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Study Philosophy at Otago

Critical thinking for a complex world.

There is no limit to the issues to which philosophers apply their reason: from knowledge (Are scientific claims certain?), to language (What is meaning?), from ethical and social problems (How should we run the country?), to metaphysical issues (Is the future less real than the past?).

The skills and knowledge you gain from studying philosophy will make you a better student in other subjects; they will also be invaluable in a wide variety of occupations because philosophy focuses less on what you believe, and more on the quality of your reasons for believing it.

By examining the reasons for the claims we make, philosophy develops your powers of argument, analysis, and critical reasoning. It will help you to express yourself more clearly and give you the abilities required to address complex and difficult problems.

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Why study Philosophy?

Philosophy provides a toolkit to critically engage with difficult and important questions. It seems that some actions are right and others are wrong, but it's difficult to explain if this is because one produces better outcomes or the other respects humanity. It seems that some scientific claims are almost certainly true, but a crucial element of the success of science is its willingness to revise its claims in light of new evidence. It seems that there is little more to our brains than complex neural networks, but how do these networks generate intense feelings?

Discussing these abstract problems develops the philosophical tools necessary to deal with practical problems, such as whether an unpopular theory should be accepted, or to what extent we can appeal to common sense when arguing about a radical claim. In grappling with these issues, philosophers seek to build a well-grounded picture of the world and of human life. The key skill for a philosopher is the ability to construct and dissect arguments – a central part of all philosophy is training in clear and effective reasoning.

Career opportunities

Some of our students go on to successful careers as professional philosophers, but for most of our students, it's not about getting a career in philosophy, it's about getting some philosophy into their careers.

Many surveys of salary by degree only look at salary after a few years of graduation, which can be misleading. A survey of 1.2 million degree holders by PayScale, Inc., cited in the Wall Street  Journal, shows that Philosophy majors increase their starting salary by 103.5% after 10 years, an equal best with mathematics among all majors. The overall mid career salary for a philosophy major at the 75th percentile is 127,000 U.S. dollars, 9th among all 50 majors  surveyed.

Philosophy gives you a unique mix of analytical and literary skills that are highly sought after by employers whether you are pursuing a career in academia or elsewhere.

A recent destinations survey showed that our graduates live in cities across the world such as Vienna, London, Frankfurt, Vancouver, Berlin, Singapore, New Orleans, and all over New Zealand and Australia. See the placements of some of our recent students.

Philosophers find work in a huge variety of careers, including:

  • Acting
  • Computing
  • Diplomacy
  • Dispute resolution
  • Documentary film making
  • E-commerce
  • Economics
  • Journalism
  • Law
  • Medicine
  • Nature conservation
  • Politics
  • Publishing
  • Science
  • Social services
  • Software Design
  • Sport
  • Systems analysis
  • Teaching

Philosophy at Otago

The Philosophy programme at Otago has an outstanding reputation for research, in a country known internationally for its strength in philosophy. Our research specialisations include metaphysics, epistemology, ethical theory, philosophy of science, philosophical logic, early modern philosophy, philosophy of artificial intelligence, and the philosophy of language and mind.

The Philosophy programme has a friendly and open atmosphere in which staff and postgraduate students regularly socialise. We are an active community – a steady stream of visitors from across New Zealand and from overseas attend our weekly seminar programme, providing students with the opportunity to meet and attend seminars given by a wide range of leading philosophers. Our undergraduate Philosophy Club meets monthly for pizza and philosophical discussion.

What do students who've taken Philosophy say?

“The most interesting thing I've learned about in my life. Wish someone had told me about it when I first got to Uni.”

“My Philosophy degree gave me an edge over other [job] applicants. It also served me well as a social worker and an English teacher before becoming a lawyer.”

“My Philosophy degree allows me to look at the world in a meaningful way and provides me the tools to make sense of complex situations.”

“Critical thinking skills are very marketable in my profession. My Philosophy degree is a point of reference that evidences those skills, and has helped me differentiate my application from other graduates.”

Studying Philosophy

Philosophy can be studied either as a major or a minor in a Bachelor of Arts (BA). Some Philosophy papers can be taken as Science subjects and Critical Thinking (PHIL 105) may be taken as part of a Humanities, Science, or Commerce course. Many students choose to add Philosophy to their skill set by doing a double major or double degree such as BA/ LLB, BA/BSc or BA/BCom. Philosophy forms part of the interdisciplinary PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) Arts major. It also may be taken as part of the Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc), which provides the competitive advantage of a double degree in arts and science in a shorter time frame.

Background required

No previous acquaintance with philosophy is needed to take any of our 100-level papers, or many of our 200-level papers.

