Mathematics and Philosophy

Mathematics and philosophy together explore the most fundamental questions that human thought can address. Mathematics asks about the nature of number, space, logic and proof, developing a kind of rigorous deductive reasoning that is unlike anything else in intellectual life. Philosophy asks about the nature of knowledge, reality, mind, value and existence, bringing the tools of conceptual analysis and argument to bear on questions that resist empirical investigation alone.

At their intersection, the two disciplines raise some of the deepest and most fascinating questions in either field: what is mathematical truth? Are mathematical objects real? What is the relationship between logic and language?

And what does the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics in describing the physical world actually tell us?

This three-year full-time degree at the University of Warwick includes a year abroad and enables you to pursue your interest in foundational questions about mathematics, logic and philosophy at one of the UK's strongest universities in both subjects. You will develop genuine mathematical depth, engaging with analysis, algebra, number theory and the foundations of mathematics, alongside a rigorous philosophical education in logic, epistemology, metaphysics and the philosophy of mathematics and science. The combination demands intellectual range and precision, but it produces graduates with an unusually powerful set of analytical tools.

Graduates from mathematics and philosophy programmes are among the most analytically capable of all humanities and science graduates. The combination of mathematical rigour and philosophical clarity is valued in law, finance, artificial intelligence research, academic philosophy, academic mathematics, logic, computing, public policy, journalism and a wide range of other careers where the ability to think precisely about difficult questions is an asset. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in mathematics, philosophy, logic, computer science or cognitive science.