectivity versus the subjectivity of aesthetic evaluations
• epistemology of aesthetic judgement
• aesthetics of nature
• aesthetics of human beaut
• aesthetics of everyday life

By the end of the module, you will be able to discuss and evaluate different views of aesthetics, explain some current views on the status of aesthetic evaluations, and present the main contemporary viewpoints on key topics in aesthetics.

This module offers inspiring and motivating content, drawing from our staff’s diverse research interests and current trends in the philosophical community. You’ll explore topics like the philosophy of video games, the family, AI, the transhumanist movement, deepfakes, and happiness economics, alongside traditional philosophical themes. 

Throughout the module, you’ll get a taste of these topics and demonstrate your understanding through assessments like short exams. You’ll also be encouraged to reflect on your philosophical interests, with the aim of sparking a passion for independent or collaborative research. 

By showcasing the department’s current research, the module aims to inspire interest in contemporary philosophical issues. You’ll gain insights into various specialist topics that you might pursue in further modules or as research projects. The module also introduces diverse research methods in both theoretical and practical philosophy. 

We look at some fundamental metaphysical questions about the cosmos. A selection of the following topics will be studied:

• Objects: concrete vs. abstract; existence and nothingness
• Sets and mereology
• Properties, Property bearers, Relations
• States of affairs and non-mereological composition
• Modality (including counterfactuals) and possible worlds
• Time, persistence, change, and the non-present

This module provides a diverse range of research projects for final-year students. You’ll have the opportunity to plan and execute an ambitious research project on a topic of your choice, working closely with staff and supervisors in the joint enterprise of ‘doing philosophy’. 

During your project, you’ll conduct independent research and collate ideas and information from the sources you examine. You will demonstrate an understanding of the key assumptions of the main protagonists in their research field, recognise the need to engage with those assumptions, and explore the potential problems raised by your own thinking.  

This module offers a rigorous grounding in formal and philosophical logic, building on the basics covered in Introduction to Theoretical Philosophy. You'll delve deeper into Truth-Functional Logic, First-Order Logic, and Modal Logic, exploring these areas with greater rigour and completeness. 

Key topics include existence, identity, possibility and necessity, along with formal techniques for testing argument validity. You'll also learn to challenge the logical languages studied, developing skills in philosophical logic by raising questions about logic and evaluating alternative logical languages. 

The module aims to provide a clear understanding of formal logic, introduce the basics of philosophical logic, and critically assess possible alternatives. In the process, you’ll enhance your logical reasoning and philosophical inquiry skills. 

• Are you obliged to obey the law even when you disagree with it?
• What features must a state have in order to be legitimate?

In this module we will approach these classic questions of political philosophy by examining the work of a number of important past political philosophers. This might include Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau but this isn't a fixed list - it may vary according to particular issues and student input.

We will look at both:

• why the thinkers' works have been open to different interpretations
• evaluate their arguments under these different interpretations

This module is worth 20 credits.

Aristotle declared that “All men by nature desire to know”. But we allegedly live in a post-truth world characterized by fake news, alternative facts, and scorn for expertise. These are major dangers to our way of life, and dealing with them requires epistemology. Epistemology is the study of such topics as knowledge, evidence, and justification.

In this module, we'll explore issues such as: the nature and value of knowledge, the threat of skepticism, the role of testimony in acquiring knowledge, and intellectual virtues and vices. Some questions we will tackle include: What is knowledge? Why should we care about it? What is our justification for believing things? Do we know that we’re not brains in vats?

This module allows you to ask profound questions about meaning, truth and existence, which are central topics in contemporary philosophy. You'll tackle themes such as meaning and meaningfulness, sense and nonsense, reference, truth and truthmaking, speech acts, paradoxes, vagueness, realism vs. antirealism, conditionals, modality and expressivism. 

Through engaging discussions and critical analysis, you'll explore how these concepts shape our understanding of the world. This module encourages you to think deeply and critically about complex philosophical issues, providing a solid foundation for further study in philosophy.  
 

Where does the mind meet the world? In sensory perception.

By perceiving, we become conscious of a reality beyond our minds. Or do we?

Mind and Consciousness explores perception and perceptual consciousness.

It asks question such as:

• Do we really perceive a world beyond our minds?
• What are the theories of perception and perceptual consciousness?
• How do we distinguish different senses – what makes seeing different from hearing?
• Can our perceptions be biased? Do our prejudices change the way we see things?
• Is dreaming perceiving, or does it belong to another category of mind like imagining?

By the end of this module, you'll be able to:

• understand the main positions in the philosophy of perception
• analyse and evaluate rival views on these topics

This module is worth 20 credits.

