Our research

Our department has a unique and distinguished history as an internationally renowned centre. Our research is structured around four clusters of activity:

history of philosophy
ethics and political philosophy
language, epistemology, metaphysics and mind
philosophy of art and aesthetics.

Each cluster is supported by a number of recurring research events, including through close collaboration with the Institute of Philosophy.

We cultivate a pluralistic approach to research that allows people to pursue and collaborate across a range of different interests, including by venturing beyond traditional topics of philosophical analysis.

For example, we work on traditionally well-known figures in the history of philosophy (in particular, Nietzsche, Spinoza, Aristotle, and Descartes) and on the role of women in the development of analytic philosophy; on established topics in the philosophy of mind and language but also as supported by experimental psychology; and on traditional topics in political philosophy, metaphysics, and epistemology, as well as on the philosophy underpinning predictive modelling and novel forecasting technologies.

Research projects

Emotional Responses to Fiction: A Spinozist Approach

Watch Susan James discuss the 'Emotional Responses to Fiction: A Spinozist Approach' at the Royal Institute of Philosophy

WHAT WOULD YOU BELIEVE IF YOU WERE FULLY INFORMED?

Watch Kristoffer Ahlstrom-Vij discuss his new website ‘If Informed’, which looks to address problems of public political ignorance.

Aristotle's Biology

Listen to Sophia Connell discuss her work on Aristotle’s biology on Radio 4’s In Our Time with Melvyn Bragg.

Birkbeck Explains: Was Nietzsche a nihilist?

Dr Andrew Huddleston, from the Department of Philosophy at Birkbeck, University of London, explores whether the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche was a nihilist.

The Birkbeck Explains video series challenges the expert academics of Birkbeck, University of London, to answer a probing question in simple terms. Have a question? Ask in the comments below.

Find out more about our staff

KEY information

Our staff

Find out more about the staff in our department.

Staff research areas

Check our experts' database for a quick guide to the research interests of our academic staff.

Our research students

Find out more about research students in our department.

Publications

Our staff publish widely in respected journals across the discipline.

Research impact

We excel in research that has a high impact on policy and practice in the real world.

Become an MPhil/PhD student

Find out more about researching an MPhil/PhD in our department.

Research Office support for Birkbeck staff

Find out how we support academic researchers at Birkbeck.

Ethics procedures and guidance

If you do research with people, you will need to comply with our ethics procedures and guidelines.

News

Discover the latest news from our department.

Free events

We offer free events throughout the year, where you can find out more about our research and meet our staff.

London Philosophy Talk

These podcasts, hosted by Dr Florian Steinberger, focus on informal philosophical discussions with experts in a range of different topics.

Our collaboration

Our key partners include the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) and Oxford’s Centre on Migration, Policy, and Society (COMPAS).

The department collaborates extensively with the Birkbeck Institute of Humanities, including through the organisation of lectures and workshops.

We also have a close relationship with the Institute of Philosophy, at the University of London’s School of Advanced Study (SAS), through which consultancy work has been provided for Coca Cola and Kellogg, among others. Recently, the department has been invited to provide expert evidence to the Department of Health.

Research Excellence Framework 2021

78.8% of our research outputs were classified as world-leading or internationally excellent.

Find out more

RESEARCH Centres and NETWORKS

Our academics, researchers and MPhil/PhD students work together via research centres, networks, groups and societies. These cut across departments, subjects and areas of expertise, to encourage and enable innovative, interdisciplinary research.

The Aristotelian Society

The Aristotelian Society, founded in 1880, meets fortnightly in London to hear and discuss talks given by leading philosophers.

Birkbeck Institute for Social Research

We are the focal point for social research at Birkbeck, and a hub for the dissemination and discussion of social research in London and beyond.

Birkbeck Philosophy Society

We host regular debates, discussions and social events for philosophy students at all levels of study.

Guilt Working Group

The relation between modern guilts and other forms and discourses of guilt is rich and strange. We provide a focus for discussions on this topic.

London Aesthetics Forum

This is an ongoing speaker series in aesthetics and the philosophy of art. Founded in 2006, the goal of the London Aesthetics Forum is to revive philosophical activity in aesthetics within London.