Philosophy and Linguistics (MA)VQ51

Philosophy has been at the core of Western intellectual life for at least 2,500 years. It is central to our understanding of the world and our interaction with it. Philosophy gives you the skills to think about great philosophical questions in a clear and systematic way. While there are different approaches that philosophers have taken, the study of philosophy focuses on: argumentcritical enquiryrigour in reasoningclarity of expression, including making important distinctions The University has a strong historic connection to the subject, counting Adam Ferguson and Sir William Hamilton among its former students. Edinburgh has one of the UK’s largest philosophy departments and the Philosophy Society attracts high-profile speakers. Linguistics explores how language works. It describes how we create meaning through: soundswordssentencesconversations It also studies: the uses of language in everyday lifeways in which language varies across society and evolves over timehow language is mastered by children Linguistics has a long history at the University of Edinburgh, and our teaching staff have an excellent reputation for research in this area. This joint programme gives you an in-depth knowledge in both subject areas, and the opportunity to specialise in the topics that interest you most.