This module, Music, Ethics, and Identity, explores how our identity, preferences, and self-expression are linked to music. It introduces theories of identity, such as critical race theory and feminist thought, and uses case studies on ethnicity, gender, religion, and more to examine how music relates to identity and ethical issues in today’s society. These case studies will cover various styles and genres, including popular music, musical theatre, film music, and classical music. 
 

You will learn about the relationship between music, ethics, and identity. The module will explore how aspects of identity like race, religion, gender, queerness, and class influence the creation, listening, and performance of music. You will be introduced to key identity theories as you relate to music and will understand the ethical implications of linking identity to art. 

Discover how music has historically helped us explore life’s big questions - our place on Earth, our potential as a species, and our ultimate direction. 

While many religious and spiritual traditions include music in their practices, we will focus on individual artistic responses.

Through a playlist of European and North American works, from 18th-century classical pieces to 21st-century popular music, you will investigate music’s unique ability to express complex ideas and offer comfort in times of need.

Although we emphasise music created outside formal religious settings (like songs, albums, and concert works), lectures will also touch on relevant religious musical traditions where appropriate.

• What is art?
• Is there a relationship between art and ethics?
• What is the relationship between art and emotion?

Together we'll explore these philosophical issues and more. By the end of the module you'll:

• have a good awareness of many of the critical debates in the philosophy of art
• recognise and judge for yourself the strengths and weaknesses of arguments on the issues

This module is worth 20 credits.

This unique interdisciplinary module introduces you to central issues in the Philosophy of History, which broadly examines both the nature of history itself and historical knowledge.

Together, we will critically assess some of the most influential philosophical accounts of the nature of the past and its phenomena. We may focus on issues such as whether history has a direction, progressivist and teleological accounts of history, necessity and contingency in history, the historicist rather than universalist positions on the status of human nature, the ontological status of historical objects, or the putative meaning of history.

Topics covered may include, but are not limited to, the connection between the possibility of historical laws, actor-centered philosophy of history, causal explanations, historical objectivity, or realism and anti-realism about the past.

However, the description of the module on our website for this year seems to have reverted to the previous version:

Since the nineteenth century, history (much like natural science) has become a subject for specialists, and professional historians are frequently located in universities. But what makes the increasingly sophisticated methods of modern historians appropriate? And what can we reasonably expect the practice of modern historical methods to deliver? How should historians choose the right methods given the wide remit of their enquiries into the human past?

This unique interdisciplinary module introduces you to these and a range of other tough questions in the philosophy of history that, broadly construed, critically examine the ways in which historians seek to link past and present in a discipline designed to deliver genuine historical knowledge.

Additional topics may include, but not be limited to:

• Models and theories of history
• Historical reasoning from evidence
• Abstraction and the possibility of historical laws
• Narrative and causal approaches to history
• Underdetermination and inference to best explanation

This module will explore the interactions between science and society through a series of lectures, discussion groups and workshops. Topics that will be explored include the ethical parameters that govern how scientific work is constrained, ways in which scientific discoveries can/should be disseminated to the wider community, the wider responsibilities that follow the acquisition of new knowledge and the concept of ‘citizen science’, where science takes place outside the traditional academic centres of work. This mode consists of a three-hour lecture incorporating discussion groups once per week.

This module addresses issues in social metaphysics and social epistemology. We will examine the metaphysics of social kinds and explore different accounts of social kinds that have been offered. We will also examine how the fact that we are situated in a social world can affect what we can or cannot know or understand about ourselves, each other, and the social world itself. We will also address ethical and/or political issues that arise once we take account of social metaphysics and social epistemology.

In particular, we might consider whether there are special kinds of injustices that arise due to our social reality. What is epistemic injustice and how does it relate to social injustice? How do certain privileged groups structure the social world that create and maintain privilege and patterns of ignorance that perpetuate that privilege? What are some obligations that we have, given metaphysical and epistemological concerns we have explored? 

What is the nature of space, time and motion? Is space/time/motion relative or absolute? How can we come to know? These are some central questions in the philosophy of space and time which this module explores. 

This module will discuss how thinkers such as Descartes, Newton, Leibniz, Du Chatelet, Mach and Einstein have used philosophical arguments to try to answer the question about the nature of space, time and motion.

We'll examine the Asian philosophical traditions, especially those of India, China, and Japan.

These Asian traditions address familiar philosophical themes - in ethics, epistemology, and aesthetics - but often approach them in ways that seem unfamiliar.

You may well find your culturally inherited presuppositions challenged. This is good! As global power relationships change understanding culture is vital to meaningful communication.

