Philosophy of Mind and Psychology

Course description

Decisions in society have important knowledge-related and ethical dimensions. They affect people's obligations, rights and liberties, and they are based on scientific findings and expert advice. Studying reliable and responsible ways of decision-making requires philosophical reflection from various perspectives: we have to reason about human rationality, morality, political institutions and the science/society interface.

The MA in Philosophy, Science and Society develops your reasoning skills in these areas and enables you to critically analyze urgent problems within modern democracies. The programme adopts an interdisciplinary angle where cutting-edge philosophical research is inspired by findings from psychology, economics and cognitive science. Upon graduating, you will be an expert on ethical and epistemic aspects of social decision-making and you will be able to demonstrate how philosophical analysis contributes to solving societal challenges. Moreover, the MA offers:

• Teaching by highly international and experienced faculty. The lecturers in the Philosophy, Science and Society MA specialization have a strong international teaching record, including countries such as Belgium, Germany, Italy, the United States, and the United Kingdom. There are also guest lecturers from Australia, Canada and the US. 
• At the forefront of international research. Your teachers are also internationally leading researchers. The Tilburg Center for Logic, General Ethics and Philosophy of Science (TiLPS), the philosophy department's research platform, regularly organises international conferences, workshops and seminars that you are invited to attend free of charge. 
• Research-Based Learning. Our MA programme is committed to staying not a single inch behind the most recent state-of-the-art. From the first day of your stay in Tilburg, you will be confronted with the latest philosophical research, and you will assist your teachers in developing and testing new research results. 
• Innovative Methods. The MA combines traditional philosophical methods (conceptual analysis, dialectical reasoning, case studies, thought experiments) with recently developed approaches, such as experimental philosophy, simulations and abstract modeling of philosophical problems.

Career Prospects

After completing the MA in Philosophy, Science and Society you will be a genuine expert on social decision-making, solving ethical dilemmas that such decisions trigger, and the interplay between science and society. This involves hot topics such as the ethics of science, risk assessment and the legitimacy of technocratic decision-making. The MA qualifies you for a large set of jobs in government agencies, research institutes and the private sector. Companies may be especially interested in your expertise in moral reasoning and the impact of moral factors on decision-making. 

After graduating, you can also continue your career as an academic researcher who has already acquired an interdisciplinary background and who can apply for PhD positions in various fields. 

This is a small selection of positions that you may apply for after completing the MA:

• Policy Advisor
• Risk Assessment Engineer
• Values and Ethics Advisor
• Science Communicator
• Researcher in NGO's or think tanks
• Consultant

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