As the term draws to a close, it’s the perfect opportunity to look back on the MPhil seminar series. This year’s theme was Singular Reference and Kind Reference. The series was run by Alexander Bird and Eliot Michaelson (along with special guests Francois Recanati, Jonathan Cohen and Ethan Nowak) while David Papineau was also kind enough to submit some of his work in progress to the scrutiny of our new MPhil students. 

The MPhil seminar this term was great for getting me out of my comfort zone and introducing me to an area of philosophy I might not have otherwise encountered. Both the readings and the discussions really stretched my philosophical understanding as I was starting from a place of zero background knowledge and whilst there were definitely moments of confusion, they became fewer and farther between!  I enjoyed studying something completely new and getting to know new members of the department in the process.  Colette Olive

I enjoyed the MPhil seminar. There was a good balance between reading important classics, which  one in any case ought to know, and more recent texts that one would otherwise probably not have come across. Moreover, the seminar was regularly attended by various faculty members and guests, which made for more lively and informative discussion. Overall, I would say that I came out of the class with a much more thorough understanding of a topic of fundamental importance, which is likely to help me no matter what I might go on to do. Simon Dietz