A-LEVEL

Philosophy means the love of wisdom. It is the activity of seeking out truth regarding ultimate questions on life. In Philosophy we consider how others have answered these questions. We assess their answers, before making judgements about the most likely solutions to some of the big questions of existence.

Subject requirements:
Minimum GCSE of 6 in English, 5 in Maths and 6 in Religious Studies (if studied).

Teacher to contact/Philosophy Lead Teacher: Miss E Carne
Head of RPE: Mrs A Popple
Humanities Area Coordinator - Dr R Mills
Humanities Curriculum Assistant

Course Content

Year 12
There are two compulsory units focussing on two of the biggest foundational ideas in Philosophy and introducing the
skills of logical analysis.

Section A: Epistemology asks the question: ‘What can we know?’ This includes how we acquire knowledge, the
relationship between truth, belief and justification, and whether we can ever be certain of anything.

Section B: Moral Philosophy asks the question: ‘What is the good?’ It examines whether moral truths can even be known. We consider the meaning of ethical language like 'good' and 'evil'; the philosophical approaches of Kant, Aristotle and Bentham; and contemporary moral debates.

Year 13
Two further compulsory units focussing on metaphysics, which asks us to consider the nature of existence.

Section C: Metaphysics of God asks the questions: ‘What do we mean by God?’ and ‘Does God exist?’
We consider arguments that attempt to use reason to prove God’s existence, including the ontological argument and cosmological argument, as well asconsidering what religious language means.

Section D: Metaphysics of Mind asks the question: ‘What is the connection between our mental states and our physical body?’
Considering key scholars like Descartes, we consider if we can know other people have the same experience as us, if the mind is connected to the brain, and whether we can talk meaningfully about mental states.

Assessment Criteria:

A-Level: Two 3-hour exams

Exam Board: AQA
A-Level: 7172

Are you interested in:

• What you can be certain of?
• Does anything else exist?
• What does it mean to be good?
• Do other people see things the way I do?
• The nature of a supreme being?

Leading to a career in:

• Law
• Journalism
• Education
• Civil Service
• Social Services

This subject goes well with:

• History
• Mathematics
• Psychology

Click below to learn about the course from Philosophy student, Zoe.