English Literature and Philosophy

Investigate and analyse universal themes like love and morality through literary texts and philosophical problems.

You’ll learn to combine persuasive expression in the study of literature with different philosophical perspectives, as you discover how literary culture and society have influenced each other.

By studying both, students can explore questions about human existence, identity, and values through diverse lenses: literary texts often dramatise philosophical questions, while philosophy provides a structured way of interrogating those themes.

Why study this course?

• Choose to combine complementary modules, like Gender and Sexuality in literature with Feminist Philosophy.

• Go beyond the printed book - take advantage of the wide-ranging expertise within our academic community and delve into the study of social media, marketing, textual production, video games, comics, art, music and film and TV.

• Explore Birmingham’s literary scene and get involved with the numerous on-campus writer’s groups, including our very own newspaper, radio and TV stations.

• Delve into the various city-wide literature festivals and take advantage of our exceptional resources, including our special collections and archives in the Cadbury Research Library and the Library of Birmingham, Europe’s largest regional library.

Top 15 for English in the Complete University Guide 2025

11th for Philosophy in the Complete University Guide 2025