Faculty of Classics - University of Cambridge

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Ancient Philosophy in the Classics M.Phil. at Cambridge

Among the handful of world centres for the study of ancient philosophy, Cambridge is unique in having the subject based primarily in Classics, rather than in Philosophy. Its Classics M.Phil. course includes each year a specialised Ancient Philosophy unit, and this can serve as a complete and self-contained M.Phil. in ancient philosophy. (The certificate issued at the end of the course specifies ‘Ancient Philosophy’ as the subject area in which the degree has been awarded.)  Inaugurated in 1993, it is the UK’s longest-running Master’s course in ancient philosophy. Those who have taken the course, and gone on to teach the subject at university level, include Hendrik Lorenz, Frisbee Sheffield, James Warren, Gabriel Richardson Lear, Dominic Bailey, and Giles Pearson.

Those who teach on the course, by running seminars and supervising individual students, are David Sedley, Nicholas Denyer, Robert Wardy and James Warren. All have university teaching posts in Classics, but the last three also have college teaching posts in Philosophy and are Directors of Studies in the subject. The course itself, correspondingly, offers a balanced blend of classical and philosophical skills. This is further reflected by the fact that the course has always drawn students from both Classics and Philosophy departments, and that those who continue from it to doctorates and to university teaching posts do so in both types of department.

An advantage of the course’s location within a Classics environment is the attention paid to the advancement of linguistic and philological skills, with additional training laid on for those whose Greek (or, if appropriate, Latin) is below the required level. Many students on the course also take advantage of lectures and library facilities in the neighbouring Faculty of Philosophy, in addition to the rich resources of the Faculty of Classics. And some have, for one of their three essays, opted to work on a topic in contemporary philosophy.

Click here for more information on the study of Ancient Philosophy at Cambridge.