A Level Philosophy

A Level Philosophy

Exam Board: AQA

Philosophy is the systematic study of life’s big questions; such as how do we know we exist? How do we know anything? Is there a God? What is consciousness? What is the right thing to do?

We look at the theories posed by philosophers regarding these questions.

This A Level is designed to develop skills of analysis and evaluation through an examination of arguments and evidence put forward by philosophers.

You will enjoy the course, if:

• You are looking for a course that is rigorous, challenging and academic

• You enjoy discussion and debate, reading new ideas and challenging views and theories

Year 1

Unit 1: Epistemology

What is knowledge? Can we trust our senses? How do we know what we know?

Unit 2: Moral Philosophy (Ethics)

How do we make moral decisions? What is the right thing to do and how do we know? What does ‘good’ mean anyway? You will explore theories such as utilitarianism, Kantian ethics and virtue ethics.

Year 2

Unit 3: Metaphysics of God

What do we mean by ‘God’? Are there are any good reason for believing in God? Is ‘God’ a meaningful concept anyway? How can we believe in God with all the suffering in the world?

Unit 4: Metaphysics of Mind

What is consciousness? What are mental states? Is the mind something different from the body?

The course provides the opportunity to develop an enquiring mind, develop literacy skills and the ability to construct an argument. This A Level is increasingly regarded by employers in a range of careers, such as law, marketing, journalism, advertising, medical services, social work, counselling and psychotherapy, the police, broadcasting and publishing.

You can progress to higher education courses such as honours degrees in Philosophy, Ethics, Theology, Religious Studies or to degrees in related subjects such as English Literature, Law, Politics or History. It is highly thought of in Universities as an academic subject.