Philosophy
Subject Leader for Philosophy: Dr. Brendan Larvor
We offer undergraduate and research degrees in philosophy.
Hertfordshire's philosophy teaching was rated 'Excellent' and awarded a grade of 24 (out of 24) in the Quality Assurance Agency's Subject Review of November 2001. Read their report on us. In the National Student Survey we achieved an overall student satisfaction score of 4.3 (out of 5). See also the reports of external assessors and external examiners.
In the 2008 RAE, 90% of our research was rated as ‘internationally recognised' or 'internationally excellent' in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
Forthcoming Events
The Francis Bacon Lecture 2012
29 February 2012
This annual lecture will be delivered by Professor Raymond Tallis and is entitled ‘Aping Mankind: Neuromania, Darwinitis and the Misrepresentation of Mankind’
News
Professor Luciano Floridi appointed Chairman of European Commission
Tuesday 13 December
Professor Luciano Floridi, from the School of Humanities, has been appointed Chairmanof theexpert group, organised by the EU Directorate General Information Society and Media(DG INFSO) of theEuropean Commission.
Philosophy group secures funding
Friday 18 November
Dr. Brendan Larvor of the Philosophy Group in the School of Humanities has secured funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council Networking Scheme for a series of three conferences on Mathematical Cultures.
The network of researchers gathered at these conferences will map various contemporary mathematical cultures, explore the cognitive values of mathematicians and supply the richest possible answer to the question, “Why should I do mathematics?”
Professor Luciano Floridi inaugurates new research centre in Chicago
Monday 3 October
Professor Luciano Floridi, from the School of Humanities, will be the keynote speaker at the Symposium on Digital Ethics (October 28) that will inaugurate the new Center for Digital Ethics and Policy at Loyola University in Chicago. The Center for Digital Ethics and Policy, hosted by the School of Communication at Loyola University Chicago, seeks to foster more dialogue, research, and guidelines regarding ethical behavior in online and digital environments.
Professor Luciano Floridi awarded grant by the AHRC
Monday 3 October
Professor Luciano Floridi, from the School of Humanities, has been awarded a grant by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, to work on information quality standards, in collaboration with Google UK. The most developed societies live by information, and Information and Communication Technologies keep them constantly oxygenated. So it seems essential that we should understand what it means for such information to be of high-quality, and hence fully and safely exploitable as a fruitful resource. And yet, we currently have only some approximate and contrasting views about information quality standards. Funded with over £207,000, the two-year project seeks to fill this serious gap in our understanding, through a two-way knowledge transfer between Prof. Floridi's theoretical expertise in the philosophy and ethics of information and Google's applied know-how in information management.