Topics we may cover include:

• Confucianism, Mohism, Daoism, Buddhism, and Hinduism the relationship between morality and religion
• etiquette, ethics and aesthetics
• the family and moral life
• social and political philoosophy
• animals, natural environments, and human flourishing
• the nature of ultimate reality and the good life
• the relation of Asian philosophies to the Western tradition

This module is worth 20 credits.

This module brings together philosophical, historical and sociological approaches to Buddhism. Students will learn about Buddhism as a philosophical and religious tradition – or set of traditions – with particular attention to the relation of Buddhist doctrines and teachings to the contemporary world. They will also learn about Buddhism as a living community, with particular attention to Buddhist life and practice.

This module aims to help you gain a deep understanding of key questions in the theological study of biblical texts. You will examine texts from the Jewish Tanakh and the Christian Bible and explore how these texts have been interpreted in various Jewish and Christian cultural contexts. 
 

Learning outcomes 

By the end of this module, you will:

• Understand significant theological questions related to biblical texts
• Gain insights into the diverse interpretations of these texts within Jewish and Christian traditions

In this module, you will explore key relational concepts (love, hope and sin) in the Christian theological tradition – developing a rich understanding of their contemporary relevance. 

You will trace these concepts in the work of major Christian theologians, assess their contributions to an ecological understanding, and learn how to apply their ideas to today’s environmental crisis and look for meaningful theological responses to climate change.

Throughout the module, you will learn how these important ideas fit into the historical development of Christian theology and develop your ability to discuss complex and sensitive issues in small groups.

This module provides a history of Jewish life in continental Europe and Mandatory Palestine from the genesis of Zionism to the establishment of the state of Israel.

It focuses on perceptions and receptions of Judaism within modern Jewish culture. The module illustrates the intersection of modern Jewish history with the religious culture and thought of Judaism in the late nineteenth and early to mid-twentieth centuries.

We’ll explore Central-, German-speaking Europe and follow the German-speaking Jewish peoples, many of whom emigrated to mandatory Palestine. The module sets out to explain how the contexts of fin de siècle and interwar Central-Europe shaped the history of both diasporic and Israeli Jewish peoples.

Furthermore, through its focus on Jewish religious culture, the module instils an understanding of how historical context influences interpretations of sacred texts. Conversely, it also explicates how forms of religious traditions and belongings impact secular politics and culture.

Finally, the module informs the students as to how Jewish history fits into the broader tapestry of modern global history. We’ll explore this using cultural, social and intellectual history across a range of topics related to modern Jewish history through the lens of religious culture, such as: Zionism; Antisemitism; the German-Jewish artistic and intellectual renaissance of the Weimar and Austrian Republics. It also provides an insight into the history of the Holocaust and its impact.

In this module, you’ll examine different types of interfaith encounter, which takes place in the intellectual, religious, cultural, societal and political spheres. The module will normally involve a field trip that explores interfaith encounter in one or more of these spheres.

The module will prepare you to undertake research or a special project in your final year. You’ll develop research skills and complete a self-formulated and self-directed research essay relating to interfaith encounter, as well as writing a proposal for a final-year dissertation or project.

This module explores various philosophical perspectives on the concept of God, featuring thinkers like Baruch Spinoza, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Michel Henry. The aim is to challenge your preconceptions about religious belief. 
 

You will: 

• gain a deep understanding of key Western philosophical approaches to religion
• learn how different views on belief influence society, including ethics and politics
• develop skills to analyse complex philosophical texts and ideas
• integrate knowledge from different academic fields
• apply philosophical arguments to significant social issues

By the end of this module, you will have a nuanced awareness of how philosophical discussions about God and belief shape our world. 

Explore the landscape of religions in modern British society, with particular emphasis on:

• Christianity
• Judaism
• Islam
• secularism
• nonreligion

You'll be introduced to leading theories of the sociological study of religion, including models for interfaith contact and dialogue, and examine how these theories and approaches developed.

Through groupwork you'll research an interfaith topic for a class presentation, learning to communicate your ideas to a supportive audience.

This module is worth 20 credits.

This module is based around a challenge: how do we use the digital humanities?

You are presented with a series of problems about how we can use the arts and humanities to address some of the major issues we face in technology and society.

For example, the acceleration of technology in both private and public life is immense, but this rapid pace of change should not prevent reflection.

In this module, you consider the major contemporary issues of how technology shapes our present and our future. We respond to these concerns using the specific skillset of the arts and humanities, where we ask: what does it mean to be human?

This module is worth 10 credits.

Stand out in your job search with employability skills and hands-on experience.

Learn key skills, from constructing an outstanding CV to practicing interview technique, before completing a part-time placement in the spring. This will be for one day a week, or equivalent, for up to eight weeks.

You can apply for placements in relevant local organisations. The dedicated faculty placement team have an established list of providers, or you can arrange your own placement, subject to approval.

Our placements include a range of sectors, including:

• creative and cultural industries
• media
• marketing
• heritage and museums
• the music industry
• education
• charitable and third-sector organisations

These are subject to change each year.

You will develop a wide range of transferable skills, including:

• communication
• presentation
• organisation
• professionalism
• time management skills

Assessment is through an online portfolio of materials, including application materials, reflective writing and a research report.

This module is worth 20 credits.

Community engagement is important in many careers, from politics and social work to marketing and business.

We do not work in a vacuum - our research and activities are linked to individuals and groups across society. By learning to engage with communities, researchers can reach wide audiences, learn from them and collaboratively make a real contribution to overcoming social problems. 

We need to understand how engagement works in order to work collaboratively, respectfully and sustainability with communities.

In this module, we will:

• Explore how our staff and students work with communities – from supporting immigrant communities settling into Nottingham, to engaging with schools to promote literacy and career opportunities
• Discuss how activism and advocacy can become part of academic work
• Explore how community engagement is structured and organised and how we can ensure our work within the arts and humanities has relevance and impact for diverse audiences

This module will prepare you for your future career, by focusing on the key skill of the arts and humanities: our ability to support and engage with those around us.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Explore the histories and legacies of colonisation, alongside the routes to justice through decolonisation.

Using examples from across the globe, we explore the impact of colonisation on society, politics, economics, and culture.

You will consider contemporary examples and a wide range of evidence, sources and perspectives, including from:

• art
• film
• literature
• archive materials and documents
• music and performance

You will also explore the debates around reconciliation, restitution and justice.

Together we will build an interdisciplinary analysis, drawing upon the research of the whole faculty to uncover, assess and deconstruct the practices of colonialism and their implications for our contemporary world.  

This module is worth 10 credits.

Doing an arts and humanities degree means you’ll gain the skills which are essential for changing the world we live in. Not only that, you are uniquely positioned to understand people, processes and culture.

This module lets you apply that knowledge to solve a real-life problem. The aim is for you to develop your understanding of your degree, and the range of careers open to you.

You will work in an interdisciplinary team on a real project connected to impact, which we define as our ability to ‘make change happen’. These projects have been designed by individuals, groups and organisations that are looking to make a difference to our world. This might be about sustainability, business, equality, culture, politics or society.

Teams will be given a project brief. You will then be guided through how to shape a project, and how to work as a team and deliver results. This will give you the employment skills and experience to show how you can make an impact as an arts and humanities graduate.

This module is worth 20 credits.

Wellbeing, the crisis in mental health care, and clapping for NHS staff during the Covid pandemic are all examples of health humanities. On this module, you will be exploring contemporary challenges in this area.

To build a healthier society, enabling access to healthcare for all, we must consider how people act, behave and build connections.

You will look at:

• how the arts and humanities respond to major issues in health, medicine and wellbeing – i.e. exploring how individuals use art, literature and culture to understand pain and loss, or analysing human behaviour with regard to new medicines and our relationship to health sciences
• topics such as cultural representations of health, places of medical treatment, or the relationship between medicine and emotions

The major challenges in health provision and healthcare can be influenced and directed by the arts and humanities. This module shows you how this field can be a powerful tool for change.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Discover how our world is experienced through language.

We live in a global society, where different languages build our perceptions, ideas and values. In this module, we respect that difference and participate in it.

You will:

• Use multilingualism as a tool to challenge our own thinking and to comprehend the lives of others in society
• Work through etymologies and translations from a wide range of languages, including Russian, Spanish, French and German
• Learn how understanding languages - not just speaking and reading them - can be vital in contributing to our community, enriching your experience, and participating in a global society

No knowledge of any language is needed, as we focus on understanding what it means to live in our multi-lingual world.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Explore how Nottingham creates ideas, identities, culture and products, alongside how you as a student are also ‘Made in Nottingham’.

This module will help you begin shaping your skills for the career you want, drawing upon the way arts and humanities work has transformed the city.

From the entrepreneurs who have set up businesses or those who have created and enriched charities and social projects, to the writers, artists, musicians and teachers who have all been created in Nottingham. We use their experience, their understanding and their skills to help you define your own path for after university.

You will be able to build your profile through this module, develop your own career narrative to use in your future work as well as engage in the variety of opportunities that are open to you as an arts graduate.

Through this module, we’ll address what it means to be ‘Made in Nottingham’.

This module is worth 10 credits.