University Website: http://www.phil.cam.ac.uk

Director of Studies:  Dr Frisbee Sheffield

Philosophy is a rewarding subject to study, and Christ’s is a good place to study it. The College provides a supportive and stimulating intellectual environment, with one to one supervision in philosophy through all three years. Christ’s is academically strong in philosophy, as in other subjects, but it is also relaxed and friendly. The academic strength comes from encouraging real interest in the subject, and not from pressure to perform: students set their own priorities. Christ’s (a medium sized college) usually admits two philosophy students each year (a medium number) but there is no formal quota.

Philosophy starts with general and even vague questions, but then approaches them rigorously. It is a subject that appeals to critical thinkers from both sides of the arts/science divide. Good philosophers tend to have a strong desire to understand and to find answers, like scientists. But in philosophy it is extremely unusual to actually find answers (at least, answers that anyone else agrees with), just as it is unusual in arts and humanities subjects. So good philosophers also need the patience to tolerate uncertainty, obscurity, fundamental disagreements, and discussions lasting thousands of years, without losing their appetite for clarity and understanding. For people with this combination of dispositions, philosophy is a uniquely satisfying subject. If you like to think about deep and general questions, and are prepared to discuss your ideas with others in a constructive and critical way, then you should consider studying philosophy.

The application of rigour to unclear and messy domains gives students of philosophy a desirable and employable set of intellectual skills, which can be successfully transferred to careers in areas such as law (via a conversion course), civil service, business, journalism, and politics. Philosophy as it is taught at Cambridge has a valuable reputation for rigour among employers.

You will find more information about philosophy on the philosophy faculty website at www.phil.cam.ac.uk where you can also find reading lists and other useful information. You could also have a look at www.askphilosophers.org where professional philosophers do their best to answer philosophical questions from the general public.

College Facilities

Christ's is distinctive amongst the Cambridge Colleges. It offers strong tutorial support to its students as they pursue their academic work, and is able to offer accommodation for three years to all of its undergraduates. The College also provides a modern library, a theatre, sporting facilities, playing fields, social activities and clubs and societies open to all. More information can be found here.

How to Apply

In addition to nominating Cambridge as one of your selected universities on the UCAS application form, it is also desirable to choose a College of preference (the alternative is to submit an Open Application and allow a College preference to be chosen for you by computer). This can appear to add to the complexity of applying to Cambridge, but in reality the option of stating your particular College preference increases the control which you have over your own application. Many criteria can be used for choosing a College of preference, including such factors as location, architecture and accommodation, and academic, musical or sporting reputation. If you are able to visit Cambridge (preferably on a College Open Day) you may get a better idea of the location, atmosphere and facilities of various Colleges.

Christ's College does not have fixed quotas of places for different subjects and the exact numbers admitted in any one year will depend upon the strengths of the fields of applicants in various subjects. However, the College's aim is to admit 2 or 3 students each year in Philosophy. Interviews are held in early December: applicants will have two interviews at Christ's and will be asked to sit the Faculty of Philosophy written test on the same day.

Entry requirements are likely to be A*AA at A-level, or equivalent grades in other systems, although the precise terms of each offer are assessed individually. A final point worth making is that we only make offers that we believe candidates have a realistic chance of achieving. Our aim is to admit the best students regardless of their background. In recent years Philosophy at Christ's has tended, on average, to have between a 2:1 and 3:1 applicant: acceptance ratio.

Application information and further details can be found here.

Further Information

If you are able to come to a College Open Day, we will be glad to tell you more about the College and the course in person. If you are not able to come, we will be happy to answer any queries you may have that are not covered by the normal literature. Please address any such enquiries to the Admissions Tutor, Christ's College, Cambridge, CB2 3BU, or by e-mail to admissions@Christ's.cam.ac.uk

Reading Recommendations

Plato, Euthyphro and Meno
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics
Rene Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy – especially Meditations 1 and 2
David Hume, An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding – especially Sections IV, V, VII and X
George Berkeley, Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous
John Stuart Mill, On Liberty and The Subjection of Women
Thomas Nagel, Mortal Questions
Thomas Nagel, What Does It All Mean?
Bertrand Russell, The Problems of Philosophy