Philosophy (120 ec)

The two-year Master's programme in Philosophy at Leiden University investigates the fundamental principles underpinning human knowledge while cultivating your capacity for reason and sound argumentation.

This demanding and high-level programme is ideal for students who wish to enhance their knowledge of a particular discipline with complementary understanding of its philosophical foundations combined with further honing of their analytical thinking skills. 

The master in Philosophy offers you the choice of three specialisations: Philosophy of Humanities, Philosophy of Law, Governance, and Politics Philosophy in World Traditions. Each specialisation delves deep into the philosophical foundations and methodological approaches underpinning that discipline. Content incorporates the very latest academic theory and the field’s historical development across a number of branches of philosophy.

The intellectual tools yielded by the study of philosophy are typically transferable skills to complement any given profession. The master in Philosophy will train you to become an outstanding critical thinker, capable of breaking down the most complex ideas and evaluating the principles upon which various positions are based. During your master, you will study, analyse and discuss primary philosophical texts while learning how to develop and communicate your own theories and ideas.