Philosophy

Year 12

Epistemology (The Theory of Knowledge)

In this topic we will be asking ‘how can we know things?’ and ‘how can we be sure about the things we claim to know?’

Do we see the world directly, or do we only see what our senses tell us? For example, a human and a bat experience the world differently due to their different senses. Does either have the ‘correct’ experience of the world?                                                                    

How do you know that you are really reading this booklet now and not, for example, lying in bed asleep dreaming that you are reading this book, or else plugged into some super computer, like the one in the film The Matrix ?

Ethics (Moral Philosophy)

What makes actions right or wrong, good or bad? Should we always follow the rules laid down in law or tradition or should we look to the consequences of actions when making moral decisions instead? We shall apply these concerns to practical moral issues concerning stealing, eating animals, telling lies and simulated killing (within computer games, films, plays, etc.).

Can we even agree on what counts as right or wrong in the first place? Are moral truths ‘out there’ to be discovered or are morals simply a matter of individual taste (with no right or wrong) like having sugar in coffee?

Year 13

Ultimate Questions: The Concept of God, Religious Language and the Existence of God

Does the concept of an ultimate being make sense? Can God know the future if it has not happened? Is something good because God wills it or does God will it because it is good? Can God make a stone so big that He cannot lift it?

Can we argue for the existence of God? If God is so unlike human beings, how can we talk about God using human language?

The Philosophy of Mind

What do we mean by ‘mind’? We all know that we have one but can we define it accurately? I know that I have a mind but can we be sure other people have minds as well (or is everyone else just a philosophical zombie!)?

We shall also be exploring the different arguments about the relationship between mind and body. On the one hand we have the dualists who insist that the mind and body are somehow distinct. On the other we have the physicalists who claim that there is no distinction; the workings of the mind and the activity of the brain are the same thing.

You can use Philosophy to enter a broad range of degree courses in Higher Education. These have included Philosophy, History, Sociology, Religious Studies, Law, Politics and Mathematics. Combined degrees linking Philosophy with other subjects are also very popular. Studies in Philosophy have led students into careers in teaching, publishing, welfare services, the church, politics, civil services and management.

AQA

Assessment: you will sit five College Assessment Points (CAPS) throughout the two years of the course. CAP 1-3 will take place in Y12 and CAP 3-4 in Y13.

There is no coursework in A level Philosophy. You will sit two exams at the end of the course which will be a combination of questions where you show your knowledge of the thinkers and ideas we have covered and essays where you present and argument for or against certain philosophical theories. The skills you need for this are taught throughout the course and plenty of time is given to help you revise so that you are fully exam ready.

At least five 5s at GCSE and at least a 6 in English Language and Maths.

Have you considered studying a Mixed Programme (A-Levels and BTECs)? Whether you’re on target to achieve five 5s in your GCSEs or not, there may still be an option to study A-Levels alongside a BTEC qualification at Newman.