The last week of first term is always the most awkward one for students; stuck in a kind of limbo between meeting deadlines and getting into the Christmas spirit. I am currently putting the finishing touches on my last essay. I Cannot wait to finish and then properly get in the mood for Christmas. I did manage to have a break yesterday and I went to the annual Christmas market on campus. The market is great. They sell lots of Christmassy foods and really cool Christmas jumpers; I still wear the one I bought in first year.

Next week is the last week before I go home. I am looking forward to spending Christmas with my family. We all have a big get together on Christmas day in one of the local pubs. Then the rest of the day is spent with my parents watching Christmas films in front of the TV. I am also really looking forward to seeing my dog Flynn, who I always miss when I’m at uni.

I do have a lot to think about over the break. I have decided to apply to do a Masters at Lancaster. I am also applying for PhD funding; which means I have to start thinking about a research project. This is quite difficult and I need to make sure I make the right decision first time around, as should I be accepted, I will be committed to the project for four years. I have a rough idea of what I want to do. My main interests are in ethics and political philosophy, so I’m thinking of some way in which to combine the two.

I will also need to do further work on my dissertation. I am writing a critique of John Rawls’s  A Theory of Justice. It is a really interesting book. Rawls attempts to reason his way to the correct principles on which to organise society. He thinks that the best way to do this is by imagining that we don’t know our place in society (our social class, identity etc.). He thinks that by doing this we will not make a biased decision based on our own individual preferences. I agree with much of what he says, but my argument is that some of our intuitions may be undermined by Evolutionary pressures and historical influences. I am also going to argue against his view that morality is a contractual agreement among rational people. I think we have strong reasons to care about future generations, more so given the environmental ramifications of our actions. As it is difficult to see how we can have an implicit contractual agreement with such people, I think Rawls’s theory fails here. I will try to put forward a theory which resolves these problems.

But that’s all for later. In the meantime, I want to finish my work and have some time to relax. My girlfriend is visiting at the weekend and we’re going out for a Christmas meal at Greaves Park in town. It is a really nice place with a nice outdoor seating area surrounded by greenery. I also have my last pool match of the term on Tuesday. I said in one of my earlier posts that we got off to a great start. Unfortunately we have struggled in our last couple of matches. But hopefully we will finish 2016 with a win!