Philosophy

In Year 1 the course explores two key philosophical questions: “What can I know?” and “How Should I live?”. The section on Epistemology (the theory of knowledge) examines the views of philosophers such as René Descartes and John Locke on how reason and sense experience can produce our knowledge of the world, as well as asking fundamental questions about what knowledge is and the nature of reality.

The second question, “How should I live?” is the concern of the Moral Philosophy unit. This section explores the strengths and weaknesses of the three great theories of western societies: the utilitarian approach of J.S. Mill, the deontological (duty-based) theory of Immanuel Kant and the virtue ethics of Aristotle. Drawing on our knowledge of these theories, and our previous work in epistemology, we will then confront the question of the reality of ethics – in what sense can our ethical experience said to be objective?  

In Year 2, the course is organised around the questions “Can we prove God exists?” and “What is the nature of consciousness?”. In the Metaphysics of God unit, we explore the key features of the concept of God, together with their implications; for example, is God’s omniscience compatible with human freedom? This topic’s main focus is the three great arguments for God’s existence: the cosmological, ontological and design arguments, as well as examining further issues, such as the problem of evil and the nature of language.

In Metaphysics of Mind, we will explore René Descartes arguments for a dualist position, arguing that the soul and the body and distinct substances. This is one of the key answers to the question of what the fundamental nature of a human is, and what our place is in a scientific, objective world. The majority of the topic will examine the key positions in contemporary philosophy of mind on the nature of consciousness, looking at questions such as whether computers are a good model for the mind, and whether neuroscience can really give us all the answers about the subjective experience of being conscious.

The course is academically challenging and is focused on developing a rigorous, precise style of argumentation in your written work. Discussion and debate is a critical element of the course and students must be willing to articulate difficult ideas in class which may challenge their own views about the world. Furthermore, students should be willing to read and engage with dense philosophical material in order to construct arguments and write sophisticated philosophical essays.

Philosophy is assessed by two 3-hour exams; Paper 1 (Moral Philosophy and Epistemology) covers Year 1 content, and Paper 2 (Metaphysics of God and Metaphysics of Mind) covers Year 2 content. Both examinations take place at the end of the two-year course.

Philosophy will provide students will the skills they need to think logically in order to formulate, justify and express rigorous and robust arguments. It will encourage students to think for themselves so that they can develop their own world view, analyse arguments, write essays, understand the history of ideas and articulate their arguments with fluency in discussion and debate. Furthermore, A Level Philosophy develops such rigorous thinking skills, that it is a highly respected A Level for university admission to a wide variety of degree courses.

In additional to academic skills, philosophy develops highly valued professional skills; such as verbal reasoning, creative thinking, presenting a coherent argument, analysing densely written material, and carrying out independent inquiry. Work can be found in consultancy, journalism, local administration, law, publishing, project management, teaching, librarianship, the civil service and banking. The financial sector, the legal profession and finance are other common destinations.

We do not allow students to take both Philosophy and Religious Studies.