Philosophy and Sociology

Philosophy and Sociology takes you on a fascinating exploration of argument and how we apply it to the Big Questions of fundamental importance to us as humans and adds the study of how we as individuals are shaped in so many ways by the societies we live in. Top-rated teaching and a culture of dynamic research will give you the skills to be a sought-after graduate by employers in many sectors and especially in roles with strong focus on people and society.

Philosophy attempts to answer questions such as: What is knowledge? What is the nature of truth? Why should we act morally? Philosophy is just as much the study of reasoning and argument as it is the application of thought to specific problems. What makes Philosophy at Aberdeen especially attractive is the breadth of courses, the user-friendly materials you will use and the experts who will teach you. In your first year alone, you can study topics such as How Should One Live? Controversial Questions and Experience, Knowledge and Reality.

Sociology at Aberdeen will add a deeper dimension, as you explore how society shapes us as individuals in all sorts of ways, and study sociology of the family, work-life balance, religion and society. You will be taught by experts in social movements, conflict and peace, religion and secularisation and global political sociology and become skilled in the social research methods used to gather the evidence to better understand aspects of society – such as observation, interviews, large-scale surveys or analysing the content of documents and videos. This subject combination will develop your skills in thinking critically and posing probing questions – which have tremendous value to employers, for example in journalism, marketing and advertising, social and market research, teaching, health and social services, charities and human resources.