Computer scientists need to be able to reflect critically and philosophically about these, as they push forward into novel domains. Philosophers need to understand a world increasingly shaped by technology, in which a whole new range of enquiry has opened up, from the philosophy of AI, to the ethics of privacy and intellectual property.
Some of the greatest thinkers of the past - including Aristotle, Hobbes and Turing - dreamed of automating reasoning and what this might achieve; the computer has now made it a reality, providing a wonderful tool for extending our speculation and understanding.
The study of Philosophy develops analytical, critical and logical rigour, and the ability to think through the consequences of novel ideas and speculations. It stretches the mind by considering a wide range of thought and thinkers on subjects as fundamental as the limits of knowledge, the nature of reality and our place in it, and the basis of morality. Computer Science is about understanding computer systems at a deep level. Computers and the programs they run are among the most complex products ever created. Designing and using them effectively presents immense challenges. Facing these challenges is the aim of Computer Science as a practical discipline.
Both subjects are intellectually exciting and creative. The degree combines analytical and technical knowledge with rhetorical and literary skills, and the chance to study within two internationally-acclaimed academic departments.
Computer Science and Philosophy can be studied for three (BA degree) or four years (Master of Computer Science and Philosophy). Everyone applies for the four-year course and chooses their exit point at the beginning of their third year.
The first year covers core material in both subjects, including a bridging course studying TuringÕs pioneering work on computability and artificial intelligence. Later years include a wide range of options, with an emphasis on courses near the interface between the two subjects. The fourth year allows the study of advanced topics and an in-depth research project.