Philosophy

Why am I here? What do I know? What should I do? What is really going on?

These are the questions that students of philosophy ponder and debate.

Philosophy is about using rational argument and logical thinking to shine some light on life’s big questions. In doing so you will gain a greater understanding of the world we live in, and of yourself. It will help you to become a great thinker.

The ability to consider abstract subjects and apply them to everyday life will be personally useful but is also a very worthwhile skill in most career choices.

Assessment includes two written exams: Paper 1 (Epistemology and Ethics) and Paper 2 (Religion and Mind). Examinations are 3 hours long (AQA awarding body).

During the first year of the course you will study:

• Epistemology – including where ideas and knowledge come from and the nature of sense perception
• Ethics – how do we decide what is morally right? What do we mean when we say ‘right’ and ‘wrong’? Or ‘good’ and ‘bad’?

In the second and final year of study you will focus on:

• Metaphysics of Religion – can the existence of God be proved? Does evil cause a problem for god? When we talk about ‘god’, what do we mean?
• Metaphysics of the Mind – what is the relationship between mind and body? Can a machine be conscious? Should we be worried about artificial intelligence (AI)? Are ‘philosophical zombies’ logically possible?

A selection of the philosophers tyou will study include: Aristotle, Berkeley, Descartes, Gettier, Hume, Leibniz, Kant, Locke, Mill, Plato, Russell, Singer and Socrates.

Five GCSEs at grade 5 or above (including English and maths). You also need to have an open and inquiring mind and excellent work ethic and a strong commitment to study.