Short course
From A to Zeno – An Introduction to Philosophy
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Dates:
01/10/2026 - 03/12/2026
Study format:
In-person weekly
Fees:
£315.00
Going right back to the Greek thinkers of the Classical period, this course will examine the major contributions to philosophy in Europe over the last 2,500 years. Many important philosophical questions have occupied the attention of the greatest minds: Who or what am I? How did life begin? Is there a God? How ought I to live? Answering these questions is, of course, very hard, perhaps even impossible.
This course examines the attempts of these thinkers to engage with such issues and look, not only at the theory of knowledge, but also philosophy's contribution to politics, morality, religion and science.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Programme details
Course starts Thursday 1 October 2026
Week 1: The pre-Socratics and Socrates
Week 2: Plato
Week 3: Aristotle
Week 4: Rationalism
Week 5: Empiricism
Week 6: Enlightenment Philosophy
Week 7: Kierkegaard
Week 8: Nietzsche
Week 9: Heidegger and Sartre
Week 10: Wittgenstein, Ryle and Ayer
Teaching methods
The sessions will be in a seminar format including both presentation of the key ideas and open discussion based around short extracts and articles. Students will have the opportunity, if they wish, to give a short presentation as a part of their portfolio assessment.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be expected to:
- be able to discuss some of the major concerns of the philosophers studied;
- develop their critical and analytical skills through the reading, the portfolio and the sessions;
- enable a keener sense of inter-communication through group discussion.
Assessment methods
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.
Assessment
You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Level and demands
No previous engagement with philosophy is required.
The Department’s Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, ie first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Course aims
This course aims to enable participants to develop an understanding of the central concerns of the key philosophers and philosophical movements in Western Philosophy and to explore their continuing significance.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will have been given the opportunity to:
- develop an understanding of key philosophical questions and concepts, particularly in the areas of epistemology and metaphysics
- explore the development of Western Philosophy through the study of major philosophers and philosophical movements
- examine the relevance of philosophical ideas to related disciplines and to wider intellectual and cultural debates
Programme details
Course starts Thursday 1 October 2026
Week 1: The pre-Socratics and Socrates
Week 2: Plato
Week 3: Aristotle
Week 4: Rationalism
Week 5: Empiricism
Week 6: Enlightenment Philosophy
Week 7: Kierkegaard
Week 8: Nietzsche
Week 9: Heidegger and Sartre
Week 10: Wittgenstein, Ryle and Ayer
Teaching methods
The sessions will be in a seminar format including both presentation of the key ideas and open discussion based around short extracts and articles. Students will have the opportunity, if they wish, to give a short presentation as a part of their portfolio assessment.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be expected to:
- be able to discuss some of the major concerns of the philosophers studied;
- develop their critical and analytical skills through the reading, the portfolio and the sessions;
- enable a keener sense of inter-communication through group discussion.
Assessment methods
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.
Assessment
You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Dr Magnus Moar
Magnus Moar is a graduate of Oxford and Sussex Universities with a doctoral thesis focussing on the work of Kierkegaard. Magnus has a published article on Kierkegaard and Levinas and has been teaching undergraduates for nearly twenty years.
Assessment methods
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.
Level and demands
No previous engagement with philosophy is required.
The Department’s Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, ie first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee (with no assessment) | £315.00 |
| Assessment and Accreditation fee | £60.00 |
How to enrol
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form.
How to register for accreditation and assessment
To be able to submit coursework and to earn credit (CATS points) for this course, if you wish to do so, you will need to register and pay an additional £60 fee. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun.
If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.