Philosophy: 10 Great Western Philosophers (classroom)
At a Glance
- Classroom course (South Kensington)
- Alternate Tuesdays 18:00 - 20:00
- 10 weeks | October - March
- Starts 22 October 2024
- Fees from £144
- Tutor: Dr Matthew Rowe
Enrol-by Date
- 14 October 2024
On this 10-session course with Dr Matthew Rowe we are going to discover the ideas of some of the major philosophers from within the European tradition. This will be an introductory course in philosophy, so we will explore some of the familiar and not-so-familiar theories of philosophers ranging from Plato and Aristotle to Kant and Nietzsche, and more besides.
As well as examining the main areas and features of their thought and discovery aspects of their thinking, we will consider how many of the problems they sought to grapple with persist today in life, culture and thought today.
Although each session is self-contained, the course will build to cover the central subjects, philosophical schools of thought and approaches within the European tradition, and also examine the assumptions behind the idea these are the great philosophers of the Western tradition and why the canonical version of that tradition seems to only comprise white men.
This course will be taught face-to-face in the classroom at our South Kensington Campus in London, with a session once every two weeks (the dates are shown below).
Attendance Certificate
Successful completion of this course leads to the award of an Imperial College attendance certificate
Terms and conditions apply to all enrolments to this course. Please read them before enrolment
Course Information
Course Programme
Course Programme (Provisional and may be subject to some modification)
Taught sessions are held every two weeks
- Tuesday 22 October 2024 - Introducing Philosophy and Plato
- Tuesday 5 November 2024 - Introducing Aristotle
- Tuesday 19 November 2024 - Introducing Descartes
- Tuesday 3 December 2024 - Introducing Locke
••• Christmas Break •••
- Tuesday 7 January 2025 - Introducing Hume
- Tuesday 21 January 2025 - Introducing Kant
- Tuesday 4 February 2025 - Introducing Nietzsche
- Tuesday 18 February 2025 - Introducing the American Pragmatists (James, Peirce and Dewey)
- Tuesday 4 March 2025 - Introducing Wittgenstein and de Beauvoir
- Tuesday 18 March 2025 - Introducing Heidegger and Existentialism
Your Tutor
Dr Matthew Rowe is an extremely experienced and engaging teacher of philosophy, as well as being a practising philosopher in his own right.
His interests lie in aesthetics, the philosophy of art and relationship between artistic practice and art theory. He is primarily a writer, although he also engages in solo and collaborative visual art practises when appropriate.
His current writing research focusses on site speficity within artisitic production and issues surrounding morality and photography. Current writing projects include an essay on John Waters and a philosophical analysis of irony and sincerity.
As well as teaching at Imperial College London, Matthew also lectures at City and Guilds of London Art School.
Course Fees and Rate Categories
| Sessions | Standard Rate | Internal Rate | Associate Rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Early Bird: £241 Full price: £268 |
Early Bird: £144 Full price: £160 |
Early Bird: £190 Full price: £211 |
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| All fee rates quoted are for the whole course. Early Bird rates are available until the end of 30 September only. Part-payments are not possible. | |||||
Rate Categories and Discounts
Standard Rate
- Available to all except those who fall under the Internal Rate or Associate Rate category.
Internal Rate
- Current Imperial College students and staff (incl. Imperial NHS Trust, Imperial Innovations, ancillary & service staff employed on long-term contracts at Imperial College by third-party contractors)
- People enrolling under our Friends & Family scheme
- Alumni of Imperial College and predecessor colleges and institutes, including City & Guilds College Association members
- Students, staff and alumni of the Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music and City, UAL and the City and Guilds of London Art School
- Students, staff and Governors of Woodhouse College and the IC Mathematics School
Associate Rate
- Austrian Cultural Forum staff
- Co-operative College members
- Francis Crick Institute staff, researchers and students
- Friends and Patrons of the English Chamber Orchestra
- Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
- Friends of Leighton House/ Sambourne House
- Friends of the Royal College of Music
- Harrods staff
- Historic Royal Palaces staff
- Lycee Charles de Gaulle staff
- Members of the Friends of Imperial College
- Members of the Kennel Club
- Members of the London Zoological Society
- Members of the South London Botanical Institute (SLBI)
- Members of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
- National Health Service (NHS) employees
- Natural History Museum staff
- Residents of postcodes SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10 and W8
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council staff
- Royal Geographical Society staff
- Science Museum staff
- Staff of Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Discover South Kensington) organisations
- Students (non-Imperial College)
- Teachers and other staff of UK schools
- The American Institute for Foreign Study
- Tutors and other staff of institution members of the Association of Colleges
- Tutors and other staff of other universities and higher education institutions
- Victoria and Albert Museum staff
Late enrolment
It is possible to enrol on many of our adult education courses after the course has already started. For non-language courses this is subject entirely to agreement by the tutor. For language courses it is subject to agreement by the language coordinator conducting level assessment. If you want to join a course late do bear in mind there might be work you will need to catch up on, particularly in language courses.
Friends and Family Scheme
This course is eligible for allowing Imperial College students and staff to share their discount with their friends and family.
Term Dates 2024-2025
| Sessions | Autumn term | Spring term | Summer term | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Week starting 21 October - week ending 7 December 2024 (4 sessions)* | Week starting 6 January - week ending 22 March 2025 (6 sessions)* | n/a | ||
| *This is a 2-term course - Autumn term PLUS Spring term - with the Christmas break in between (CLASS IN ALTERNATE WEEKS ONLY) | |||||
Enrolment Process
Enrolment via the blue booking link is open. Early-bird discounts are available until the end of 30 September 2024
Enrolment and payment run through the Imperial College eStore. When enrolling:
- Do check on the drop down menu above called "Course Fees and Rate Categories" to see if you are eligible for a discounted rate and also do make sure you select that rate when enrolling on the eStore
- If you are a first-time eStore user you will need to create an account before enrolling. You can do this by entering an email address and password. This account can then be used for any future enrolments via the eStore.
When you have enrolled you will be sent the following email notifications:
| What is sent | When is it sent | What does it contain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Payment confirmation | Is sent straight away following submission of your online application |
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| 2. Enrolment confirmation | Is usually sent within 10 working days. Please treat your payment confirmation as confirmation that your applicant details and payment have been received |
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| 3. Programme information | Is usually sent on Friday late afternoon the week before term starts |
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Any Questions?
If you have any questions about the academic content or teaching of this course please contact the Course Tutor, Dr Matthew Rowe, m.rowe@imperial.ac.uk
If you have any questions about your enrolment or payment processes please contact the Programme Administrator, Christian Jacobi, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk