Department of Philosophy

The Department of Philosophy at SOAS University of London offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees across Western, Indian, Tibetan, Chinese, Japanese and African philosophical traditions, taught by internationally recognised experts.

The Department of Philosophy is the only department in the UK, and one of the few in the world, where you can study philosophy as a truly global phenomenon. Our degree programmes cover the rich histories, systems of religious belief and philosophical traditions of Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Here you will explore diverse philosophical worlds, question inherited boundaries, and join a department dedicated to dialogue across cultures, languages, and intellectual traditions. We look forward to thinking with you. 

What is Philosophy at SOAS?

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental questions, such as about existence, knowledge, ethics and value. 

Uniquely among UK universities, at SOAS we study philosophy globally rather than through a single Western lens, while consistently and critically questioning the inherited boundaries of the discipline itself.

The only truly global philosophy curriculum in the UK

Unlike other UK universities, our degrees expand philosophy beyond a narrow Western canon, drawing equally on Western, Indian, Tibetan, Chinese, Japanese and African traditions.

Ranked among the UK's best for Philosophy

SOAS is ranked in the top 30 in the UK for Philosophy, and 8th in the UK for Employer Reputation in Philosophy (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026), reflecting how highly our graduates are regarded by employers.

Learn in central London

Explore philosophical questions beyond the classroom through London's museums, galleries, archives and cultural institutions, all within easy reach of SOAS’s Bloomsbury campus.

Learn from researchers tackling real-world questions

Recent staff research includes work on African philosophy of disability, bringing together academics, healthcare workers and disabled people, and projects exploring how oral traditions shape philosophical knowledge and understanding.

Exceptional academic resources

Students have access to more than 3.3 million books, journals, archives and specialist resources through the SOAS Library, supporting research across every philosophical tradition taught in the department.

Teaching in the Department of Philosophy draws on expertise across major philosophical traditions from around the world:

• Western philosophy: European philosophical traditions studied critically and comparatively alongside other global traditions.
• Indian philosophy: classical and contemporary philosophical traditions of South Asia.
• Tibetan philosophy: Buddhist philosophical traditions of the Tibetan world.
• East Asian philosophy: Chinese and Japanese philosophical traditions.
• African philosophy: classical and contemporary African philosophical traditions, including ethics, ontology and epistemology. 

Teaching is informed by research into questions of knowledge, justice, disability, religion and social change. Our unique focus among UK universities on philosophical traditions from around the world allows students to engage with philosophical debates from a truly global and comparative perspective.

Graduates from the Department of Philosophy at SOAS University of London develop the vision, creativity and analytical skills valued by employers across many sectors, including law, policy, business, journalism and the civil service. 

Alumni from the wider School of History, Religions and Philosophies have gone on to work at organisations including the BBC, Goldman Sachs, UNESCO, and the Cambodian government. Many graduates also progress to further study, applying their training in careful reasoning and cross-cultural thinking to research and academia, as well as roles in publishing, education and international development.