WHY STUDY THIS COURSE?

If you enjoy grappling with big questions such as:

• How do we know things?
• What is the mind? Is it the brain?
• What is good?
• Should we have fixed moral rules (e.g. do not lie) or does what is good depend on the situation?
• How can there be a god if bad things happen to innocent people?

The course is designed to give you a thorough grounding in the key concepts and methods of philosophy. You will have the opportunity to engage with big questions in a purely secular (non-religious) context.

WHAT WILL I STUDY?

Year 1 

You will explore two core branches of philosophy.

Moral Philosophy: You will investigate how we decide what is right and wrong, examining ethical theories such as utilitarianism, Kantian ethics, and virtue ethics. You will apply these theories to real-world issues, debating topics like animal rights, euthanasia and punishment.

Epistemology: This is the study of knowledge. You will consider big questions like: How do we know what we know? Can our senses be trusted? What counts as good evidence? You will analyse the difference between belief, perception and truth, and challenge assumptions about how the world works. 

Year 2 

Your second year develops these skills further as you analyse the nature of the mind and our understanding of existence. 

Metaphysics of Mind: You will explore what the mind really is. Are we simply physical brains, or is there more to human consciousness than science can explain? You will debate ideas such as dualism, behaviourism, and the role of artificial intelligence.

Metaphysics of God: This topic tackles some of the oldest and most profound philosophical
questions. You will study classical and modern arguments for and against the existence of God, examine the problem of evil, and consider how religious language can be understood.

HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?

You will have 2 exams at the end of Year 13.  Both will be 3 hours long and worth 50% of your overall A Level grade.

Paper 1 – examines Epistemology & Moral Philosophy

Paper 2 – examines Metaphysics of God & Metaphysics of Mind

You will be examined on two assessment objectives:

A01- knowledge & understanding

A02- analysis & evaluation

There are 4 different question types: 3, 5, 12 and 25 markers

WHERE CAN IT LEAD?

Achieving an A Level in Philosophy can springboard you into your next destination, whether that is the world of work or further education, this is because throughout the course you will develop many transferable skills.  For example, you will learn to be clear and precise in your thinking and writing. You will engage with complex texts, analysing and evaluating the arguments of others and constructing and defending your own arguments.