Welcome to the UCL Philosophy Department Webpages

The teaching of Philosophy at UCL began in 1830 with the appointment of a Professor of Logic and the Philosophy of Mind. The founding principles of the College, and its early connections with Jeremy Bentham and the Utilitarian movement, gave particular importance to the subject. Click here to read more about the department's history.

UCL has placed a high value on inclusivity and diversity since its inception in 1826, when it became the first English University to admit students regardless of their race, class or religion. It was also the first in England to admit men and women on an equal basis.
The Philosophy Department continues to be committed to these ideals today. Click here to read more.

Today the department has notable strengths in the Philosophy of Mind and Language, Political and Moral Philosophy, Metaphysics and Epistemology, and the History of Philosophy. Click here to find out more about our current staff members' interests.

In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008), the UCL Philosophy Department was ranked first in the UK.

LATEST NEWS:

It was with great sadness that the Departments of Philosophy, and of Greek and Latin, learned of the recent death of Mr. Edward Senior, an alumnus of UCL Philosophy, and friend of our former Head of Department, S.V. Keeling. Mr. Senior's generous gift to the Philosophy Department in 1980 provided for the establishment of the annual Stanley Victor Keeling memorial lecture in ancient philosophy, and subsequent gifts saw the creation of the biennial Keeling Colloquium in ancient philosophy, and the Postgraduate Keeling Scholarship in ancient philosophy. Mr. Senior cared deeply about the significance of researching and teaching ancient philosophy, particularly Greek philosophy, its role in the curriculum for students at UCL, and the atmosphere created by visiting eminent scholars. To date, his bequest has resulted in the publication of eight volumes of ancient philosophy, supported more than half a dozen postgraduate students, and enriched the education of hundreds of undergraduates.

Click here to read more about the Keeling bequest.

Dr José Zalabardo has published a new book 'Scepticism and Reliable Belief' which contains a brand-new account of knowledge with novel approaches to standard sceptical arguments and has been described as a serious contribution to the debate.

Professor Jo Wolff has been appointed Dean of Arts and Humanities from October 2012 for five years. In this prestigious and very important post Professor Wolff will be guiding the development of Arts and Humanities in UCL during a very challenging period.