Requirements

Philosophy as a minor subject for a BA, MusB, BPA, BTheol, BSc, BCom, BEntr, BHealSc, BACom, BASc or BComSc degree

Available as a minor subject for a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Music (MusB), Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA), Bachelor of Theology (BTheol), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Bachelor of Entrepreneurship (BEntr), Bachelor of Health Science (BHealSc), Bachelor of Arts and Commerce (BACom), Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc) or Bachelor of Commerce and Science (BComSc) degree

LevelPapersPoints
100-levelTwo 100-level PHIL papers

36

200-level

Two 200-level PHIL papers

36

300-level

One 300-level PHIL paper

18
Total 90

PHIL papers

Paper Code Year Title Points Teaching period
PHIL101 2024, 2025 Mind and Reality 18 points Semester 1
PHIL103 2024, 2025 Ethical Issues 18 points Semester 2
PHIL105 2024, 2025 Critical Thinking 18 points Semester 1, Semester 2
PHIL106 2024, 2025 Radical Philosophy 18 points Semester 2, Semester 1
PHIL206 2025 Revolutionary Philosophy 18 points Not offered in 2025
PHIL222 2024, 2025 Introduction to Formal Logic 18 points Semester 1
PHIL223 2024, 2025 Metaphysical Questions 18 points Semester 1, Not offered in 2025, expected to be offered in 2026
PHIL225 2024, 2025 Philosophy of Science 18 points Semester 2
PHIL227 2024, 2025 Morality and Politics: Hobbes to Hume 18 points Semester 2, Not offered in 2025, expected to be offered in 2026
PHIL228 2024, 2025 Ethics 18 points Semester 2, Semester 1
PHIL229 2024, 2025 Reason, Belief and the Sacred 18 points Semester 2
PHIL231 2024, 2025 Early Modern Philosophy A: Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz 18 points Semester 2, Not offered in 2025, expected to be offered in 2026
PHIL232 2024, 2025 Early Modern Philosophy B: Locke, Berkeley, Hume 18 points Not offered in 2024, Semester 1
PHIL233 2024, 2025 Philosophy of Mind and Language 18 points Semester 1
PHIL234 2024, 2025 Are there moral facts? 18 points Semester 2
PHIL235 2024, 2025 Environmental Philosophy 18 points Semester 1
PHIL236 2024, 2025 An Introduction to the Philosophy of Language 18 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
PHIL239 2024 Bertrand Russell: Ethics, Logic, Pacifism and Truth 18 points Not offered in 2024
PHIL240 2024, 2025 Epistemology: The Theory of Knowledge 18 points Not offered in 2024, Semester 2
PHIL306 2025 Revolutionary Philosophy (Advanced) 18 points Not offered in 2025
PHIL312 2024, 2025 Advanced Formal Logic 18 points Not offered in 2024, expected to be offered in 2026, Not offered in 2025, expected to be offered in 2026
PHIL314 2024 No-Ought-From-Is and the Slavery of Reason 18 points Not offered in 2024
PHIL315 2024, 2025 Are There Moral Facts? 18 points Semester 2
PHIL323 2024, 2025 Metaphysical Questions 18 points Semester 1, Not offered in 2025, expected to be offered in 2026
PHIL325 2025 Philosophy of Science (Advanced) 18 points Semester 2
PHIL327 2025 Morals and Politics: Hobbes to Hume (Advanced) 18 points Not offered in 2025
PHIL329 2024, 2025 Reason, Belief and the Sacred 18 points Semester 2
PHIL331 2024, 2025 Early Modern Philosophy A: Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz 18 points Semester 2, Not offered in 2025, expected to be offered in 2026
PHIL332 2024, 2025 Early Modern Philosophy B: Locke, Berkeley, Hume 18 points Not offered in 2024, Semester 1
PHIL333 2024, 2025 Philosophy of Mind and Language 18 points Semester 1
PHIL334 2024 Philosophy of Biology 18 points Not offered in 2024
PHIL335 2024, 2025 Why Be Moral? 18 points Not offered in 2024, Semester 2
PHIL336 2024, 2025 An Introduction to the Philosophy of Language (Advanced) 18 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
PHIL338 2024, 2025 Ethical Theory 18 points Semester 1, Semester 2
PHIL339 2024 Bertrand Russell: Ethics, Logic, Pacifism and Truth (Advanced) 18 points Not offered in 2024
PHIL340 2024, 2025 Epistemology: The Theory of Knowledge (Advanced) 18 points Not offered in 2024, Semester 2
PHIL401 2024, 2025 Advanced History of Philosophy 20 points, 30 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
PHIL406 2024, 2025 Why Be Moral? 20 points, 30 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
PHIL409 2024 Advanced Metaphysics 20 points Not offered in 2024
PHIL413 2024, 2025 Ethical Theory 20 points, 30 points Semester 1, Not offered in 2025
PHIL414 2024, 2025 No-Ought-From-Is and the Slavery of Reason 20 points, 30 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
PHIL415 2024, 2025 Meaning and Metaphysics 20 points, 30 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
PHIL417 2024, 2025 Advanced Issues in Foundational Philosophy 20 points, 30 points Semester 1
PHIL418 2024, 2025 Advanced Problems in Applied Philosophy 20 points, 30 points Semester 2
PHIL451 2024, 2025 Special Topic 20 points, 30 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
PHIL458 2024, 2025 Special Topic 20 points, 30 points Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025
PHIL480 2024, 2025 Research Essay 20 points, 30 points Semester 1, Semester 2
PHIL490 2024, 2025 Dissertation 60 points Full Year, 1st Non standard period (15 July 2024 - 19 June 2025), 1st Non standard period (14 July 2025 - 12 June 2026)
PHIL590 2024, 2025 Research Dissertation 60 points 1st Non standard period (1 March 2024 - 21 February 2025), 2nd Non standard period (12 July 2024 - 4 July 2025), 1st Non standard period (28 February 2025 - 20 February 2026), 2nd Non standard period (11 July 2025 - 3 July 2026)

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Contact us

Email  philosophy@otago.ac.nz
Website  otago.ac.nz/philosophy

Studying at Otago

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Regulations on this page are taken from the 2024 Calendar and supplementary material.

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