Philosophy and International Relations

Philosophy and international relations is a pairing with deep intellectual coherence. International relations asks how states, institutions, and non-state actors interact in a world without a central authority, examining war, diplomacy, trade, human rights, and the governance of global problems. Philosophy provides the conceptual and normative tools for thinking about the foundations of those relationships, asking what sovereignty means, what obligations states have to people beyond their borders, whether international institutions can be legitimate, and what justice demands in a world of profound inequality.

Together, the two disciplines develop graduates who can both describe how the world works and ask rigorous questions about how it should work.

At the University of Reading, this three-year programme develops your knowledge and analytical skills in both disciplines. In the philosophy strand, you will engage with political philosophy, ethics, philosophy of mind, epistemology, and the specific philosophical questions raised by international affairs, including theories of just war, global justice, and human rights. In the international relations strand, you will study the major theoretical frameworks of the discipline, explore the history of the international system, and examine contemporary issues in global politics including security, development, environmental governance, and the role of international law.

The programme includes a sandwich year in industry, a year abroad, and work placement opportunities, all of which develop the professional experience and international perspective that careers in this area demand.

Graduates move into careers in diplomacy, international organisations, non-governmental bodies, and policy research. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, international charities, human rights organisations, and think tanks focused on global affairs are natural destinations. Journalism covering international affairs, roles in the United Nations and its agencies, and positions in development organisations round out the possibilities.

Law, particularly international law and human rights law, draws graduates who combine the philosophical and international relations grounding of this degree with further legal training. Some continue to postgraduate study in international relations, philosophy, law, or a combination, moving towards academic or specialist policy careers.