About the Department of Philosophy

St Andrews is one of the leading international centres for philosophy in Britain.

In the latest UK-wide assessment of the research of UK universities (REF 2021), the Department came out 1st in the UK for its research outputs, both in their GPA and in the percentage of highest category or ‘world-leading’.

The St Andrews and Stirling graduate programme (SASP) was ranked third in Britain in a recent US-based survey.

The Philosophy department was ranked 1st in the UK in the most recent Times and Sunday Times UK Good University Guide as well as 2nd in the most recent Guardian University Guide.

Research

There is a busy programme of conferences, workshops and visiting speakers from universities in the UK and from abroad.

We have a regular visiting speaker series – the Philosophy Club – as well as a weekly Friday Seminar at which doctoral students present their work, and a seminar specifically for MLitt students. In addition, there is a rich series of specialised research seminars held under the auspices of our three philosophical research centres:

  • The Centre for Ethics, Philosophy and Public Affairs (CEPPA)
  • The Arché Philosophical Research Centre for the Philosophy of Logic, Language, Metaphysics and Epistemology
  • The St Andrews Institute for Gender Studies (StAIGS)

The Philosophical Quarterly, one of the most respected international philosophy journals, is edited from St Andrews. The journal is jointly owned by the University and by the Scots Philosophical Association (SPA). The Department and the SPA use its revenues to provide doctoral studentships for SASP (the PQ Scholarship), covering both maintenance and fees, as well as to promote philosophical research in Scotland via the sponsorship of conferences, workshops, and fellowships.

Special strengths

  • St Andrews is a large philosophical centre with over 20 permanent full-time academic staff, as well as post-doctoral fellows, five Professorial Fellows affiliated to Arché and/or CEPPA, visiting professors, and graduate tutors.
  • There is a wide range of courses on offer at every level.
  • Teaching resources are excellent, including a class library located in the Philosophy building.
  • There is a rich and varied programme of distinguished visiting scholars and lecturers, as well as a very active undergraduate Philosophy Society that organises talks, debates, parties and other social events.
  • The Philosophy Department have been taking their Honours students to Burn House in Angus on reading parties for many decades, a tradition that continues to the present day.

Facilities

Philosophy teaching and staff are mainly accommodated in Edgecliffe, a large detached house in the Scottish Baronial style situated on a small cliff with views across St Andrews Bay to the eastern Grampian mountains.

Edgecliffe provides exceptionally pleasant and comfortable surroundings for teaching and research. It contains:

  • a departmental library with about 5,000 volumes
  • three seminar rooms, rooms for all academic staff
  • computing facilities
  • secretarial offices
  • a staff kitchen.

The main University Library across the road has a very substantial philosophy collection, including around 100 current philosophy journals.

Strategic plan

The Department is part of the School of Philosophical, Anthropological and Film Studies whose Strategic Plan 2021 – 2026 (PDF) outlines School and Department aspirations, aims and commitment to world leading and inclusive teaching and research.

BPA/SWIP

The Department has subscribed to the British Philosophical Association & Society for Women in Philosophy's Good Practice Scheme since 2016. In line with the scheme, we regularly conduct internal audits to monitor our compliance and if necessary develop plans for better meeting the scheme's recommendations. Our last internal audit was November 2024.